States Meeting Summary 11 December
11 December 2025
The Assembly resumed the debate on the Government’s Proposed Budget, beginning with the start of the debate on Amendment 26.
P.70 Proposed Budget: Amendment 26 – Inflation adjustment to apprenticeship grants
Deputy Inna Gardiner proposed that additional funding be allocated to increase apprenticeship grants, from the current rate of £1,852 to a maximum of £2,350 per student, to factor in inflation for 2026. This should be allocated from the Better Business Support Package to maintain vocational training.
The Assembly voted to REJECT the Deputy’s amendment with 9 votes for, 27 votes against and 5 abstentions.
You can view how Members voted on our website.
Watch from the start of this morning’s recording to hear the debate in full.
Amendment 14 – Mortgage Interest Tax Relief
Deputy David Warr proposed asking the Minister for Treasury and Resources to reintroduce the policy of Mortgage Interest Tax Relief for personal income tax, with such relief implemented in January 2027.
Deputy Catherine Curtis proposed an amendment to Amendment 14 which would remove tax relief for buy-to-let mortgages, in order that this pays for the loss in revenue from re-establishing mortgage interest relief for owner occupiers.
The Assembly voted to REJECT Deputy Curtis’ amendment to Amendment 14, with 19 votes for, 21 votes against and 2 abstentions.
You can view how Members voted on our website.
The Assembly then voted on Deputy Warr’s amendment, with 13 votes for, 26 votes against and 2 abstentions.
You can view how Members voted on our website.
Skip 52 minutes into this morning’s recording to hear the debate in full.
Amendment 18 – Statistics Jersey Administrative Support Funding
The Corporate Services Scrutiny Panel proposed to increase funding for Statistics and Analysis by £80,000 in 2026 and 2027, and £130,000 in 2028 and 2029, by reallocating expenditure within the Cabinet Office.
This is to ensure Statistics Jersey can fulfil its requirements under the Statistics and Census (Jersey) Law 2018.
The Assembly voted to REJECT the Panel’s amendment, with 18 votes for, 25 votes against and 0 abstentions.
You can view how Members voted on our website.
Skip 2 hours and 10 minutes into this morning’s recording to hear the start of the debate. Watch from the beginning of this afternoon's recording to hear the conclusion and vote.
Amendment 17 – Office of the Children’s Commissioner for Jersey 2026 Savings Allocation
The Corporate Services Scrutiny Panel proposed reinstating funds for the Children’s Commissioner through the reallocation of £61,000 of departmental expenditure within the Cabinet Office.
Read more: bit.ly/49S0Eu8
The Assembly voted to REJECT the Panel’s amendment, with 14 votes for, 26 votes against and 4 abstentions.
You can view how Members voted on our website.
Skip 16 minutes into this afternoon’s recording to hear the debate in full.
Amendment 33 – Arts, Culture and Heritage Funding
Deputy Montfort Tadier proposed an amendment which would ensure that the 1% of Government's overall revenue spending allocated to Arts, Culture and Heritage (ACH) is not distributed to the wider definition in the current Budget.
The Deputy accepted an amendment by the Council of Ministers which would retain the Jersey Music Service and the teaching of Jérriais within the 1% for ACH but would exclude the Jersey Library and Community Compass from the calculation.
The Assembly voted to APPROVE the Deputy’s amendment as amended, with 44 votes for, 0 votes against and 0 abstentions.
You can view how Members voted on our website.
Skip to 1 hour and 40 minutes into this afternoon’s recording to hear the debate in full.
Amendment Two - (Health Insurance Fund Contributions)
Deputy Sir Philip Bailhache proposed an amendment which would increase funding to the Health Insurance Fund, which provides medical and pharmaceutical benefits, in order to meet extra demands such as free GP visits for under 18s etc.
The additional funding would come from changing the distribution of contributions between the Social Security Fund and the HIF.
Read more: bit.ly/4pJfIyD
The Assembly voted to REJECT the Deputy’s Amendment, with 14 votes for, 28 votes against and 1 abstention.
You can view how Members voted on our website.
Skip to 1 hour and 57 minutes into this afternoon’s recording to hear the debate in full.
Amendment Eleven (Overpayments of Social Security Contributions)
The Health and Social Security Panel proposed an amendment which would ask the Minister for Social Security to provide information on options for older workers to work flexibly close to pension age, including workers who have achieved a full contribution record prior to reaching pension age, and to bring forward proposals by the end of 2026.
Read more: bit.ly/4px5bqZ
The Panel accepted an amendment from the Council of Ministers.
Read more: bit.ly/44oWdDr
The Assembly voted to APPROVE the Panel’s amendment, as amended by the Council of Ministers, with 43 votes for, 0 votes against and 0 abstentions.
You can view how Members voted on our website.
Skip to 2 hours and 31 minutes into this afternoon’s recording to hear the debate in full.
Amendment 36 – Reductions in Heads of Expenditure
The Minister for Treasury and Resources proposed an amendment to the Budget following the States Assembly voting to approve Amendment 32, Environment Department Funding and Amendment 23, Increased Police Funding.
The amendment removes allocations from Ministerial Departmental Heads of Expenditure totalling £656k, and this has been spread across departments.
Read more: bit.ly/4abaSWE
The Assembly voted to APPROVE the Minister’s amendment with 38 votes for, 4 votes against and 0 abstentions.
You can view how Members voted on our website.
Skip to 2 hours and 46 minutes into this afternoon’s recording to hear the debate in full.
P.70 Proposed Budget (Government Plan) 2026-2029
Following the conclusion of debate into all amendments, the Council of Ministers proposed that the States Assembly approves their Government Budget 2026-2029, as amended.
Read more: bit.ly/44vMICk
The Assembly voted to APPROVE the CoM’s Budget, as amended, with 29 votes for, 10 votes against and 1 abstention.
You can view how Members voted on our website.
Skip to 2 hours and 50 minutes into this afternoon’s recording to hear the start of the conclusion of the Budget debate.
Watch from the start of the evening recording for the end of the debate and voting.
Adjournment
The States Assembly will reconvene at 9:30am Friday 12 December.
