21 December 2018
The Minister for Treasury and Resources, Deputy Susie Pinel, has approved funding for eight projects for which funding had not previously been allocated.
The projects include funding for a Digital Academy and an expanded Digital Hub for Digital Jersey, as well as modernisation and digital initiatives, and support for non-ministerial functions.
This is the second tranche of additional funding approved by the Treasury Minister, and totals £4.08 million from 2018 contingency across the following projects:
Digital
Digital Jersey – New Digital Academy and expanded Digital Hub – £1.7 million
This provides funding for a new Digital Academy and for the expansion of the Digital Hub. The development of a new Digital Academy will become the principal vehicle for delivering professional digital training and digital higher education.
External relations and economy
National Risk Assessment – £180,000
The Jersey Financial Crime Strategy Group formally announced that it would conduct a national risk assessment of the threats posed to the island by money laundering and terrorist financing. This is in response to the global standards for financial crime set by the Financial Action Task Force. Funding is being provided to support the government’s commitment to assess Jersey’s money laundering and terrorist financing risk.
Non-ministerial support
Extended States Greffe activities and Member support – £175,000
This provides funding to enable the States Greffe to meet the increased demands placed upon it due to enhanced activities and services and to conduct a review of its structure and capabilities to transition to a sustainable funding arrangement for 2020-23.
Judicial Greffe – implementation of a new Bail Law – £80,000
The Criminal Procedure (Bail) (Jersey) Law was adopted in 2017 and comes into force on 1 January 2019. It also brings into force various Articles of Part 5 of the Police Procedures and Criminal Evidence (Jersey) Law 2003. This legislation enables compliance with the Human Rights (Jersey) Law 2000 and requires that the Magistrate’s Court be convened out of hours and at weekends, therefore requiring staff to be available to staff courts around the clock.
Judicial Greffe – additional legal drafters – £250,000
This funding will help the Government to meet its Common Strategic Policy priorities, where they depend on the timely production of new legislation. It provides for additional resources and information technology to support a new staffing structure and to enable more efficient working practices. The resource requirement is driven by increased drafting requirements and reflects the level of training and experience required for drafters to be effective within the organisation.
Other
Regulation of care legislation – £200,000
This provides funding to support the implementation of care legislation, to replace anticipated fee income which has not materialised in 2018, but will be forthcoming from 2019.
Modernisation and Digital
Delivering the transformation programme – additional HR support – £500,000
This provides funding for specialist HR support to deliver the Tier 1 and 2 consultation programme, which was agreed by the Council of Ministers, as the States does not have sufficient internal HR capability and capacity to deliver the programme alone.
Office modernisation programme – £1,000,000
This provides funding for the refurbishment and IT infrastructure in the new Broad Street interim HQ ahead of the relocation of more than 500 employees from other government offices. The refurbishment and IT investment had already been authorised, based on the assurance that funding would be put in place by the end of the year, either from existing budgets or contingency.
Commenting on the projects that have been approved for funding, the Minister for Treasury and Resources, Deputy Susie Pinel, said: “This second tranche of funding ensures that a number of essential projects that assist with modernisation and effective government can continue, as well as providing a significant boost for Jersey’s digital sector, which will play a pivotal role in improving productivity and boosting digital skills in our island. Subject to funding being available for priorities, we will consider further recommendations in the New Year and through 2019, as plans are refined.”
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