Geoff's Questions for 9th March

Deputy Geoff Southern will be submitting these written questions for the 9th March:-

1.To the Chairman of the Constables Committee:

Will the chairman inform members of the following figures relating to the electoral register:

the total number of those registered, by parish and overall

a). at the time of the October/November 2008 elections
b). in early 2009 following the elimination of those not registered for 3 years
c). currently

and state what measures if any have been considered in conjunction with PPC to improve these figures in time for a potential election this year?

2.To the Chief Minister:

Will the Chief Minister inform members of the estimated costs to States revenues over a 6-month period in lost income tax and indirect taxes, social security contributions, and Income Support payments of the redundancy of an employee on the average wage, in the absence of any redundancy payments, if that employee is:

a). single
b). married with 2 children, wife not working, and

i)in appropriate States social rental accommodation
ii)Owner/occupation with a mortgage of £200,000

3.To the Social Security Minister:

Following his answer to wq 5130 on 23rd February, will the minister now give the results of the losses and gains in the ranges requested of the “just over 800 reviews” of Income Support conducted this year and state how many of the 393 applicants whose payments were reduced were on Transitional Protection and have seen their payments reduced without the phasing provided by the IS (TP) (Jersey) Order 2008?

Will the minister explain under what circumstances such a reduction in income at short notice can be justified in the light of the clear intention of the IS (TP) Order to protect benefit recipients from such financial shocks?

4 to the Treasury and Resources Minister

Can the minister confirm that the Comprehensive Spending Review (CSR) has a target to deliver savings in States expenditure across departments through gross expenditure savings targets of 2% by 2011, 5% by 2012 and 10% by 2013?

Can the minister state how such large targets can be met without cuts in services and job losses?

Does the minister not accept that these large targets, if met, may endanger any recovery from the economic recession?

In particular, how will he manage to achieve such targets in terms and conditions at a time when many services in the public sector such as medical and social work services are struggling with recruitment and retention rates?

5. Will the minister explain to members what measures are in place to protect those with severe disability, whether child or adult, previously eligible for Attendance Allowance, after July 2011 from any reduction in benefit under IS designed to cater for the additional living costs attached to such disability?