13/04/2012 BBC Channel Islands News

Hello, good evening and welcome to BBC channel Islands news on this

Friday, 13th April. And Edward Sault. Here Our top stories tonight.

Another blow from the UK. First LVCR, now the Channel Islands are

being targeted over pensions. Also on the programme tonight, digital

vision. Is taking a lesson from Dubai the answer for Jersey's jobs

woes? Had titanic memory, while a permanent memorial to one of the

island's survivors could be a step closer. He was a Jersey man, he was

on the Titanic, he gave a lot and he needs to be remembered. As well

200 jobs are at risk in Guernsey tonight following the British

government's decision to clamp down on the island's specialised

overseas pensions products. In an attempt to prevent tax avoidance HM

Revenue & Customs has blacklisted almost all of Guernsey's Qualified

Recognised Overseas Pension Schemes, also known as QROPS. But as Mike

Liggins reports, there is more at stake than just jobs.

The UK's tax collector HM Revenue & Customs is under pressure to bring

in more tax, spurred on by a populist campaign of tackling tax

avoidance. And despite suffering a setback over low value consignments

relief a few weeks ago it now appears that Guernsey is once again

the firing line -- Low Value Consignment Relief. QROPS were

introduced as a way for British expats to transfer their pensions

overseas but HMRC has changed its rules so that only three of

Guernsey's 300 QROPS schemes are now acceptable. It means only

schemes for Guernsey residents will be accepted and up to 200 jobs are

now at risk. We don't think we have been treated fairly a talk. What we

did not expect was to find that overnight without warning the rules

would all change. HMRC did say that the removal from the list of

Guernsey's schemes was subject to further review and some feel there

could be scope to fight back. For some observers however the decision

that has been taken is another example of why the Channel Islands

should stand up and stick together. We are very close to Guernsey and

so far as possible we should be working together to combat the new

approach is that we are getting from European countries. But it is

not just 200 jobs -- at stake. Other pensions have been struck off

the list. Even the state's' you're -- own pension scheme has been

struck off the list. Teachers, firemen, policemen, cannot transfer

the benefits to go and see if they move here. Guernsey has a knack of

legitimately finding a way through the maze of UK tax legislation to

offer products to invest -- investors across the world but this

time it appears the Revenue is on their trail.

Meanwhile business leaders in Jersey have been debating how to

create more jobs in technology sectors to make up for some of the

job losses from the online shopping industry. Digital Jersey Limited

was set up to promote the island as a high-tech industry centre. Its

members met for the first time last night.

The future is digital, or so they tell us. They being a new panel of

local business people brought together to harness the potential

of this new technology. But what exactly will Digital Jersey Limited

do? Digital Jersey Limited will be looking to lobby and promote, to

target businesses to come to the island but we want local businesses

to aspire in the technology sector, so that is e-commerce, data hosting,

what services, we want those businesses to grow and develop.

Fibre-optic cables like these are being laid by just Italy comes

across the island. It will bring super-fast broadband to almost all

homes and businesses by the end of next year. It will put Jersey up

there with places like Dubai, whose economy has already benefited

hugely from this sort of technology. So the bottom line is will it

provide employment? It certainly will bring new jobs to the island.

What we are seeing his new businesses will come in, we hope

they will employ local people with the software skills that they need

so from the island's perspective it is certainly going to create a buzz

and we will see far more activity in the whole digital area.

Technology may be the future but what Josie needs now as those jobs

especially as the scrapping of low- value consignment -- of Low Value

Consignment Relief has put hundreds at risk. There will be high hopes

this new panel will deliver sooner rather than later.

Some good news today for young jobseeker's in Jersey. A record

number of trainees have been offered work as part of the

government's Advance To Work scheme. 48 trainees were taken on between

January and March, compared to 31 last year. The project brings

together jobseeker's and employees -- employers from a wide range of

industries. In sport, Jersey Rugby Club have

confirmed they will play Leicester Tigers in a pre-season game. The

match at St Peter has been set for 11th August. The Tigers are one of

England's top teams, third in the Premiership. The islanders could

clinch promotion to the Championship tomorrow if they can

beat Macclesfield and the other title contenders slip-up.

