Review panel chair finds 'imbalance' in spending

The chair of a review panel has said there was "a clear imbalance" between what was being spent and what the government was receiving.

It is as a new report revealed the Government of Jersey had made progress across education, health, economic and housing areas, but concerns remained over the overall balance of investment.

The Common Strategic Policy Review Panel report examined the delivery of the government's 13 Common Strategic Policy priorities and how the Proposed Budget 2026-2029 supports their implementation.

Deputy Inna Gardiner, chair of the Common Strategic Policy Review Panel, said "there is still no strategic plan... without using our reserves".

The panel, made up of chairs from the five scrutiny panels and the public accounts committee, put forward 21 key findings, and 11 recommendations.

The report said while some areas saw progress, some priorities were only partially delivered, including implementation of recommendations from the Violence Against Women and Girls Taskforce, town revitalisation, and reducing red tape.

It found the government was providing nutritious meals in all States primary schools, it had reduced GP fees for Health Access Scheme users and had made the start of the transition to a living wage, supported by business funding measures.

It found the decision to reduce the States Grant to the Social Security Fund provided short-term flexibility but ministers raised concerns about long-term sustainability.

Gardiner said: "There is a clear imbalance between what is being spent and what the Government is receiving and there is still no strategic plan to address this in the medium and longer-term without using our reserves, including the Social Security Fund.

"We are concerned this will come at the expense of future generations."

She added: "We also urge future governments to tackle cross-cutting issues such as demographic change, digital transformation and environmental sustainability in a coordinated way.

"We don't feel this has been achieved which may undermine Jersey's resilience in the years ahead."

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