States Meeting Summary 21 September
Tributes
To begin today’s States Meeting, the Bailiff paid tribute to former States Members Iris Le Feuvre MBE and Sarah Ferguson, who recently passed away.
Swearing in of the Deputy Greffier
William Millow, previously Assistant Greffier, was sworn in as Deputy Greffier of the States.
Public business
Second amendment to the Mini-Budget
The States Assembly debated Deputy Mézec’s second amendment to the Mini-Budget. The amendment requested the introduction of residential rent controls for two years which would include the suspending rent increases and transferring fixed-term and periodic tenancies to open-ended tenancies.
The States Assembly voted to REJECT Deputy Mézec’s amendment to the Mini-Budget.
The Mini-Budget, as amended
The States Assembly unanimously voted to APPROVE the Council of Ministers’ proposed Mini-Budget, as amended.
Laws and Regulations following the adoption of the Mini-Budget
12% increase to income tax thresholds and allowances
The States Assembly voted to APPROVE the Minister for Treasury and Resources’ draft Law to increase tax thresholds and allowances by 12% from January 2023.
Temporary 2% cut to Social Security contributions
The States Assembly voted to APPROVE the Minister for Social Security’s draft Regulations to temporarily reduce Social Security contributions by 2% from 1 October to 31 December 2022.
Temporarily doubling the Community Cost Bonus
The States Assembly voted to APPROVE the Minister for Social Security’s draft Regulations to double the value of the Community Cost Bonus from £258.25 to £516.50 for 2022.
The Regulations were approved as amended by Deputy Lyndsay Feltham’s amended amendment, meaning that access to the Bonus will increase to include all households without a combined tax liability of over £2,735 for the previous year.
Temporarily increasing cold weather payments
The States Assembly voted to APPROVE the Minister for Social Security’s draft Regulations to temporarily increase cold weather payments to £70 a month from 1 October 2022 to 30 April 2023.
Appointment of a Non-Executive Director of the States of Jersey Company
The States Assembly voted to APPROVE the appointment of Belinda Crosby as an additional Non-Executive Director of The States of Jersey Development Company Limited for three years.
Composition of Rent Control Tribunal
The States Assembly voted to REJECT Deputy Geoff Southern’s proposition, as amended by the Council of Ministers, requesting that the Minister for Housing and Communities appoints a Rent Control Tribunal constituting of:
- A Chair
- One landlord
- One tenant
- One member from the charitable sector with an understanding of homelessness and consumer issues
- Any additional members necessary maintain a balanced and expert Tribunal
As it was withdrawn by the proposer, the Pension Plus Scheme was not debated.
The States Assembly has adjourned until 9:30am tomorrow morning, when it will complete the final item for public business: an In-Committee debate on the External Relations Common Population Policy Report.
Watch the recording of this morning’s States Meeting and this afternoon’s meeting.