Taking the unusual step of starting at 9.30 on Monday morning, the States have a large number of propositions up for debate – including providing funding for higher education and introducing an opt-out system for organ donation.
The sitting cannot run past 6.30 pm on Tuesday evening as once the Senatorial nominations meeting is held the States Assembly is in ‘purdah’.
This means that Members may well have to sit into the night on Monday and could mean some propositions fall away if there is not enough time to debate them.
Treasury Minister Alan Maclean, in one of his last acts before he stands down, is hoping to persuade Members to back his proposals for university grants.
Under the scheme students from households earning under £110,000 per year would have the full cost of university tuition fees paid for by the States while those earning up to £200,000 would have some of the fees covered on a sliding scale.
On top of that maintenance costs of £7,500 would be available to all families earning up to £50,000 and those earning up to £90,000 would be eligible for living costs on a sliding scale.
Meanwhile, Health Minister Andrew Green will seek approval for new mental health laws as well as a system of presumed consent for organ donation.
Under the plans, Islanders who do not wish to donate their organs after death would have to opt out with everyone else automatically included on the donor register. If passed, it is expected that the law would come into force on 1 July 2019.
Among the other debates on the agenda, Senator Philip Ozouf is due to launch his final bid to halve the controversial retail tax that was approved in last year’s Budget debate. Members voted in favour of introducing the tax at a 20 per cent rate on retailers with annual profits of more than £500,000.
Senator Ozouf, who spoke strongly against levying the tax at 20 per cent during that debate, has lodged a proposition calling for the decision to be overturned and the retail tax to be halved to ten per cent.
Eleven written and seven oral questions have been lodged, while Home Affairs Minister Kristina Moore and Social Security Minister Susie Pinel are due to face questions without notice.
