'UK cutbacks slowing laws being passed' claim denied by Policy

THE Policy Council has poured cold water on Jersey's claim that UK government cutbacks are slowing up laws being passed by the Privy Council.

Jersey Treasury minister Philip Ozouf (pictured) recently claimed that its laws were taking longer to come into force than previous years and said it was causing difficulties for the island's finance industry. He suggested that a lack of resources at the Ministry of Justice was to blame.

But a Policy Council spokesman said Guernsey laws were being passed at the same speed as in recent years. 'The States is not aware of any significant changes to the time taken for projets de loi to be progressed towards royal sanction by the Ministry of Justice, with the number of items outstanding at present being broadly consistent with the numbers in recent years,' he said.

'The number of laws actually awaiting royal sanction in January has reduced over the past four years.'

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