Information on the Population office (FOI)

Request

Please would you set out full information on the Population Office:

A

Basic data - its current budget, staff complement (by grade and salary level), its office location and the cost of its premises, which member of the ministry has political oversight of it, and its most recent performance metrics including value for money analysis; 

B

Strategic data - its current annual business plan; its forward strategic plan; its most recent annual report, all current statements as to the policies that are its responsibility to deliver; 

C

Its current analysis of the costs to, and impact on, the economy and the burdens on business to which the policies for which it responsible gives rise, and, with exactitude please, the means by which it continues to satisfy itself and the ministry that those costs are proportionate to the objectives set for it; and 

D

Its most recent counterfactual analysis of the impacts on the economy of the country, beneficial and/or otherwise, were its functions abolished.

Response

A

In 2014 the Population Office moved to be part of Social Security (now Customer and Local Services).   The service is located at Philip Le Feuvre House, La Motte Street and some colleagues are based in Eagle House, Don Road. The Chief Minister holds political responsibility for the service.  

In order to give joined up services to customers, staff who work on population office services, also provide a number of non-Control of Housing and Work Law (CHWL) services which Customer and Local Services (CLS) have responsibility for, (for example Employer Contributions advice and processing). As CHWL is not their sole task, and they are involved in providing other services, it is not possible to give a precise number of staff. Due to the reasons above, it is not possible to give a specific budget for the Population Office element of their roles. Philip Le Feuvre House is owned by the Social Security Fund and Eagle House is occupied by a number of CLS teams of which Business Licensing make up a small part. It is not possible to determine the cost of premises for the Population Office only. This data is therefore not held and so Article 10 of the Freedom of Information (Jersey) Law 2011 applies.

The following shows current performance metrics of the Population Office. 

In addition, quarterly reports are issued publicly around Control of Housing and Work Law statistics.  Links to the quarter 1 and quarter 2022 reports are provided below. Affordable Housing Gateway statistics are published monthly and, a link to the report for July is provided below.

R Control of Housing and Work Quarterly Statistics 2022 Q1.pdf (gov.je)

Control of housing and work quarterly statistics 2022 Q2.pdf (gov.je)

Affordable Housing Report.pdf (gov.je)

There has been no value for money analysis.

B

The Control of Housing and Work Jersey Law, administered by CLS, provides a key migration control mechanism within the Common Population Policy.  The following documents provide further information on those controls and planned utilisation of the legislation and are available on www.gov.je:

The Government Plan 2022 to 2025.pdf (gov.je)

P.116/2021 Common Population Policy.pdf (gov.je)

Draft Control of Housing and Work (Amendment) (Jersey) Law 202-.pdf (gov.je)

Business Licensing Guidance notes.pdf (gov.je) 

Residential and employment status policy guidance.pdf (gov.je)

CLS Business Plan.pdf (gov.je)

Article 23 of the Freedom of Information (Jersey) Law 2011 has been applied.

C

The Department does not hold this information and Article 3 of the Freedom of Information (Jersey) Law 2011 applies.

D

The Department does not hold this information and Article 3 of the Freedom of Information (Jersey) Law 2011 applies.

Articles applied

Article 3 - Meaning of “information held by a public authority”

For the purposes of this Law, information is held by a public authority if –

(a)     it is held by the authority, otherwise than on behalf of another person; or

(b)     it is held by another person on behalf of the authority.

Article 10 - Obligation of scheduled public authority to confirm or deny holding Information

(1) Subject to paragraph (2), if –

(a) a person makes a request for information to a scheduled public authority; and

(b) the authority does not hold the information, it must inform the applicant accordingly.

Article 23 - Information accessible to applicant by other means

(1) Information is absolutely exempt information if it is reasonably available to the applicant, otherwise than under this Law, whether or not free of charge.

(2) A scheduled public authority that refuses an application for information on this ground must make reasonable efforts to inform the applicant where the applicant may obtain the information.