States Meeting Summary 30 March
States Assembly
30 March 2026
Public BusinessP.55 First-time Buyer properties
Deputy Alex Curtis asked the Minister for Housing to compile and publish a register of all residential developments that fall under first-time buyer or affordability ownership schemes, and to keep the register updates as new sites are identified.
The proposition also asks that, for each identified development, the legal or planning mechanisms that apply are published, along with the conditions under which any restrictions can be varied or removed.
It further requests that the Minister brings forward options for modifying ownership restrictions on existing developments and sets out the implications this may have for Jersey's housing supply.
The proposal asks for this work to be completed by 30 September 2026.
Read more: bit.ly/4bFdn3B
The Assembly voted to REJECT the Deputy’s proposition with 19 votes for, 21 votes against and 0 abstentions.
Visit our website to see how members voted.
Skip 6 minutes into this morning’s recording to hear the debate in full.
Urgent Oral Question
The Assembly then heard an Urgent Oral Question from Deputy Inna Gardiner to the Minister for Health and Social Services, Deputy Tom Binet:
'Will the Minister advise why a policy change, introducing charges of over £500 per day for Islanders remaining in hospital after being declared fit for discharge, was brought into force by Ministerial Order without prior Assembly scrutiny or public awareness, and what assessment has been made of its impact on patients and families?'
Skip 56 minutes into this morning’s recording to hear the discussion in full.
Public Business
P.56 Statutory Duty to future generations
Deputy Karen Wilson proposed that the Chief Minister take the necessary actions to introduce a new law requiring Ministers to consider how any new policies and legislation would impact future generations.
The law would focus on:
- Protecting the Island’s finances and avoiding unsustainable debt
- Safeguarding the natural environment from irreversible harm
- Supporting a resilient, sustainable economy
- Preserving Jersey’s identity, heritage and community cohesion
- Ensuring policies help future generations adapt to economic, technological, environmental and social change.
The Assembly voted to REJECT the Deputy’s proposition with 12 votes for, 32 votes against and 0 abstentions.
Visit our website to see how members voted.
Skip 1 hour and 8 minutes into this morning’s recording to hear the debate in full.
P.58 Channel Islands Lottery Distribution of Proceeds 2026
The Minister for Sustainable Economic Development, Deputy Kirsten Morel, proposed allocating the proceeds of the Channel Islands Lottery as follows:
- £565,000 to the Association of Jersey Charities for charitable purposes
- £339,000 to the Jersey Community Foundation to be used for:
- Arts, heritage and culture (65-75%)
- Applied science or research that benefits Jersey directly (25-35%)
- £226,000 to Jersey Sport to support sport and active lifestyles.
The Assembly voted to APPROVE the Minister’s proposition with 45 votes for, 0 votes against and 0 abstentions.
Visit our website to see how members voted.
Skip 2 hours and 57 minutes into this morning’s recording to hear the debate in full.
P.59 Deferral of Land Transaction: Philip Le Feuvre House and Huguenot House
Deputy David Warr proposed that the States ask the Minister for Infrastructure to defer the approval of the land transaction agreement for the sale of the former Social Security building, Philip Le Feuvre House and Huguenot House, so that a feasibility report and cost benefit analysis on alternative uses of the site, can be completed.
Read more: bit.ly/4t6ZP79
The Assembly voted to REJECT the Deputy’s proposition with 9 votes for, 33 votes against and 2 abstentions.
Visit our website to see how members voted.
Skip 3 hours and 8 minutes into this morning’s recording to hear the start of this debate, then the beginning of this afternoon’s recording to hear the conclusion.
P.54 Continuation of Rural and Marine support
Deputy Kirsten Morel asked the Council of Ministers to ensure that the current level of financial support for Jersey’s rural and marine sectors, provided through the Agriculture Loans Scheme and Better Business Support Package, continues permanently, and that this support increases each year in like with RPI until the Assembly decides otherwise.
Read more: bit.ly/4sz0tdg
P.54 Continuation of Rural and Marine support: amendment
The Minister for Treasury and Resources, Deputy Elaine Millar, proposed an amendment that, should the Assembly agree to provide support to these sectors via the Better Business Support Package, that the next Council of Ministers identify and propose a funding source for it in the next Budget.
It also proposed that any additional funding for the Agricultural Loans Scheme should be based on demand.
Amendment: bit.ly/3N5S6XG
Amendment to Amendment: bit.ly/412d2SE
The Assembly voted to REJECT the Minister’s amendment, as amended, with 18 votes for, 22 votes against and 0 abstentions.
Visit our website to see how members voted.
The Assembly then voted to APPROVE the Deputy’s proposition with 43 votes for, 0 votes against and 0 abstentions.
Visit our website to see how members voted.
Skip 40 minutes into this afternoon’s recording to hear the debate in full.
P.57 Work Permit changes.
Deputy Beatriz Porée asked the Minister for Justice and Home Affairs to commission and publish an independent review of the current work permit policy.
The review should include an assessment of the feasibility, implications, benefits and risks of changing the policy, so permits are issued to employees rather than the employers while keeping existing restrictions. This should be presented to the Assembly by December 2027.
The Deputy also asked the Minister to examine the Employer Pays Principle and produce a roadmap for how it might be implemented in the Island by June 2027. This principle aims to ensure that migrant workers are not charged recruitment fees or related costs, either directly or indirectly.
Read the proposition: bit.ly/4lBCuYz
Read the amendment: bit.ly/4sKb4Sx
The Assembly agreed to vote on the Proposition, as amended, in two parts.
PART A: To commission and publish an independent review of the current work permit policy, which should be presented to the Assembly by December 2027.
The Assembly voted to APPROVE this part with 44 votes for, 0 votes against and 1 abstention.
PART B: To examine the Employer Pays Principle and produce a roadmap of how it might be implemented in the Island by June 2027.
The Assembly voted to REJECT this part with 22 votes for, 22 votes against and 1 abstention. Under Standing Orders, if a vote is tied then it is taken to have been lost.
Visit our website to see how members voted.
Skip 2 hours and 8 minutes into this afternoon’s recording to hear the debate in full.
Adjournment
The States Assembly then adjourned. Members will reconvene for a special States Meeting on Saturday 9 May to mark Liberation Day.
Following that, as this was the last regular sitting of this current political term, Meetings will not resume until after the election on Sunday 7 June.
The first meeting of the new political term is scheduled to take place on Friday 19 June, when members will convene to appoint the next Chief Minister.
