Proposed Budget (Government Plan) 2026-2029 (P.70/2025): twenty-fourth amendment. Violence against Women and Girls legislation and reporting
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STATES OF JERSEY
PROPOSED BUDGET (GOVERNMENT PLAN) 2026-2029 (P.70/2025): TWENTY-
FOURTH AMENDMENT
VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN AND GIRLS LEGISLATION AND REPORTING
Lodged au Greffe on 24th November 2025 by the Connétable of St. Martin
Earliest date for debate: 9th December 2025
STATES GREFFE
2025 P.70 Amd.(24)
PROPOSED BUDGET (GOVERNMENT PLAN) 2026-2029 (P.70/2025): TWENTY-FOURTH AMENDMENT
____________
1 PAGE 3, PARAGRAPH (b)(xii) –
After the words "in the Appendix to the accompanying report" insert the words –
", except that on page 45 after the words "included in Budget 2027.", there should be inserted the words –
"In order to support this, a draft proposal and expenditure for the new Violence Against Women and Girls legislation will be published in advance of April 2026 alongside a progress report of Recommendations implemented up to 1st May 2026, as part of the 2026 Violence Against Women and Girls: Annual Progress Report." ".
CONNÉTABLE OF ST. MARTIN
Note: After this amendment, the proposition would read as follows –
THE STATES are asked to decide whether they are of opinion
- In accordance with Article 16 of the Public Finances (Jersey) Law 2019 (the Law) to approve an amendment to the Government Plan 2025 – 2028 (entitled "Budget 2025 – 2028") to a reduction in the 2025 head of expenditure "Grants to States Funds" as included in Table 5(i) Revenue Heads of Expenditure of that Government Plan from £119,821,000 to £69,821,000.
- To receive the Government Plan 2026 – 2029 (entitled "Budget 2026-2029") specified in Article 9(1) of the Law and specifically –
- to approve the estimate of total States income to be paid into the Consolidated Fund in 2026 as set out in Appendix 2 – Summary Table 1 to the Report, which is inclusive of the proposed taxation and impôts duties changes outlined in the Government Plan, in line with Article 9(2)(a) of the Law.
- to refer to their Act dated 24th June 2003 in which they approved that no new user pays' charges be introduced without any such charge receiving prior in principle approval by the States Assembly and accordingly to approve the introduction of two new charges, to be levied by Health and Care Jersey to promote appropriate use of the Emergency Department and for repeated non-attendance of outpatient appointments, detailed in the section entitled "Departmental Income Sources" as set out in the Appendix to the accompanying Report.
- to approve the proposed Changes to Approval for financing/borrowing for 2026, as shown in Appendix 2 – Summary Table 2 to the Report, which may be obtained by the Minister for
Treasury and Resources, as and when required, in line with Article 9 (2)(c) of the Law, of up to those revised approval amounts.
- to approve the transfers from one States fund to another for 2026 of up to and including the amounts set in Appendix 2 – Summary Table 3 in line with Article 9(2)(b) of the Law.
- to approve a transfer from the Consolidated Fund to the Stabilisation Fund in 2026 of up to £50 million, subject to a decision of the Minister for Treasury and Resources based on the availability of funds in the Consolidated Fund as at 31st December 2025 in excess of the estimates provided in this plan, or from budgeted underspends identified before 31st December 2026.
- to approve a transfer from the Consolidated Fund to the Agricultural Loans Fund in 2026 of up to £5 million, subject to a decision of the Minister for Treasury and Resources based on availability of funds in the Consolidated Fund as at 31st December 2025 in excess of estimates provided in this plan, or from budgeted underspends identified before 31st December 2026;
- to approve each major project that is to be started or continued in 2026 and the total cost of each such project and any amendments to the proposed total cost of a major project under a previously approved Government Plan, in line with Article 9(2)(d), (e) and (f) of the Law and as set out in Appendix 2 – Summary Table 4 to the Report.
viii. to approve the proposed amount to be appropriated from the
Consolidated Fund for 2026, for each head of expenditure, being gross expenditure less estimated income (if any), in line with Articles 9(2)(g), 10(1) and 10(2) of the Law, and set out in Appendix 2 – Summary Tables 5(i) and (ii) of the Report.
- to approve the estimated income, being estimated gross income less expenditure, that each States trading operation will pay into its trading fund in 2026 in line with Article 9(2)(h) of the Law and set out in Appendix 2 – Summary Table 6 to the Report.
- to approve the proposed amount to be appropriated from each States trading operation's trading fund for 2026 for each head of expenditure in line with Article 9(2)(i) of the Law and set out in Appendix 2 – Summary Table 7 to the Report.
- to approve the estimated income and expenditure proposals for the Climate Emergency Fund for 2026 as set out in Appendix 2 – Summary Table 8 to the Report.
- to approve, in accordance with Article 9(1) of the Law, the Government Plan 2026-2029, as set in the Appendix to the accompanying Report, except that on page 45 after the words "included in Budget 2027.", there should be inserted the words –
"In order to support this, a draft proposal and expenditure for the new Violence Against Women and Girls legislation will be published in advance of April 2026 alongside a progress report of Recommendations implemented up to 1st May 2026, as part of the 2026 Violence Against Women and Girls: Annual Progress Report.".
REPORT
Pages 44 and 45 of the 2026 Budget identify that the financial implications of the proposition that will impose new legislation for the successful implementation of recommendations from the Violence Against Women and Girls taskforce are intended to be presented in the 2027 budget. This is because of "addition[al] resources for the Police and other departments, who are already seeing increased demand in these areas."
Members will be aware that the 2027 Budget will be developed and agreed by the next States Assembly, following the General Election on 7 June 2026 and the subsequent formation of its Council of Ministers. It is, therefore, imperative that this Council of Ministers is transparent in identifying which recommendations made by the Violence Against Women and Girls Taskforce have yet to be completed, and what funding it has estimated will be required within the 2027 Budget.
The publication of this report will guarantee that Islanders will have the opportunity to hold both the election's candidates and the next Government to account so that this funding is included within the 2027 Budget. This should be included within the 2026 Violence Against Women and Girls: Annual Progress Report' to minimise additional costs.
Financial and staffing implications
The cost of this shall be covered by the already assigned departmental budget for the Justice and Home Affairs department.
Children's Rights Impact Assessment
I consider that this proposition (amendment) has no direct or indirect impact on children and that the duty to have due regard to the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child does not arise. Accordingly, a Children's Rights Impact Assessment is not required under the Children (Conventions Rights) (Jersey) Law 2022