Scrutiny calls on the Government to publish DFDS ferry contract
Scrutiny
4 September 2025
The Economic and International Affairs Scrutiny has asked the Minister for Sustainable Economic Development to publish the concession agreement which has been signed by the Government of Jersey and DFDS in the interest of transparency and public accountability.The ferry firm was awarded the contract to provide a service between Jersey, the UK and France in December 2024 following a successful tender process. The Panel was provided a copy of the contract on a confidential basis as part of the Scrutiny process.
In a letter to the Minister, the Panel argues that publishing the document will help foster public trust and ensure clarity regarding the terms and conditions that have been agreed. The Panel also notes that previous concession agreements between Government and ferry providers have been published on the Port of Jersey website.
Deputy Montfort Tadier, Chair of the Panel, said: ‘There is a high level of interest and scrutiny around the service being provided by DFDS at the moment, especially as the company has the monopoly on the route. Greater transparency about what has been agreed between Jersey’s Government and DFDS would allow the public to know what they can expect in terms of service levels when it comes to both freight and passenger journeys over the next 20 years. The Panel of course recognises that there may be commercially sensitive aspects of the agreement, but we feel that, even with minor redactions, there is no reason that it cannot and should not be published.
Submissions made to the Panel have highlighted a number of recurring questions which Islanders are asking. The Panel notes that many of these points are covered in the agreement, but it is difficult for the public and the Panel to hold the Minister to account regarding them when such details are not publicly available.’
The Panel is due to question the Minister for Sustainable Economic Development in a Quarterly Public Hearing on Thursday 25 September. Details can be found on the States Assembly website.
