Minister 'not thrown under the bus' in budget cuts

Jersey's environment minister has denied he is being "thrown under the bus" by ministerial colleagues amid proposed budget cuts to his department

The Environment department will see its funding reduced from £11.7m to £11.1m if the proposed budget is approved by the assembly.

Deputy Steve Luce admitted it would constrain his department but explained it was necessary for the government to achieve its priorities.

The minister said he would fight his corner but it was hard to justify more funding for the environment when health and other departments needed more money too.

Deputy Montfort Tadier asked the minister "if he felt he was being thrown under the bus by his ministerial colleagues" in light of the proposed budget cuts.

Luce responded: "When you sit around a table, when people are arguing for more money for health care, arguing for money for an additional footpath is a very, very difficult argument to make. "

The Environment Scrutiny Panel is putting forward an amendment to the budget calling for the department's budget to be put back at its 2025 level.

It wrote: "The panel considers this necessary due to the deterioration of the Environment department's financial position over 2025."

The minister has previously admitted that cuts "will severely undermine service delivery across the board."

It will lead to a halving of the biodiversity monitoring team and reduce critical marine environment work, he said.

However, the minister defended his government's decision in the States Assembly, and said: "Whilst the department's work will be constrained by the proposed reductions in the budget, I accept that I and my department must take proportionate cuts along with all other department to achieve the government's future objectives."

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