Budget Transfer: Central Planning Vote to Education Sport and Culture: Jersey Archive Extension: Feasibility Study

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A decision made 20 October 2015:

Decision Reference: MD-ESC-2015-0022
Decision Summary Title:	Central Planning Vote to Education, Sport and Culture to fund a feasibility study on the proposed extension to the Jersey Archive		Date of Decision Summary:	15th October 2015
Decision Summary Author:	Assistant Director, Policy and Strategy		Decision Summary: Public or Exempt?	Public
Type of Report: Oral or Written?	Oral		Person Giving Oral Report:	Assistant Director, Policy and Strategy
Written Report Title:			Date of Written Report:
Written Report Author:	Assistant Director, Policy and Strategy		Written Report : Public or Exempt?	Public
Subject: Central Planning Vote (CPV) allocation to Education, Sport and Culture (ESC) to fund a feasibility study on the proposed extension to the Jersey Archive
Decision(s): The Minister for ESC requested that the Minister for Treasury and Resources approve a budget transfer of £60,000 in 2015 from the Central Planning Vote to ESC to fund a feasibility study on the proposed extension to the Jersey Archive.
Reason(s) for Decision: Funds are required to enable the feasibility study to proceed, and it is estimated the study will cost a maximum of £60,000. The case for an extension to the Jersey Archive is based on the importance of the role which the Archive plays to the Public Records (Jersey) Law 2002 and the Freedom of Information (Jersey) Law 2011, and the serious shortage of storage space which threatens to compromise that role. Space is currently forecast to run out entirely in 2019. Without intervention, there is a danger that the States will not be in a position to comply with its legal obligations.
Resource Implications: The Archive Extension is in the States forward capital programme for the year 2016, and is included in the Medium Term Financial Plan 2016-2019 that was approved by the States on 8th October 2015. The funding of £60,000 is needed in the short term to enable the feasibility study to commence. Following completion of the feasibility study, it is planned the project will go out to tender early in 2016. The newly created Capital head of expenditure Jersey Heritage Trust - Archive Store Extension will be established for the project on behalf of ESC by Jersey Property Holdings, with the Central Planning Vote decreasing by an identical amount. This decision does not change the total amount of expenditure that would be approved by the States for the Archive Extension in the 2016 States Annual Budget, scheduled for consideration by the States in December 2016,, and following approval by the States of capital funding the amount received for the feasibility study will be transferred back to the CPV in the year in which capital funds are allocated. If, however, the States should decide not to approve the capital project in December 2015, then it would be the responsibility of ESC to repay the CPV from alternative sources of funding.
Action required: The Finance Director to seek approval from the Minister for Treasury and Resources and then to action the budget transfer.
Signature:		Position: Deputy Rod Bryans Minister for Education, Sport and Culture
Date Signed:		Date of Decision: