LIVE / States: 2027 Budget day four

Defeat for Deputy Jayne Ozanne’s move. It has lost 11-27, with one abstention.

She had wanted to introduce an Essential Costs Relief Payment by no later than September 2027 of up to £353 for lower-income households which fall just above the line to receive Income Support.

And that’s it for the amendments. Members are having a short adjournment while the final propositions are circulated.

Deputy Sarah Hansmann Rouxel, speaking against the amendment:

‘Something that I caught in Deputy Ozanne’s opening speech was that it may require to staff on contract. So that’s new administration. There are far better ways of tackling cost of living. And we do need to take that seriously. I do think we need to bring those measures to the assembly sooner rather than later. We can’t wait till the GST package. But this is not the way to do it.’

Father of the house, Deputy John Gollop:

‘I think we really do need to realise that there’s a lot of pain out there and a lot of frustration and regardless of whether we supported GST or not, I'm afraid in many instances the prices of food, fuel, other consumer goods, transport, is going up far more than 3%.’

Deputy Tom Rylatt, a member of the Forward Guernsey party:

‘I do have significant reservations about this amendment. The essential cost relief payment was designed for a very specific purpose. To protect lower income households from the additional costs arising from the introduction of a GST.

‘If this succeeds, what happens when GST is actually introduced in 2029? Because once households begin receiving these payments, they will understandably come to rely upon them and incorporate them into their household budgets. And when GST arrives with the additional costs it brings, will there not be an expectation set that further assistance should and could be provided on top?’

Debate has begun on a move from Deputy Jayne Ozanne, which would introduce an Essential Costs Relief Payment by no later than September 2027 of up to £353 for lower-income households which fall just above the line to receive Income Support.

‘I appreciate this is our last amendment, I would venture to suggest that it’s actually our most important,’ she says in introducing.

‘And that’s because it gives us the opportunity to do something simple, yet crucial. Help those now, who we know are disproportionately affected by the cost of living crisis, and who are really struggling to afford to bear everyday essentials rather than in three years’ time.’

We’re back for the final day of this 2027 Budget debate - and there’s just one amendment left.