In lawn bowls players in Jersey will be able to have a game more

year round. Two grass services that Les Creux are being replaced with

synthetic carpets to save thousands of pounds on maintenance costs.

Some local clubs have argued it will change the pace of the game

but others say they need to get used to it. Simply adapt and the

adaption comes quicker the more you practise, so why can't see that --

so I can't see that other members will play their tournaments and

practice on these greens, after a bit the difference will fade into

insignificance. You are watching the BBC and

Channel Islands. Later in Spotlight with Justin and Natalie, Grand

Combination, the horse from North Devon vying for success in this

year's Grand National. Stay tuned for that. 100 years ago

this Saturday a young Jersey man, Alfred Oliver, was running messages

to the wheel house on the Titanic when the disastrous collision with

the iceberg struck. He was one of the survivors but was so

traumatised that he never went to see again. He returned to Jersey to

bring up his family and is buried in the SEN -- in a cemetery at St

Saviour. A fund has been launched to create a permanent memorial to

him. When the Titanic sets sail on her

first and final voyage from Southampton to New York, Alfred

Oliver was one of the crew members. The 27-year-old quartermaster had

just had his first child but the sheer excitement of crewing the

world's most luxury as liner was a powerful draw. Alfred survived the

disaster but it shattered his life. He died at the age of 50 and is

buried in a simple plot in St Saviour cemetery. His grandson is

at the forefront of a campaign to remember him. Originally he was on

the bridge, on the Titanic. When he was coming back through the door he

saw the iceberg and the collision occurred. He was given messages by

the captain to run around the boat and after that he was ordered to

man a lifeboat. As the lifeboat was going down he noticed the plug was

not secured in the lifeboat, so he had to push past all the passengers

to put the plug-in. I am sure that saved the life boat from sinking.

fund has been set up to create a lasting memorial to Alfred Oliver

with the support of St Saviour Constable save it -- Sadie Rennard.

He was a Jersey man who was on the Titanic, he gave a lot. He rescued

people in the boat. He needs to be remembered. What happened that

terrible night still strikes a chord 100 years later. There are

many theories about the Angel of Death at this beast, the end of an

era. Now there will be one more story, the story of a man whose

actions saved lives. We will keep you posted with how

that fund progresses. The sun -- this Sunday a plaque

will be unveiled in St Peter Port remember 14 people from Guernsey

who died in the tragedy. One was Albert Denbuoy, who went down with

the ship. He performed considerable heroics. His nephew explains.

have books and papers. When she started going down he went down to

the cabin, three or four floors down and said to Guernsey women,

you have to go up, put your life jackets on and go when the boats.

He took them up to the deck and made sure they got on a boat.

Remarkable stories come on they? We can expect to colder weekend

ahead, a brisk north-easterly breeze setting in and we can't rule

out the possibility of showers especially tomorrow, Sunday

definitely the better of the two days ahead. We have a weather front

coming through south-west England at the moment. It will cross the

Channel and move towards us overnight. Things generally clouded

over. More showers later on tonight after a fine start. Showers again

tomorrow and generally a lot of cloud compared to more recently. On

Sunday, brisk north-easterly winds but a ridge of high pressure, they

should be a lot of sunshine to enjoy. A cold a fielder the air as

those Knorr for north-east winds set in. -- a Coldfield took the air.

The shares start to turn up in the morning. Temperatures as low as

five Celsius. Tomorrow, a lot of cloud. There may be sunny spells

developing here and there but on the whole, cloudy with a frequency

of showers continuing until the end of the date at temperatures of up

to ten Celsius. Feeling colder than that because of the brisk north-

easterly breeze. The winds freshened through the day. The

The surfing beaches will be cleaner. The forecast for Saturday is rather

cloudy with showers. Sunday, in contrast, much brighter with some

sunshine. A cold feel to the day with winds from the north-east,

just nine Celsius is the top temperatures. Clouding over on

Monday. Wet weather arriving Monday night and into Tuesday. Here is the

Sunday looks the better day. If a flutter on the Grand National

tomorrow doesn't go away, tickets for the Jersey Hospice Care Million

Pound Lottery go on sale on Monday. Each ticket costs �300 with a total

prize fund of �1.3 million. The draw will be made on 14th September