FOI

 

​Request

Please can you tell me how many 'Licensed' and 'Registered' licences have been issued in the last 3 years and which businesses / States departments they have been issued to or if this is privileged information then which sectors thay have been issued to.

Clarification received

My request specifically is that I would like to know which businesses by name (or if this information is privy, then which business types within the private and public sectors) have been granted new Licensed or Registered positions dating back as long as you have valid information.

Response

Guidance notes

The Control of Housing and Work (Jersey) Law 2011 (‘’CHWL’’), which came into effect 1st July 2013, replaced the former Regulation of Undertakings and Development (Jersey) Law 1973 (‘’RUDL’’), the Hawkers and Non-resident Traders (Jersey) Law 1965 and the Housing (Jersey) Law 1949.

Under the CHWL Licensed permissions granted are a condition of the business licence that permits a maximum number of Licensed or Registered staff. Previously 1(1)(J) Housing Consents (‘j’ cats)  were granted on an individual case by case basis under the former Housing Regulations 1970.

The Public Sector was exempt from the RUDL 1973.

The Information above has been provided on an aggregate basis for the reasons below:

Article 33 – Commercial Interests

• disclosing staffing permissions granted may provide a competitive advantage or disadvantage to a business, for example a business expanding or contracting may find it easier or more difficult to recruit staff compared to competitors or generally benefit or undermine its trading position.
• existing businesses may not wish to recruit Registered or Licensed staff should such information be publicly available, as it may feel its reputation is damaged. This would impact on that businesses growth prospects/profitability etc.  And have potentially negative effect on the economy as a whole for example Banks, Trust Businesses etc.
• inward Investment businesses may be discouraged from locating to Jersey if it’s Licensed and Registered staffing permissions may be publicly available as it may feel its reputation could be damaged if publicly criticised.

Article 34 – The Economy

• the cumulative effect of the individual commercial interests may have a negative effect on the Jersey Economy and financial interest of the States of Jersey should businesses be discouraged from locating, investing and expanding in Jersey.
• in particular, the States Strategic Plan very clearly emphasises the importance of economic growth as our society ages and costs such as health care costs rise, with a key element of that plan focused on business and job creation in a wide range of sectors and including inward investment.

Exemptions

33    Commercial interests

Information is qualified exempt information if:

(a)     it constitutes a trade secret; or

(b)     its disclosure would, or would be likely to, prejudice the commercial interests of a person (including the scheduled public authority holding the information).

34    The economy

Information is qualified exempt information if its disclosure would, or would be likely to, prejudice:

a)     the economic interests of Jersey; or

(b)     the financial interests of the States of Jersey.