Politicians from both islands keen for urgent review of 1948 Agreement
States members from Alderney and Guernsey have expressed enthusiasm for an urgent review of the 1948 Agreement between the islands.
But Alderney wants to have the UK Ministry of Justice in on the talks.
States member Steve Roberts, an Alderney representative in the States of Guernsey, said repeatedly that he would welcome the review as he fielded questions from deputies following his update from the States of Alderney.
‘It will have to be renegotiated and we are not frightened of that,’ he said in response to a question from Deputy Gavin St Pier.
‘But we are going to have to employ the services of the Ministry of Justice to be with us to sit and decide that everything is done above ground and fairly for the smaller island. Contact has been made with them, and that saddens me.’
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Two other members of the Policy & Resources Committee asked about the 1948 Agreement, but his fiercest clash came with P&R president Deputy Lyndon Trott, who said that Mr Roberts’ claims of friendships with Guernsey deputies were inconsistent with ‘incendiary remarks’ about P&R as ‘enemies’.
‘I’m sorry to hear that comment,’ said Mr Roberts. ‘I leave my sword at the door. You’re not my enemy, we have our political differences.’
Mr Roberts updated the States on Alderney’s efforts at economic development, including discussions with Guernsey Finance and with Jersey, and said that there was ‘further untapped potential’ not just for Alderney, but for the Bailiwick. But businesses would be concerned about air connectivity, which he feared would hit business confidence.
The States of Alderney was disappointed about the collapse of the runway tender process and wanted to see that project revived – ‘time is of the essence’, he said.
He added that savings from the £2m. annual public service obligation subsidy could not be delivered until the runway had been rebuilt.
Mr Roberts also bemoaned that political promises about Alderney air services, made on the States’ takeover of the airline in 2003, had ‘eroded slowly’.
‘We don’t want to be a burden, we want to pay our own way,’ he said.
