Working permits (FOI)

Request 

A

For 2014 and 2015 how many short one off working permits were granted to large Construction businesses for one off large projects for tradesmen & women, for example plumbers, electricians, decorators, carpenters.

Please categorise.

B

As above but for small businesses employing 10 or less staff who land a large one off contract.

Response

Please refer to the following published data on business licence applications requests. This includes applications made by construction businesses.

Population Office figures for October to December and end of year 2015

Businesses granted licences (for Licensed and Registered positions) issued (FOI)

Further to the published data we have broken the information down by those businesses employing ten or less staff and those greater than ten staff ie larger construction businesses.

2014: There were 15 permissions granted in total

The Figure is not broken down by size of business due to small number of businesses this relates to which could lead to these businesses being identified. Therefore Article 33 and Article34 exemptions have been applied (see below).

2015:  There were 91 permissions granted in total of which:

• 16 permissions granted to small businesses employing 10 or less staff

• 75 permissions granted to large businesses employing more than 10 staff

The information is recorded using Standard Industrial Classification codes as determined by the Chief Minister’s Statistics Unit. It is not held in the format as requested ie specific trades.  

In addition, we have provided the volume of non-resident construction businesses granted licences in 2014 and 2015. The information is broken down by those operating in Jersey for 90 days or less and those greater than 90 days as per the Control of Housing and Work (Fees) (Jersey) Order 2013.

2014: There were 148 business licences granted of which:

• 134 for 90 days or less

• 14 for more than 90 days 

2015: There were 193 business licences granted of which:

• 169 for 90 days or less

• 24 for more than 90 days 

Freedom of Information exemption(s) applied:

Article 33 – Commercial Interests

Article 34 – The Economy

Justification for exemption

Article 33 – Commercial Interests

• Disclosing staffing permissions granted to individual businesses may provide a competitive advantage or disadvantage to a business. For example, a business expanding or contracting may find it easier or more difficult to recruit staff compared to competitors or it may generally benefit or undermine its trading position. 

• Existing businesses may not wish to recruit registered staff should such information be publicly available, as it may feel its reputation is damaged. This would impact on that business’ growth prospects or profitability and have a potentially negative effect on the economy as a whole if individual business licencing staffing permissions were to be publicly available, for example, banks, trust businesses, hotels, restaurants, construction businesses to name a few.

Article 34 – The Economy

• The cumulative effect of the individual commercial interests may have a negative effect on the Jersey economy and financial interest of the States of Jersey should businesses be discouraged from locating, investing and expanding in Jersey.

• In particular, the States of Jersey Strategic Plan very clearly emphasises the importance of economic growth as our society ages and costs such as healthcare rise, with a key element of that plan focused on business and job creation in a wide range of sectors including construction.