Budget Transfer: Central Contingency Funding for Jersey Heritage Coin Hoard

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A decision made 11th November 2013:

Decision Reference: MD-ESC-2013-0022
Decision Summary Title:	Central Contingency Funding allocation to Education, Sport and Culture to enable Jersey Heritage to acquire and restore the Coin Hoard		Date of Decision Summary:	23rd October 2013
Decision Summary Author:	Finance Manager		Decision Summary: Public or Exempt?	Public
Type of Report: Oral or Written?	Written		Person Giving Oral Report:	N/A
Written Report Title:	Central Contingency Funding allocation to Education, Sport and Culture to enable Jersey Heritage to acquire and restore the Coin Hoard		Date of Written Report:	23rd October 2013
Written Report Author:	Finance Manager		Written Report : Public or Exempt?	Public
Subject: Central Contingency (one-off) funding allocation to Education, Sport and Culture (ESC) to enable Jersey Heritage to acquire and restore approximately 70,000 iron age silver and copper alloy coins and other precious metal objects (“the Coin Hoard”) discovered in Grouville in June 2012.
Decision(s): The Minister for ESC requested that the Minister for Treasury and Resources (T&R) approve a budget transfer from Central Contingency (one-off) to the ESC revenue head of expenditure of £738,000 in 2013 to enable Jersey Heritage to acquire and restore the Coin Hoard.
Reason(s) for Decision: Article 17(2) of the Public Finances (Jersey) Law 2005 states that the Minister for Treasury and Resources is authorized to approve the transfer from contingency expenditure to heads of expenditure of amounts not exceeding, in total, the amount available for contingency expenditure in a financial year. The Coin Hoard was discovered in Grouville in June 2012 and is regarded as important in heritage terms and of significance to Jersey internationally with joint exhibitions already planned with other jurisdictions. Such exhibitions would constitute a major public attraction for visitors and residents.
Resource Implications: The ESC revenue head of expenditure will increase by £738,000 in 2013 with Central Contingency (one-off) decreasing by an identical amount. This decision does not change the total amount of expenditure approved by the States for 2013.
Action required: The Minister for ESC to seek approval from the Minister for Treasury and Resources in accordance with Financial Direction 4.3 – Contingency Allocations to heads of expenditure, for the above described budget transfer.
Signature:		Position: Deputy Patrick Ryan Minister for Education, Sport and Culture
Date Signed:		Date of Decision:

Budget Transfer: Central Contingency Funding for Jersey Heritage Coin Hoard

Education, Sport and Culture

Ministerial Decision Report

Central Contingency Funding allocation to Education, Sport and Culture to enable Jersey Heritage to acquire and restore the Coin Hoard

Purpose of Report

To enable the Minister for Education, Sport and Culture (ESC) to request that the Minister for Treasury and Resources (T&R) approve a budget transfer from Central Contingency (one-off) to ESC revenue head of expenditure of £738,000 in 2013 to enable Jersey Heritage to acquire and restore approximately 70,000 iron age silver and copper alloy coins and other precious metal objects (“the Coin Hoard”) discovered in Grouville in June 2012.

Background

In June 2012 the Celtic world’s largest Coin Hoard of approximately 70,000 silver alloy coins, with gold and silver jewellery, was discovered in Jersey. The find was made by individuals using metal-detectors on private land. In accordance with Jersey legal precedent, ownership has been claimed by the Crown. There is no local legislation to govern rewards for such finds but the Crown has confirmed that it intends to act in a manner consistent, as far as possible, with the spirit of the UK Treasure Act, 1996. The act seeks to ensure that such finds are offered for sale to public institutions but that a reasonable reward is available to the finders and land-owners. This is important not only in the interests of natural fairness but also to encourage the proper reporting of such finds to avoid creating a black market in historically significant objects.

In the UK, the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport determines any reward payable to “the finder or any other person involved in the finding of the treasure, the occupier of the land at the time of the find, or any person who had an interest in the land at the time of the find or has had such an interest at any time since then”. The reward is based on the value of the find assessed by a committee of experts, the Treasure Valuation Committee (‘TVC’), appointed by the British Museum.

Having formally claimed ownership of the hoard on the basis of legal precedent, the Crown (though the office of the Receiver General) has written to the Minister for Education, Sport and Culture to notify him of its intention to offer the Coin Hoard for sale to the States. The proceeds would be divided between the finders and landowners.

The Coin Hoard is currently being cared for by specialist conservation staff at Jersey Heritage working in consultation with the British Museum Conservation Department and the Cranfield Institute of Technology. An assessment of the cost of restoration was provided to the TVC as part of the process.

Recommendation

The Minister for ESC is recommended to request that the Minister for T&R approve a budget transfer from Central Contingency (one-off) to the ESC revenue head of expenditure of £738,000 in 2013 to enable Jersey Heritage to acquire and restore the Coin Hoard.

Reasons for Decision

Article 17(2) of the Public Finances (Jersey) Law 2005 states that the Minister for Treasury and Resources is authorized to approve the transfer from contingency expenditure to heads of expenditure of amounts not exceeding, in total, the amount available for contingency expenditure in a financial year.

The Coin Hoard was discovered in Grouville in June 2012 and is regarded as important in heritage terms and of significance to Jersey internationally with joint exhibitions already planned with other jurisdictions. Such exhibitions would constitute a major public attraction for visitors and residents.

Resource Implications

The ESC revenue head of expenditure will increase by £738,000 in 2013 with Central Contingency (one-off) decreasing by an identical amount. This decision does not change the total amount of expenditure approved by the States for 2013.

Report author: Finance Manager	Document date : 23 October 2013
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