Chief Minister's 100-day plan update (FOI)

Request

The plan made a number of promises to deliver on 18 specific initiatives. Some have been achieved, but it is not clear whether a number of the promises were fulfilled in the 100 days, or at all. 

A

What practical steps have been taken to make Islanders better able to engage with government and receive information? 

B

The government announced a survey to involve children in policy formulation and decision making to help create better participation standards: has the survey concluded? If so, what are the outcomes? If not, when will it be completed?

C

An Older Persons Living Forum was launched last October with a commitment to meet every quarter. Has the Forum met since that time and if so, what were the outcomes?

D

In relation introducing an appeal mechanism for the co-funded payroll scheme, the government stated, “...the majority of cases are genuine”. How many appeals have been heard, how many adjudicated on and of the total number, how many upheld?

E

In August 2022 the chief executive was ordered to establish a cabinet office: has that office been set up? If so, how is it populated and how is it fulfilling the objective of strengthening decision making?

F

What action has been taken to limit the number of new houses over 3000 square feet?

G

The evidence-based review on whether change can achieve a more affordable and appropriate hospital was supposed to report conclusions to the Assembly last October. To date only interim or provisional thoughts have been delivered. When will the review be complete?

H

The previous government approved the position of a public service ombudsman, a decision endorsed by the present Council of Ministers which committed to the post being “established” within the 100-day plan. Was it? And if not why not?

I

Is both legislation and funding in place to ensure that school children have one meal a day in school?

J

What Propositions have been lodged to create prefabricated homes to address the housing crisis?

K

Instead of the promised Commission, a political Population and Skills Ministerial Group has been set up. How many times has this Group met and what are the outcomes?

L

How have government departments been reorganised to provide direct accountability?

M

All Ministers were required to finalise and present to the States Assembly their plans for the coming year. Which ministers did so within 100 days, which ministers did so subsequently and which ministers have not presented plans to the Assembly?

N

Have constituency offices been opened in all constituencies? 

O

The previous government announced plans for a cultural centre at Fort Regent. This government committed to produce a plan within 100 days to open a Cultural Centre bringing Islanders together, but such a plan has not been published, when will it be?

Response 

Article 23 of the Freedom of Information (Jersey) Law 2011 has been applied to this response where information is accessible by other means. 

A

An engagement and information improvement report has been approved and is available on the Government of Jersey website. Please see the following link: 

r.163-2022.pdf (gov.je)

Proposals for a new Policy Inclusion Framework are available on the Government of Jersey website. Please see the following link: 

Proposals for the Jersey Policy Inclusion Framework (gov.je)

This Framework was subject to a public consultation between 15 November 2022 and 6 February 2023, details of this can be found using the following link:

Policy Inclusion Framework consultation (gov.je)

B

The Participation Standards Feedback report is available on the Government of Jersey Website. Please see the following link: 

Participation Standards for children and young people (gov.je)

C 

Minutes of the Forum’s meetings and further information are available on the Government of Jersey website. Please see the following link: 

Older Persons Living Forum (gov.je)

D

353 Appeals were received in total. 

• 161 have been fully finalised and have received a confirmed outcome 
• 24% of those reviewed (38 appeals) have resulted in a reduction or elimination of the repayment requirement 
• 63% (101 appeals) have resulted in additional time to repay; the maximum time to repay has been increased to 10 years and the minimum period is 2 years 
• 157 have been asked to provide further information to exhaust all potential routes to redress and are in the process of gathering that information 
• 35 are either with the CoFunded Payroll Scheme (CFPS) Appeals Officer Group or the CFPS Appeals Ministerial Group for review having recently provided more information

E

The Cabinet Office was created by Ministerial Decision, details of which are available on the Government of Jersey website. Please see the following link:

Creation of Jersey's Cabinet Office (gov.je) 

The relevant pages were published on the Government of Jersey website. Please see the following link:

The Cabinet Office (gov.je)

Information which is exempt under Article 35 of the Freedom of Information (Jersey) Law 2011 (Formulation and Development of Policies), has also been presented to the Council of Ministers. 

F

The Minister for the Environment published, for consultation, draft supplementary planning guidance to, amongst other things, better manage the size of new homes in October 2022.

Details are available on the Government of Jersey website. Please see the following links:

Consultation on draft planning guidance for the density of residential development (gov.je) 

Consultation on draft planning guidance for the development of new homes in the countryside (gov.je)

G

The review was completed and presented to the States Assembly on 1st November 2022. Details of this were published on the Government of Jersey website. Please see the following link: 

r.154-2022.pdf (gov.je) 

As part of the approved Government Plan 2023-2026, the States Assembly voted to include funding for feasibility studies in 2023 in accordance with the direction of travel outlined in the review.  

The Chief Minister approved law drafting instructions and asked the Legislative Drafting Office to commence drafting legislation to establish the Jersey Public Services Ombudsperson on 22 October 2022. Please see the following link: 

Jersey Public Services Ombudsperson: Law drafting instructions (gov.je)

I

Additional funding has been made available as outlined in the Government Plan:

Proposed Government Plan 2023 to 2026 (gov.je)

No Legislation is not intended. 

J

Propositions are available on the States Assembly website:

Propositions (gov.je)

K

Seven meetings have taken place, including workshops and formal meetings. The discussions are exempt under Article 35 of the Freedom of Information (Jersey) Law 2011 (Policy under development). Any published decisions are available as ministerial decisions on the Government of Jersey Website. Please see the following link: 

Ministerial Decisions (gov.je)

L

The Article 30A reports outline ministerial and departmental responsibilities and can be accessed using the following links from the 2020 and 2023 reports:

Ministerial Responsibilities: Ministers and Assistant Ministers (gov.je)

r.10-2023.pdf (gov.je)

M

The Ministerial Plans were presented to the States Assembly on 10th October 2022, details of which are available in the following link:

r.139-2022.pdf (gov.je)

N

The Privileges and Procedures Committee has considered this matter and has set up a Sub-Committee to progress this subject. Please see links below:

Committees and Panels (gov.je)

Minutes - 2022-11-21 ppc (a).pdf (gov.je)

O

An announcement has been made regarding Fort Regent that the plans of the previous government are not proceeding. This has been extensively reported. 

Information held on the Cultural Centre is available in the following link:

International Cultural Centre Steering Group (gov.je)

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 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.

Article 35 - Formulation and development of policies

Information is qualified exempt information if it relates to the formulation or development of any proposed policy by a public authority.

Public Interest Test

In applying this article, the following considerations were taken into account.

Public interest considerations favouring disclosure

• disclosure of the information would support transparency and promote accountability to the general public, providing confirmation that the necessary discussions have taken place
• disclosure to the public fulfils an educative role about the early stages in policy development and illustrates how the department engages with parties for this purpose.

Public interest considerations favouring withholding the information

• in order to best develop policy and provide advice to Ministers, officials need a safe space in which free and frank discussion can take place – discussion of how documentation is presented and provided is considered as integral to policy development as iterations of documents are demonstrative of the policy development process
• the need for this safe space is considered at its greatest during the live stages of a policy
• release of the information at this stage may generate misinformed debate. This would affect the ability of officials to consider and develop policy away from external pressures, and to advise Ministers appropriately
• premature disclosure of documentation relating to this matter may limit the willingness of parties to provide their honest views and feedback. This would hamper and harm the policy–making process not only in relation to this subject area but in respect of future policy development across wider departmental business.