Earlier this year it was announced that the make-up of the government would be overhauled with 11 departments being amalgamated into nine as part of the One Government initiative.
This week, Deputy John Young, speaking at an Environment, Housing and Infrastructure Scrutiny Panel hearing, expressed particular worry over how his department had been joined with Infrastructure.
‘There are quite high risks being run because, as an Island community that has to look after all of its own affairs, Jersey is very dependent on a few key, experienced staff, and at the moment we are in a situation of great uncertainty,’ he said.
‘Some of those people are not yet aware of what their final roles will be and some are disappointed because their roles have been replaced by people from the UK, who may not have the Island-based experience.’
Deputy Young also said that he had been unable to press ahead with some Environment projects as no budgets had been set.
‘On the financial side, I have to say, I have absolutely no idea how much budget I, as minister, am able to call upon or where those responsibilities are,’ he said.
‘When it was the Environment Department, there was a very clear structure of budgets and accountability, and I would have been in a position to ask officers to proceed, if budgets allowed, on certain matters.
‘There is great uncertainty which has affected a number of projects.’
Later, St Brelade Constable Mike Jackson, panel chairman, said that he had received a lot of complaints about how staff from various departments had been moved to the States’ La Motte Street building.
When asked for his views on the move, and how it had affected his role, Deputy Young said: ‘I have had absolutely zero input into any management decisions that have been made beyond my pay-grade or where Environment officers were going to be sited.
‘When I took up the role of minister, I was offered an office at South Hill which I sought to use but was then immediately faced with the closure of that office. I have now taken on the offer of an office at Cyril Le Marquand House.
‘The planning officers are very fragmented. I personally would not have chosen La Motte Street. I do not think it is a suitable location – traffic and access is extremely unsatisfactory and if I had been asked for an opinion, I would have said so.’
However, although the minister said that he was not pleased with the current lack of progress, he added that he wanted to give the One Government project a chance to see whether it worked.
