‘States has to take ownership of its economic future report’
HAVING the States accept and take ownership of Economic Development’s new strategy is the important thing, even if that means attempts are made to amend it, the committee’s president has said.
The report is an updated version of one that was withdrawn earlier this year following changes in the committee’s membership.
That was the equivalent of a Green Paper, for discussion only, and no amendments would have been possible, unlike with this new report.
But committee president Charles Parkinson was not overly concerned at the prospect of members suggesting changes.
‘If members do try to amend it that will be a form of buying into it,’ he said. ‘Whatever emerges from the debate, the whole States will have ownership of it.’
He added that some aspects of the previous vision document were ‘repugnant’ to some members.
‘None of it had been consulted on,’ he said. ‘Had it come to the States it would have met some very strong opposition from many people.’
A number of States members attended a presentation on the report yesterday, with many putting questions to the committee.
‘We had some challenging questions,’ said Deputy Parkinson after the meeting, ‘but the limited feedback on it was positive.
‘I think people are glad to have a vision of what the economy might look like.’
Committee member Deputy Dawn Tindall was also pleased at another aspect of the response. ‘I found it rewarding that people appreciated the collaborative approach,’ she said, referring to the report’s frequent references to the importance of the States working in co-operation both among committees and with third parties.
Vice-president Deputy Andrea Dudley-Owen said that while some of the items in the report were long-term projects, others could happen sooner. ‘There will be quite a lot of this that will be deliverable within this term in terms of high-level strategy,’ she said.
As well as the new report giving members the opportunity to suggest changes, another significant difference is the dropping of a request for Economic Development to be given full responsibility for the States’ Future Guernsey Economic Fund.
This fund is administered by Policy & Resources, and the earlier report sought approval for its administration and control to be passed on.
But, said Deputy Parkinson, this did not seem necessary. ‘The only committee that can access these funds is our committee,’ he said. ‘When we talk to P&R about what we want to do, the answer has always been positive.’
As as result, Economic Development did not feel it necessary to seek control of the fund.
