Budget transfer from Central Contingencies to Education Department: Jerriais Teaching

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A decision made 18 May 2017:

Decision Reference: MD-TR-2017-0066
Decision Summary Title:	Allocation from Central Contingencies – Jerriais teaching		Date of Decision Summary:	16th May 2017
Decision Summary Author:	Head of Decision Support		Decision Summary: Public or Exempt?	Public
Type of Report: Oral or Written?	Written		Person Giving Oral Report:
Written Report Title:	Allocation from Central Contingencies – Jerriais teaching		Date of Written Report:	16th May 2017
Written Report Author:	Head of Decision Support		Written Report : Public or Exempt?	Public
Subject: A non-recurring allocation of up to £110,000 in each of the years 2018 and 2019 from Central Contingencies to the Education Department revenue head of expenditure and an increase of 2.0 FTE for 3 years to fund additional teaching of Jerriais.
Decision(s): The Minister approved an allocation of up to £110,000 in each of the years 2018 and 2019 from Central Contingencies to the Education Department revenue head of expenditure and an increase of 2.0 FTE for 3 years.
Reason(s) for Decision: Article 17(2) of the Public Finances (Jersey) Law 2005 states that the Minister for Treasury and Resources is authorised 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 current Contingency Allocation Policy (published as R.10/2012) sets the requirement for all allocations from Contingency to be considered by the Council of Ministers prior to submission to the Minister for approval. To comply with P67/1999 which charges the Minister for Treasury and Resources to regulate the number of persons that may be employed by the States and delegation 2.3 in which authority is delegated to the Treasurer of the States for agreeing non-contentious increases to States staffing levels On 26th April and 10th May 2017 the Council of Ministers approved the Jerriais Plan and request for additional funding from Contingency.
Resource Implications: The Education Department revenue head of expenditure to increase by up to £110,000 in each of the years 2018 and 2019 and Central Contingences to decrease by identical amounts. The FTE of the Education Department to increase by 2.0 for 3 years. This funding is in addition to that agreed by the States in the debate on Amendment 7 to the Medium Term Financial Plan 2017-2019 Addition. The additional recurring costs and the FTE requirement will be subject to a growth bid in the 2020 Medium Term Financial Plan. This decision does not change the total amount of expenditure approved by the States in the Medium Term Financial Plan 2017-2019.
Action required: Head of Decision Support to advise the Head of Finance– Education once this decision has been approved.
Signature:		Position: Senator A J H Maclean, Minister for Treasury and Resources
Date Signed:		Date of Decision:

Budget transfer from Central Contingencies to Education Department: Jerriais Teaching

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Treasury and Resources

Ministerial Decision Report

A Allocation from Central Contingencies – Jerriais teaching

Purpose of Report

To approve a non-recurring allocation of up to £110,000 in each of the years 2018 and 2019 from Central Contingencies to the Education Department revenue head of expenditure and an increase of 2.0 FTE for 3 years to fund additional teaching of Jerriais.

Background

At its meeting on 26 April 2017, the Council of Ministers approved the Jèrriais Plan for 2017-2019 subject to officers identifying a funding source. The Council asked to be advised of progress at the earliest opportunity, having noted the urgent need to begin the appointment process for two additional teachers.

The Department for Economic Development, Tourism, Sport and Culture has subsequently agreed that it will provide up to £50,000 from underspends to support implementation of the Jèrriais plan in 2017. This meets the cost of two new teachers this year. However, EDTSC does not have additional funding to meet the cost in 2018 or 2019, and the Education Department has also confirmed that it cannot fund the new teachers.

Consequently, if the plan to sustain the language is to be implemented, there is a funding requirement in both of the next two years of approximately £110,000 (the exact cost dependent upon the experience of the teachers appointed).

As the Council of Ministers noted at its meeting on 26 April, without an adequately resourced plan Jèrriais will disappear as a spoken language within the next ten or fifteen years. Its demise is not, however, inevitable but measures to save it are predicated on increased teaching resources and on acting now to appoint new teachers while the opportunity still exists.

3. Recommendation

The Minister is recommended to approve non-recurring allocation of up to £110,000 in each of the years 2018 and 2019 from Central Contingencies to the Education Department revenue head of expenditure and an increase of 2.0 FTE for 3 years to fund additional teaching of Jerriais.

4. Reason for Decision

Article 17(2) of the Public Finances (Jersey) Law 2005 states that the Minister for Treasury and Resources is authorised 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 current Contingency Allocation Policy (published as R.10/2012) sets the requirement for all allocations from Contingency to be considered by the Council of Ministers prior to submission to the Minister for approval.

To comply with P67/1999 which charges the Minister for Treasury and Resources to regulate the number of persons that may be employed by the States and delegation 2.3 in which authority is delegated to the Treasurer of the States for agreeing non-contentious increases to States staffing levels

On 26th April and 10th May 2017 the Council of Ministers approved the Jerriais Plan and request for additional funding from Contingency.

5. Resource Implications

The Education Department revenue head of expenditure to increase by up to £110,000 in each of the years 2018 and 2019 and Central Contingences to decrease by identical amounts. The FTE of the Education Department to increase by 2.0 for 3 years.

This funding is in addition to that agreed by the States in the debate on Amendment 7 to the Medium Term Financial Plan 2017-2019 Addition. The additional recurring costs and the FTE requirement will be subject to a growth bid in the 2020 Medium Term Financial Plan.

This decision does not change the total amount of expenditure approved by the States in the Medium Term Financial Plan 2017-2019.

Report author : Head of Decision Support	Document date 16th May 2017
Quality Assurance / Review : Director of Financial Planning and Performance	File name and path: L:\Treasury\Sections\Corporate Finance\Ministerial Decisions\DS, WR and SD\2017-00xx - Contingency for Jerriais
MD sponsor : Director of Financial Planning and Performance