Treasury and Resources
Ministerial Decision Report
Carry Forward of EDD Ofcom income to 2013
- Purpose of Report
To enable the Minister to consider whether to:
(a) agree that the unanticipated income of £212,216 to EDD in 2012 from Ofcom should be added to the Department’s approved revenue expenditure and recognised as income for 2012 and that any such income not spent by the Department in 2012 can be carried forward for expenditure in 2013
(b) agree that the £300,000 estimated income from Ofcom which was included in the 2012 Annual Business Plan would be subject to the usual carry forwards process.
And this is subject to the amount of such income to be carried forward being no more than the total underspend for EDD in 2012.
2. Background
EDD has recently received funding from Ofcom in respect of Wireless Telegraphy Licence fees which the Department believes will be annually recurring until at least 2014, when impending changes to the UK Wireless Telegraphy Act are due to come into effect.
Income of approximately £300,000 is expected from Wireless Telegraphy Licence Fees for each of the years 2013 – 2014 (although the exact sums are not certain) and this has been included in the Medium Term Financial Plan.
Fees are collected by Ofcom on behalf of the States of Jersey, under authority of various pieces of legislation, most notably the Communications (Jersey) Order 2003, SI 2003/3197, arts 6, 7, Sch 2, para 91 (as amended by SI 2006/3324, art 4(2), Sch 2, Pt 2) and SI 2003/3197, arts 1(3)–(5), 2.
EDD considers that this funding provides the opportunity of ensuring ongoing investment in the development of the Island’s economy, without the need for further public funds to do so.
To date in 2012 EDD has received £512,216 from Wireless Telegraphy Licence Fees. This decision is requesting that the T&R Minister agrees that £212,216 should be carried forward from any unspent amounts to be spent for the purposes set out below in 2013. The remainder of any unspent income will be part of the carry forwards process.
3. Proposed use of carry forward funding by EDD
The Department has proposed the following as the uses of the additional income:
- Locate Jersey – Funding of £210,000 is required to underwrite a proposed bi-annual inward investment conference in Jersey and publish a “Doing Business in Jersey” report as an FT supplement; similar to a previous supplement in 2007.
- Tourism – Increase marketing in under-funded European markets in particular; Germany. Funding of £250,000 was unsuccessful in the MTFP submission.
- Single European Payments Area Project – Stimulus funding of £90,000 was carried forward in 2012 but due to continued delays by the European Payments Council, this will not be completed in 2012 and funding will be required from the EDD revenue budget in 2013.
It is unlikely that all of the additional income will be spent in 2012. EDD has therefore requested that it be allowed to carry forward the unspent amount into 2013 so it can be used for the purposes that the Department feels are appropriate.
4. Recommendation
It is recommended that the Minister agrees that:
(a) agree that the unanticipated income of £212,216 to EDD in 2012 from Ofcom should be added to the Department’s approved revenue expenditure and recognised as income for 2012 and that any such income not spent by the Department in 2012 can be carried forward for expenditure in 2013
(b) agree that the £300,000 estimated income from Ofcom which was included in the 2012 Annual Business Plan would be subject to the usual carry forwards process.
And this is subject to the amount of such income to be carried forward being no more than the total underspend for EDD in 2012.
5. Reasons for Decision
Under Article 19(1) of the Public Finances (Jersey) Law 2005 the Minister for Treasury and Resources can authorise a States funded body to withdraw from the consolidated fund during a year an amount not exceeding the likely excess of income over the amount approved in that year’s revenue allocation.
Under Article 18(1) of the Public Finances (Jersey) Law 2005 the Minister for Treasury and Resources can authorise any amount appropriated by a revenue head of expenditure, to be withdrawn from the consolidated fund after the end of the relevant financial year.
6. Resource implications
Recognition of income of £212,216 in 2012 and approval to carry forward any of this money unspent into 2013. Any additional underspend above this figure will form part of the carry forwards process. The Minister for Economic Development is clear that this funding cannot be regarded as ‘ring fenced’ should the total underspend for EDD as a whole be less than the amount of the unspent portion of this income.
Estimated income of £300,000 and expenditure of £300,000 has been included in the draft Medium Term Financial Plan annually for 2013 and 2014.
Report author : Business Manager | Document date : 22nd November 2012 |
Quality Assurance / Review : Director of Financial Performance | File name and path: L:\Treasury\Sections\Corporate Finance\Ministerial Decisions\DSs, WRs and SDs\2012-0082 - Carry Forward of EDD Ofcom Income to 2013 - KH\WR - Carry Forward of EDD Ofcom Funding to 2013 - KH.doc |
MD Sponsor : Treasurer of the States |