Government Plan 2021 to 2024

About the Government Plan

The Government Plan for Jersey forms an important part of our strategic framework for the Island, and brings to life the priorities set out in our Common Strategic Policy. The Government Plan aims to support the sustainable economic, social, environmental and cultural wellbeing of our Island, which will need to be delivered by a strong partnership between a modern government, responsible businesses and Islanders.

The Government Plan brings together income and expenditure decisions, to improve transparency of government finances, by providing the financial context for spend, as it links money to priorities to provide a holistic view of priorities, outcomes and finance.  It also balances the certainty with flexibility  by adopting a detailed one-year plan within a rolling four-year approach, ensuring absolute clarity about income and expenditure for the 12 months ahead, as part of a four-year financial outlook. Every year, there will be an updated Government Plan, looking in detail at the year ahead within a refreshed four-year financial and economic outlook.

Current Government Plan

Proposed Government Plan 2021 to 2024

The Government has released an update to its programme of work for this term of office and beyond. The Government Plan 2021 to 2024 reflects the actions taken in response to Covid-19 and the comprehensive plans being put in place to protect the Island's future.

The Plan brings together revised spending and investment plans to support the Government's five strategic priorities, income forecasts and how the measures put in place to tackle the pandemic will be paid for.

Government Plan 2021 to 2024

Annex Government Plan 2021 to 2024

Focus areas for 2021

Tackling the health and wellbeing challenges of Covid-19 and protecting our health service

Islanders' lives and livelihoods will continue to be protected by providing support where it is most needed and suppressing the virus until a vaccine can be safely offered.

This will be done by:

• maintaining the Test, Trace and Contact programme
• continuing to fund the Nightingale Field Hospital to at least March 2021
• effectively and efficiently distributing PPE
• funding a COVID-19 vaccine when it becomes available
  

Investing in economic recovery

The Government Plan outlines funding for new economic growth initiatives to drive the recovery. While the Government's Co-Funded Payroll Scheme, which has paid out more than £77 million for 13,470 claims, will be phased out by March 2021, sector-specific support over the winter will continue to be provided.

Areas that could receive future economic assistance include investment to support the construction industry, funding for skills and training and further investment in technology.

The Fiscal Stimulus Package, announced in July, continues, the nine-month reduction in Social Security contributions starts this month and the £50 million Fiscal Stimulus Fund will be debated in the States Assembly in November.

Investing in future healthcare and education to protect the future of Islanders

The Government Plan details the key initiatives in health and education that are important to the long-term sustainable wellbeing of Islanders.

These include:

• a three-year reform programme for the Island's education system
  
• a COVID-19 Schools Catch-Up Programme, to address the loss of schooling for children and young people
  
• continued investment in the redesign of Children and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS), to support those experiencing mental ill-health
  
• implementation of the new Jersey Care Model, which will move to a more preventative-focused and community-based health service
  
• delivery of Our Hospital, subject to Overdale being agreed by the States Assembly in November 2020 as the preferred site
  

Rebalancing the public finances

The cost pressures of the health emergency and economic crisis, combined with the anticipated falls in Government revenues, will mean unprecedented financial deficits in 2020 and 2021.

Rather than drawing on the Strategic Reserve, the Government Plan proposes to borrow a maximum of £336 million next year, in addition to the Fiscal Stimulus Fund of £50 million, to fund the response to the pandemic.

It proposes to repay the debt, if the States Assembly agree to move Prior Year taxpayers to Current Year, by putting the 2019 tax payments made by Prior Year taxpayers' into a ring-fenced fund. This would repay much, if not all, of this debt.

Government Plan virtual public events

Because of restrictions in place to prevent the spread of COVID-19, we are unable to host public meetings so that you can engage with ministers about the plan. Instead, ministers will be appearing live on YouTube and social media every evening from 23 to 27 November.

Watch

Watch the sessions live on the Government of Jersey channels between 7pm and 8.30pm every evening.

Government of Jersey on Facebook

Government of Jersey on Instagram

Government of Jersey on YouTube

Ask your questions

In advance: You can email us your questions for ministers in advance this can be a video of you asking your question or just an email, or you can call + 44 (0) 1534 440800.

Live: You can ask questions live to the panel by visiting sli.do and using the event code: #GovPlan202

Join the studio audience

We want representatives from each Parish to join our studio audience every evening, and ask the questions you want answered.

If you want to be part of the audience email us with your name, age, and the Parish you live in, or call + 44 (0) 1534 440800.

We will randomly select audience members from the names submitted, to ensure that each Parish is represented.

Diary of public events

Previous Government Plans

Government Plan 2020 to 23

In December 2019, the States Assembly debated and approved the first-ever Government Plan for Jersey. The plan brings to life the five strategic priorities that the States Assembly unanimously approved for this Government’s term of office. 

It was developed by Ministers over months of meetings and workshops, and it is the first time for many years that both income and spending proposals have been brought together into one comprehensive, costed plan.

Government Plan 2020 to 23

Government Plan 2020 to 2023: further information of additional revenue expenditure

See also the Departmental Operational Business Plans 2020, which are aligned to the Government Plan 2020 to 23