Transfer of funds for Customs and Immigration Control.

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A decision made (06/01/2009) regarding: Transfer of funds for Customs and Immigration Control.

Decision Reference: MD-E-2008-0211
Decision Summary Title :	Transfer of funds for Customs & Immigration Control		Date of Decision Summary:	21 October 2008
Decision Summary Author:	Loretta Outhwaite Finance Director - Corporate Group		Decision Summary: Public or Exempt? (State clauses from Code of Practice booklet)	Public
Type of Report: Oral or Written?	Written		Person Giving Oral Report:	n/a
Written Report Title :	Transfer of funds from EDD and Harbours		Date of Written Report:	21 October 2008
Written Report Author:	Loretta Outhwaite Finance Director – Corporate Group		Written Report : Public or Exempt? (State clauses from Code of Practice booklet)	Public
Subject: Transfer of funds from Economic Development Department and Harbour Office to Home Affairs
Decision(s): The Minister approved a non-recurring payment of £13,000 each (at total of £26,000) from the Economic Development Department and the Harbour Office.
Reason(s) for Decision: Increased shipping movements have continued to create serious difficulties in providing adequate Customs and Immigration controls for increased commercial shipping movements agreed by EDD and the Harbour Office. Extra funds are required to pay for a temporary seasonal officer and increased levels of overtime for permanent officers.
Resource Implications: A supplementation of £26,000 for 2008 only to the Home Affairs budget.
Action required: The Head of the Customs and Immigration Service to inform the Chief Officer of the Economic Development Department and the Chief Executive of the Harbour Office of this Ministerial Decision and request the implementation of the transfers. The Finance Director to notify the Treasurer of the States of the forthcoming transfer in accordance with Financial Direction 3.6 – Variations to Heads of Expenditure.
Signature: Senator Alan Maclean		Position: Minister for Economic Development
Date Signed:		Date of Decision (If different from Date Signed):

Transfer of funds for Customs and Immigration Control.

Economic Development Department

Customs and Immigration Service

To: Senator Philip Ozouf, Minister for Economic Development

From: Loretta Outhwaite, Finance Director – Corporate Group

Date: 21 October 2008

Subject: Transfer of funds from EDD and Harbours

1	Reason for Report

1.1	A Ministerial Decision is required to formalise the payment of £13,000 each from the Economic Development Department and the Harbour Office to help meet the costs of Customs and Immigration controls for increased commercial shipping.

2	Background

2.1	The Minister will recall that Economic Development Department and the Harbour Office transferred £13,000 each in 2007 to Home Affairs. Ministerial Decision MD-HA-2007-0037 refers.

2.2	The funds were required to meet extra costs incurred in providing Customs and Immigration controls for the increased commercial shipping movements.

2.3	EDD and Harbours agreed to the transfer as it was accepted that the extra pressures on Customs and Immigration were directly related to the 85% increase in commercial shipping from abroad that had been negotiated and agreed by the Harbour Office.

2.4	The difficulties have continued in 2008 and it has been agreed between the Chief Officer of Home Affairs and the Chief Officers at Economic Development and Harbours that there should be another supplementation this year.

2.5	The £26,000 is required to meet the costs of employing a temporary Immigration Officer (actually a retiree) for the summer season and the payment of rostered overtime for permanent officers.

2.6	It is not anticipated that a similar arrangement will be required in 2009. As the Service has received funding for and will be recruiting three extra Customs and Immigration Officers in 2009. There have also been productive discussions with one the largest commercial passenger shipping lines on practical arrangements to alleviate some of the more severe resource bottlenecks.

3	Recommendation

3.1	It is recommended that the Minister agrees to the budget transfers of £13,000 each from the Economic Development Department and the Harbour Office to Home Affairs.