Monday 20 May 2019
The Policy & Resources Committee is today releasing the 2019 update to the Assembly's Policy & Resource Plan.
The Policy & Resource Plan is a set of priorities agreed by the States. It also includes the States' Medium Term Financial Plan, to make for effective government over the current States' term, and to support the 20-year vision for Guernsey, namely:
'We will be among the happiest and healthiest places in the world, where everyone has equal opportunity to achieve their potential. We will be a safe and inclusive community, which nurtures its unique heritage and environment and is underpinned by a diverse and successful economy.'
The 2019 update to the Policy & Resource Plan details progress in its core four themes 'Our Community', 'Our Quality of Life', 'Our Place in the World' and 'Our Economy'. The commentary also reflects the changing priorities for our Island by raising the profile of future areas of focus: climate change and in-work poverty.
With 'Mitigate Climate Change' proposed as a new priority policy area, the States are asked to support the preparation of a Climate Change Action Plan, which should return to the States by May 2020. Furthermore all States committees are asked to assess the impact on climate change of any and all future policy proposals and operational activity and include mitigations where needed.
Similarly, with regards to in-work poverty, the Policy & Resources Committee proposes to continue to monitor and review the impact of all current government initiatives and report back to the States by May 2020. At the same time, the Policy & Resources Committee would work with the third sector to carry out wider research, which will inform future policies for ending generational poverty.
The Policy & Resource Plan is about marrying policy priorities with the resources to develop them, maintaining a balance between raising revenue and providing public services. 2018 was a good year with positive income receipts, particularly in income tax and document duty which, together with an expenditure underspend, meant that there was a surplus that modestly exceeded that budgeted. The 2019 financial position is delicately poised and achieving a surplus again will be a significant challenge.
As the States prepares to hand over the reins of the Policy & Resource Plan to a new Assembly in 2020, the propositions prepare for a smooth handover based on the experiences of this political term working within the new Rules of Procedure, so the next States can build expeditiously upon the achievements of the current Assembly. With that in mind, it is proposed the Policy & Resource Plan is renamed The Future Guernsey Plan
