11 January 2024
Statement from Chief Minister, Deputy Kristina Moore:
Today, I outline the Council of Ministers' five immediate priorities for 2024.
It is important the people of Jersey know what our main priorities are for this year, so we can be held accountable as a Council of Ministers.
These five priorities, agreed by the Council of Ministers, put Islanders' needs first so you know we are working in your interests.
They integrate, and go beyond, our three areas of relentless focus from last year to tackle the big issues affecting our Island, linking, of course, to our Ministerial Delivery Plans and Common Strategic Policy.
We will promote economic growth and productivity. We are enabling this by today announcing:
- Annual charges for registered and licenced permissions will be suspended for 2024 & 2025
- All employers can have an additional registered Control of Housing and Work permission
- We are doubling the size of the productivity grant policy
We will deliver more homes by developing the necessary infrastructure, simplifying the planning process, and making regulations clearer. We will:
- Support the building of 1,500 additional homes, consistent with the current Island Plan
- Upgrade the drainage network to enable future economic development
- Quadruple the connection rate for homes that are not on mains water
We will improve Island health services through better governance, services, facilities, and patient care. We will:
- Achieve an overall 20% reduction in waiting times across acute care
- Bring the new healthcare facilities project forward for final approval
- Maintain the current figure of reducing delayed discharge of patients to 20
We will do more for children and families to ensure all children and young people have the best education available to them, from early years through to adulthood. This year we pledge to:
- Have hot school meals available in all primary schools by the end of the year
- Pilot a community school model in three schools
- Increase the number of foster places available
- Reduce waiting times for ADHD and Neurodevelopment assessment and treatment for children and young people
We will Invest in St Helier. Many existing departmental plans and projects have the potential to change town for the better. This includes further developments to:
- The Central Market – we are intent on moving Markets investment forward by working in partnership with the parish and will be completing feasibility this year
- The Waterfront
- Building a new town school – we will deliver a much-needed school and offer opportunities to increase green space and parking on those sites
- Various public realm improvements, such as moving forward our ideas for the Coronation Way, which we hope will spark Islanders imagination and increase cycling and walking, especially to the east of the Island
- A new plan for improvements to put the fun back into Fort Regent – and there are others to create a replacement for Rouge Bouillon School as well as Fire and Ambulance Headquarters
- We will pull these and other economic development levers together into one plan to revitalise St Helier for all Island citizens
We have made progress on a number of these priorities over the past 18 months.
It has not been easy – with external and internal events affecting our ability to deliver effectively – but we will accelerate progress this year.
Through collaboration with Islanders and industry, the Council of Ministers is focused on delivering and prioritising projects that get results – and we will deliver.
These immediate priorities were outlined in a speech at the January Chamber of Commerce lunch. The link to the full speech is here.
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