Guernsey Press

P&R unable to back up ‘406 action points’ claim

POLICY & Resources president Peter Ferbrache has said he will not be drawn into semantics as he failed to evidence his claim that the previous committee left more than 400 action points outstanding.

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States meeting in the Royal Court chamber - New president of Policy & Resources Peter Ferbrache and Vice-President Heidi Soulsby. (28905563)

In his first speech to the Assembly last Wednesday, Deputy Ferbrache said: ‘My colleague Deputy Helyar pointed out to me as recently as Friday afternoon that the P&R Committee shows as having 406 pending action points. That is ridiculous. That is unachievable. That is spreading resources, money and effort far too thin.’

The Guernsey Press immediately asked for a list of all the action points.

P&R has been unable to produce them.

Instead it supplied a list of outstanding resolutions of the States that dates from March 2020 – some of these would since have been addressed through States reports and decisions.

Even that did not help the case, though.

P&R had 157 outstanding resolutions at that time, the States as a whole 529.

Deputy Peter Ferbrache said yesterday: ‘I did refer to the previous committee having 406 ‘action points’ in my statement, and, as reported to the committee in February, there were well over 400 outstanding resolutions, across all committees, and other ongoing and agreed items. I’m not interested in getting into the semantics of what an ‘action point’ is.

‘My point was and is that for there to be so many things on any committee’s to-do list means they’re simply not able to prioritise and will not be able to deliver meaningful action and change. My committee is very clear that it will cut those priorities right down to what really matters to make sure this Assembly delivers something better than more plans.’