Infrastructure, Housing and Environment: Allocation of Reserve Funding to compensate for a shortfall in income and provide support for the Bus Operating Contract due to the impact of Covid-19

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A decision made on 22 December 2020

Decision reference: MD-TR-2020-0166
Decision Summary Title:	Allocation of Reserve Funding to IHE to compensate for a shortfall in income and provide support for the Bus Operating Contract due to the impact of COVID-19		Date of Decision Summary:	16th December 2020
Decision Summary Author:	Head of Investment Appraisal		Decision Summary: Public or Exempt?	Public
Type of Report: Oral or Written?	Written		Person Giving Oral Report:	N/A
Written Report Title:	Allocation of Reserve Funding to IHE to compensate for a shortfall in income and provide support for the Bus Operating Contract due to the impact of COVID-19		Date of Written Report:	16th December 2020
Written Report Author:	Head of Investment Appraisal		Written Report: Public or Exempt?	Exempt (Article 33)
Subject: The allocation of up to £5,832,550 in 2020 from the General Reserve to Infrastructure, Housing & Environment (IHE) to compensate for a shortfall in income within the Department and to provide support in respect of the Bus Operating Contract due to the impact of COVID-19.
Decision(s): The Minister approved the allocation of up to £5,832,550 in 2020 from the General Reserve to IHE to compensate for a shortfall in income and to provide financial support in respect of the Bus Operating Contract due to the impact of COVID-19. The allocation is subject to: the operating agreement being amended materially in line with the proposals outlined in the Covid-19 business case reference ‘CV19 20-064 Bus Service Phase 2’; and the final financial requirements being confirmed in writing by the Accountable Officer.
Reason(s) for Decision: Article 15(3) of the Public Finances (Jersey) Law 2019 states that the approval by the States of a Government Plan authorises the Minister to direct how an approved appropriation for a reserve head of expenditure in the plan may be spent (including on another head of expenditure) in the first financial year covered by the plan. The current Policy for Allocations from the Reserve agreed by the Minister for Treasury and Resources (published as R.80/2020) sets the requirement that all proposed allocations from the General Reserve (Covid-19), once recommended for approval by the States Treasurer (taking into account comments from the Principal Accountable Officer), are referred for review to either the Council of Ministers or the relevant Competent Authorities Ministers prior to submission to the Minister for approval. The Investment Appraisal Team has recommended this request for approval and further to these reviews the Treasurer of the States, having consulted with the Principal Accountable Officer and the Council of Ministers, recommends this allocation to the Minister.
Resource Implications: The General Reserve head of expenditure to decrease by up to £5,832,550 and the GHE head of expenditure to increase by the identical amount in 2020.
Action required: The Head of Financial Governance to advise the Head of Investment Appraisal and the Head of Finance Business Partnering of IHE that this decision is approved.
Signature:		Position: Deputy S J Pinel Minister for Treasury and Resources
Date Signed:		Date of Decision: