Was it so urgent CCA powers needed? – Trott

Lyndon Trott, who led the States when emergency powers were used to buy fuel tankers for the island in 2009, said the purchase of the ro-pax vessel in a joint venture between the States and Condor seemed less urgent.

‘When I was on the [emergency] committee, we had a genuine emergency where we bought two fuel tanker ships one day before they were due to be sold to the southern hemisphere,’ said Deputy Trott.

‘They were the only two ships in the world that could have been used for the specific role they were to perform in St Sampson’s harbour. There was a genuine risk of the lights going out and vehicles running out of fuel.

‘In contrast, this deal has been going on for months and months, so I would ask why it is as urgent as the announcement suggests?’

The CCA directed the Policy & Resources Committee to secure the vessel, due what it said were risks to the island’s supply chain.

Condor and the States are each investing £3m. of equity in the deal and the States is also loaning £26m. from its bond, which will be repayable at a fixed interest rate over 10 years.

‘The timing and the structure of the deal needs to be looked at, including the fixed rate of interest and details of the repayment,’ said Deputy Trott.

He was not necessarily opposed to the purchase, and said he recognised the importance of protecting transport links. But he said more scrutiny on the deal was needed, and urged P&R to report to the States as soon as possible.

His call for transparency was echoed by Deputies Heidi Soulsby and Gavin St Pier, who used the CCA’s emergency powers to lead the island through the Covid pandemic.

‘I hope that the CCA and P&R will release as much as they are able, albeit there will be commercial sensitivities, which I understand,’ said Deputy Soulsby.

Deputy St Pier said the committee should publish as much as it could about the deal and particularly the financial arrangements.