Review rushed and bad decisions made – deputies behind amendment say
THE deputies who successfully proposed a review of capital projects as part of the States’ Tax Review earlier this year think the work has been rushed and resulted in bad decisions.
Heidi Soulsby and Gavin St Pier said last night that the Policy & Resources Committee’s proposals to delay up to £200m. of capital projects, which it published yesterday, did not follow the kind of thorough review they wanted to prompt.
‘I’m all for doing things quickly, but it feels in this instance it is more haste and less speed,’ said Deputy Soulsby.
‘It looks to me like the only material element that has changed is hospital modernisation phase two. Nothing much else has been done in terms of smoothing the expenditure to any great extent, so I am not so sure what the rush has been about.
‘I wanted to see a more considered approach. I can’t believe there has been enough time working with staff and members of committees to truly understand the projects and how they could be phased.’
Deputy St Pier said he was disappointed, but not surprised.
‘It’s being driven, as expected in this term, by political expediency, which will produce the wrong decisions for the wrong reasons,’ he said.
‘There has been no attempt to undertake a deep dive on the planned projects, which is what our amendment directed, importantly including alternative funding sources.
‘It’s unimaginative and ultimately not in the island’s interests to think the solution lies in postponing essential investment in the island’s infrastructure, such as our future harbour requirements, inert waste facilities or hospital estate.’
P&R wants to delay phase two of the modernisation of the Princess Elizabeth Hospital.
Health & Social Care immediately criticised the proposal and said it would fight it in a States debate this summer. Deputy Soulsby, a former HSC president, said she agreed with the committee.
‘I’m very disappointed about pushing that project into the long grass. This was never just about the hospital in isolation but part of a transformation programme. It is nonsense doing phase one and not phase two, where we would see real changes,’ she said.
‘The maternity ward needs to be moved to be nearer the theatres. Part of the works are to modernise private patient provision, which could well attract external funding, but nothing has been done to consider this.’
Deputy Soulsby could not understand why P&R was prepared to split up various parts of Health & Social Care’s capital projects but not Education’s.
‘For a start, we know there is going to be a lot of expenditure moving the sixth form to La Mare de Carteret and vice versa. I really would question whether that is the best use of taxpayers’ money right now.
‘If the health and care transformation work can be split, then this should also happen with education, and the component parts analysed,’ she said.
