Fiscal Policy Panel

The Fiscal Policy Panel provides Jersey's Treasury and Resources Minister and States members with independent advice on:

the strength of the economy, the economic outlook and the economic cycle in Jersey,
the sustainability of public finances in the medium and long term including the net asset position,
fiscal policy including the balance of tax and spend and the use of the Strategic Reserve Fund and the Stabilisation Fund.

The Panel is established under Jersey's Public Finances Law and is a key element of Jersey's fiscal framework, playing a key role by assessing the extent to which Jersey meets its fiscal guidelines.

The Panel also oversees the official forecasts for Jersey's economy, for use in fiscal forecasting and planning.

Panel biographies

The members of the FPP are:

Dame Kate Barker (Chair)
Professor Francis Breedon
Professor Richard Davies

Dame Kate Barker (Chair)

Dame Kate Barker was appointed to the FPP in 2014, and has been Chair since 2016. She has been a non-executive director of Man Group plc since April 2017. She is chairman of trustees for the British Coal Staff Superannuation Scheme, and also chairs the trustee board of the Universities Superannuation Scheme. She led a quality review of the UK National Accounts for the Office for National Statistics in 2014 and has chaired a commission on Health and Social Care for the King’s Fund. She was a member of the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) at the Bank of England (2001 to 2010). She led two major policy reviews reporting to the Chancellor and the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government: Barker Review of UK Housing Supply (2003 to 2004), Barker Review of Land-Use Planning (2005 to 2006). She was created Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE) for services to the economy in 2014.

Professor Francis Breedon

Professor Francis Breedon was appointed to the FFP in 2016. He is Professor of Economics and Finance at Queen Mary University of London, a role which he has held since 2010. He has wide-ranging experience as a professional economist, including practical and academic experience. As well as working at the Bank of England for seven years, he has held senior economics positions in the private sector and continues to consult for a number of financial firms. His academic research focusses on international finance, and covers international macroeconomics and fiscal policy, including government funding and sovereign wealth funds. He is also a Commissioner in the Scottish Fiscal Commission.

Professor Richard Davies

Professor Richard Davies was appointed to the FPP in 2018. He holds the inaugural Chair in the Public Understanding of Economics at Bristol University, is director of the Economics Observatory, and a fellow at the Centre for Economic Performance, part of the London School of Economics (“LSE”). Previously he was Chief of Staff of the LSE’s Growth Commission, Chair of the Council of Economic Advisors at HM Treasury, and worked at the Bank of England and the UK Competition Commission. In addition to research and policy, Richard’s work includes writing for the public: he was previously Economics Editor at The Economist, authoring their guide to economics and, more recently, Extreme Economies, published by Penguin.