States Meeting Summary 23-24 March
23rd March 2021
Question time
Oral questions with notice
To begin this week's States Meeting, non-executive States Members asked Ministers oral questions with notice for two hours and 20 minutes.
Find out what questions States Members asked by skipping to the end of page seven in the Order Paper.
Catch up on questions with notice by skipping to five minutes into this morning's meeting, a recording of which will be uploaded here within the next few days.
Oral questions without notice
After questions with notice, non-executive States Members asked the following Ministers questions without notice for 45 minutes (15 minutes each):
- The Minister for Home Affairs, Constable Len Norman
- The Minister for Infrastructure, Deputy Kevin Lewis
- The Chief Minister, Senator John Le Fondré
Catch up on questions without notice by skipping to two hours and 30 minutes into this morning's meeting.
Public business
Update Parliamentary Privilege legislation
Following Deputy Jeremy Maçon's withdrawal of his proposal to review the secondary employment of public sector employees, the first item for public business was the Privileges and Procedures Committee's proposition. The Committee proposed to update part of the States of Jersey Law on 'parliamentary privilege', including a clearer definition of 'Assembly privilege' and its function.
The States Assembly voted to APPROVE the Privileges and Procedures Committee's proposition – see how States Members voted here.
To watch the full debate on Parliamentary Privilege, skip to five minutes into this afternoon's States Meeting, a recording of which will be uploaded here within the next few days.
Changes to the Road Traffic Law
The Minister for Infrastructure, Deputy Kevin Lewis, proposed a series of amendments to the Road Traffic Law, which included a new definition of 'medical condition' to refer to any kind of mental disease, disability, or disorder.
The States Assembly voted to APPROVE the Minister for Infrastructure's amendments to the Road Traffic Law – see how States Members voted here.
Watch the full debate on the Road Traffic Law by skipping to 20 minutes into this afternoon's meeting.
Changes to the 'Abortion Law'
Deputy Louise Doublet proposed to change the 'Abortion Law' so that the current mandatory waiting period of seven days between two medical consultations is removed.
The States Assembly voted to APPROVE Deputy Louise Doublet's proposition – see how States Members voted here.
Catch up on the 'Abortion Law' debate in full by skipping to 40 minutes into this afternoon's meeting.
Regulations for payment of 2019 income tax liability
The Minister for Treasury and Resources, Deputy Susie Pinel, asked States Members to approve regulations for the payment of 2019 income tax liability for personal taxpayers moved onto a Current Year Basis. It was proposed as amended by the Corporate Services Scrutiny Panel. See the Panel's first amendment here and its second amendment here.
The States Assembly voted to APPROVE the regulations, as amended by the Corporate Services Scrutiny Panel – see how States Members voted here.
To watch the full debate on the payment of 2019 liability regulations, skip to one hour and 25 minutes into this afternoon's meeting.
Defer approval of land transaction agreement for Office Accommodation Project
The Scrutiny Liaison Committee proposed that the Minister for Infrastructure, Deputy Kevin Lewis, deferred approval of the land transaction agreement for the Office Accommodation Project until Scrutiny has reviewed the project (by 1 June 2021).
The States Assembly voted to REJECT the proposition – see how States Members voted here.
The debate can be watched from the beginning by skipping to one hour 55 minutes into Tuesday afternoon's meeting, which continue's into Wednesday morning.
Developing a common population policy
Wednesday afternoon's States Meeting consisted of an in-committee debate on developing a common population policy.
As an in-committee debate, States Members were able to speak more than once on the matter and it was not voted on at the end of the discussion.
Watch the debate in full by skipping to five minutes into Wednesday's meeting, a recording of which will be available here within the next few days.
The Assembly adjourned on Wednesday afternoon and will return on Tuesday, 20 April 2021.
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