Regulation and Natural Environment Directorate: Fees and Charges: 2020

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A decision made 23 December 2019:

Decision Reference: MD-PE-2019-0111
Decision Summary Title:	Changes to Regulation and Natural Environment Directorate Fees and Charges - 2020			Date of Decision Summary:	4th December 2019
Decision Summary Author:	Finance Business Partner			Decision Summary: Public or Exempt?	Public
Type of Report: Oral or Written?	Written			Person Giving Oral Report:
Written Report Title:	Changes to Regulation and Natural Environment Directorate Fees and Charges - 2020			Date of Written Report:	4th December 2019
Written Report Author:	Finance Business Partner			Written Report: Public or Exempt?	Report – Public Appendix - Exempt
Subject: Changes to Regulation and Natural Environment Directorate Fees and Charges – 2020.
Decision(s): The Assistant Minister approved the changes as set out in the accompanying written report.
Reason(s) for Decision: For the Assistant Minister for the Environment to approve the increase in fees and charges for those areas of the Growth, Housing and Environment department for which he has responsibility, specifically the Regulation and Natural Environment Directorates.
Resource Implications: Any increased income will offset inflationary and staff cost increases within Government of Jersey budgets in 2020.
Action required: That the Assistant Minister shall request the Finance Director of Growth, Housing and the Environment to arrange for the updated fees and charges to be advertised on the States Website, www.gov.je, and to be available on request from the department. That the Assistant Minister shall also request the Principal Legislative Drafter to prepare the relevant fee orders.
Signature: Deputy G Guida			Position: Assistant Minister for the Environment
Date Signed:		Ass Dir Initials	Date of Decision (If different from Date Signed):
		CEO Initials

Regulation and Natural Environment Directorate: Fees and Charges: 2020

Department for Growth, Housing and the Environment

Ministerial Decision Report

Changes to Regulation and Natural Environment Directorate Fees and Charges – 2020

Purpose of Report

To enable the Minister for the Environment to approve changes to fees and charges within the Regulation and Natural Environment Directorate, which are to be raised by a maximum of 2.50% in 2020 (three exceptions are explained below).

Discussion

Fees and charges across the Regulation and Natural Environment Directorates of the Growth, Housing and Environment Department have been raised by a maximum of 2.50% for 2020 in line with the States Anti-Inflation Strategy P.125/2000. The strategy states that exceptions to this rule may be subject to prior approval by the Minister for Treasury and Resources.

Charges above 2.50% - Plant Health Laboratory

The charges for PCN and NPK sampling and testing have been increased by more than 2.50% because the services are either already at cost recovery or planned to increase to full cost recovery. In the case of PCN analysis (largest increase of 30.33%), the department was subject to a steep price increase from the supplier in 2018. In 2019, the fee was increased by 30%, and following a similar increase in 2021 the service will be at full cost recovery. Services already at cost recovery have been increased by around 4% to reflect the Government of Jersey staffing cost increase in 2020.

Permission for these increases was granted by the Treasurer of the States on 4th December 2019 in TR-2019-DD099.

Recommendation

That the Minister approves that fees and charges within the Regulation and Natural Environment Directorate be raised in 2020 by no more than 2.50%, with the exception of those detailed above for the Plant Health Laboratory.
That the Minister requests the Finance Director to arrange for the updated fees and charges to be advertised on the States Website, www.gov.je, and to be available on request from the department.
That the Minister requests the Law Draftsman to prepare the relevant fee orders.

Reason for Decision

To enable the Regulation and Natural Environment Directorates to increase their fees and charges in 2020.

Resource Implications

Any increased income will offset inflationary and staff cost increases within Government of Jersey budgets in 2020.