DFDS ferry contract

WQ.363/2025

WRITTEN QUESTION TO THE CHIEF MINISTER

BY DEPUTY K.M. WILSON OF ST. CLEMENT QUESTION SUBMITTED ON MONDAY 29th SEPTEMBER 2025 ANSWER TO BE TABLED ON MONDAY 6th OCTOBER 2025

Question

"In relation to the ferry contract with DFDS, will the Chief Minister –

1. provide a timeline of the discussions which took place within the Council of Ministers;
2. detail his involvement in the decision-making process at all points of the process, including at what point he had access to the decision-making documentation; and the concession agreement;
3. advise which members of the Council of Ministers had access to the decision-making documentation; and the concession agreement, and state when the concession agreement was first discussed with the Council of Ministers;
4. state the number of briefings which took place with the Council of Ministers prior to the award of the contract and which Ministers were present at each briefing;
5. advise what actions he or his predecessors undertook, if any, to liaise with the States of Guernsey regarding the tender, or the outcome of the tender; and
6. advise which Assistant Ministers, if any, were involved in the decision-making process?"

Answer

1. The ferry tender process commenced in May 2024. The Council of Ministers considered the matter at the following meetings:

4th June 2024

28th October 2024

30th October 2024

1st November 2024

3rd December 2024 - Appointment of DFDS as preferred bidder

Following this, the Council of Ministers continued to receive regular updates, including on:

7th January 2025 28th January 2025 11th February 2025 4th March 2025

2. The Chief Minister chaired the Council of Ministers for each of the meetings listed above. Following the appointment of the preferred bidder on 3rd December 2024 the Chief Minister received a copy of the Concession Agreement on 23rd December 2024.
3. All Ministers and Assistant Ministers had access to appropriate papers/presentations to support the decision-making process. The Concession Agreement work was first discussed by the Council of Ministers on 3rd December 2024.

The Concession Agreement is a legal document that formalises the outcome of discussions with the operator in line with their tender bid. In addition to unanimously agreeing to appoint DFDS based on their tender bid, the Council of Ministers agreed that the consequential contract work, that is the Concession Agreement to enshrine the tender bid as approved by COM, should commence immediately and conclude before the end of the year.

The agreement was subsequently signed on behalf of the Government of Jersey by the Minister for Sustainable Economic Development, together with Harbourmaster, on 31st December 2024.

4. The Part A minutes of the Council of Ministers meetings are published and include full attendance lists. These minutes, along with meeting agendas, are available on the Government of Jersey website.
5. Government of Jersey Ministers liaised with counterparts in the States of Guernsey on numerous occasions over an extended period dating back to 2021 to discuss options for a new long-term ferry agreement and whether to proceed to a joint tender process. These discussions spanned the terms of office of three of Jersey's Chief Ministers:

• Senator John Le Fondré

• Deputy Kristina Moore

• Deputy Lyndon Farnham

All three Chief Ministers entered into discussions and correspondence with their Guernsey counterparts. Discussions continued until the States of Guernsey made a decision to award a contract for Guernsey-only services.

6. Assistant Ministers attended Council of Ministers meetings and contributed to discussions. However, they do not vote unless deputising for a Minister who is absent. Their attendance and participation are recorded in the published Part A minutes, which include full attendance lists and are available on the Government of Jersey website.