Details of Deputy Mezec's trip to St Helena May 2024 (FOI)

Produced by the Freedom of Information office
Authored by Government of Jersey on behalf of the States Greffe and published on 21 June 2024.
Prepared internally, no external costs.

​​Request

In respect of Deputy Sam Mézec’s attendance at the 53rd CPA British Islands and Mediterranean Region Conference in St Helena, please state:

A

Details of all flights involved in the return trip from Jersey to St Helena, including the dates of travel, the class of travel, and the cost of the flights.

B

The cost of accommodation for all parts of this trip.

C

Other costs of the trip, including meals, trains, taxis and any other incidental expenses0

D

Information on any third-party sponsorship or reimbursements for travel and/or accommodation expenses. This includes the identity of the sponsors and the amounts sponsored.

E

Details of meetings held and events attended at the conference.

F

The purpose of the trip, and why this justified missing the States sitting which commenced on 21 May 2024.

Response

A to C

The information requested is available within the following Freedom of Information response 

Cost of Minsters' trip to St Helena May 2024 (FOI)​

As this information is available elsewhere, Article 23 of the Freedom of Information (Jersey) Law 2011 has been applied.

D

The only funding received in relation to the conference was from the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) who cover the costs of accommodation for all delegates.  

The Johannesburg to St Helena flight was delayed by 24 hrs until Sunday 26 May. The airline paid for the additional night of accommodation in Johannesburg.

E and F

The theme of the conference was “Addressing Challenges to Sustainable Development in Times of Global Uncertainty”, bringing delegates together to discuss the various issues surrounding this topic and gain understanding of the challenges each parliament is facing.

The conference provided delegates with the opportunity to strengthen their regional network, to benefit from peer-to-peer exchange on issues affecting parliaments and parliamentarians in the British Islands and Mediterranean Region and to attend the region's Annual General Meeting.

Deputy Mézec was a Guest Speaker at the following sessions –

Wednesday 22 May 13:30-15:00

Social Housing 

Friday 24 May 11:00-12:30

Benefits of a Youth Parliament 

​Deputy Le Hegarat was a Guest Speaker at the following sessions –

Monday 20 May 11:00-12:30

Annual General Meeting (CPA BIMR)

Wednesday 22 May 09:00-10:30

The role of the Commonwealth Women Parliamentarians network

​Thursday 23 May 1:30-3:00

The Role of Scrutiny

Other sessions attended by the Deputies included sessions on Digital Reforms and AI, Decentralised Finance, Green Energy solutions, Climate Emergency, Tourism Development, Marine Environment, and Improving Agriculture Productivity. 

Whilst in St Helena, Deputy Le Hegarat also met with the Royal St Helena Police Service. 

Under the provisions of Standing Order 53, which governs the roll call held at the start of each States Meeting, any elected States Member may declare that another Member is absent from the meeting because they are absent from Jersey on States’ business.  This was recorded for both Deputies during the roll calls taken on 21st and 22nd May 2024.

Article applied

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.

This response has been issued on behalf of the States Greffe. The States Greffe is responsible for the information held by (and on behalf of) both itself and the States Assembly.  Neither the States Assembly nor the States Greffe form part of the Government of Jersey and the Government was not involved either in the examination and retrieval of any information required for this response, nor in the drafting of the response itself.