07/08/2013 BBC Channel Islands News


07/08/2013

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Channel Islands... Fears that bills will rise as

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Guernsey Electricity makes a loss of �1 million. We understand

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affordability. We understand that electricity prices are difficult for

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people and we will be taking that into account.

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A ferry service funded by the French carries its one millionth passenger

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to the Channel Islands. Could our governments learn from our

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continental neighbours? And getting ready for battle - find out why

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changes to this year's parade have not all received an optimistic

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welcome. Guernsey Electricity made a loss of

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millions of pounds last year, as it blames problems with the cable that

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brings in cheaper power from France. At the end of March 2013, it was

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�3.4 million in the red, compared to a profit of �4.7 million the

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previous year. Penny Elderfield reports.

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A challenging year for Guernsey Electricity, with a lot of money,

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quite literally, going up in smoke. The big problem was there was no

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choice but to generate a lot more power on island here - a more

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expensive option than getting it from Europe.

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And the main reason the company made a loss.

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Faulty cables were to blame. And with the island's link to France

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down, nearly three-quarters of Guernsey's electricity had to be

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generated on island, compared to 18% the year before.

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And that meant carbon emissions also went up to more than 209,000 tonnes

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of carbon dioxide. All in all, not good news for those

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in charge. The cost over the whole year was �12.2 million.

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Unfortunately, the resulting effect wise we made it an operating loss of

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�3.4 million. The question is, will energy bills go up for customers?

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have no plans to do that at the moment. We do understand

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affordability. We understand that electricity traces are as high as we

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want them to be and we will take that into account.

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So, no price rises this year, but these generators will have to

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provide the bulk of the island's power until a new cable is up and

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running. And as that still needs to be paid

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for, there is little chance of prices coming down.

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The inquest into the death of a cyclist in Jersey has opened and

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adjourned. It heard that Neil Blood was cycling with his cousin when he

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struck a lamp post and lost his balance. He fell off his bike into

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the road and under the wheels of a passing transit lorry. His body has

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been released, so his funeral can take place.

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The one millionth passenger to use the Manche Iles Express ferry

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service arrived in Jersey this morning. The company provides the

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only sea link between the three Normandy ports and the Channel

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Islands. It is a small service and certainly not profitable, so the

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local government in the La Manche area of Normandy spends 1.5 million

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euros subsidising it. Welcome to a wet wednesday in

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Jersey. Hundreds of French tourists shuffle off the Manche Iles Expess

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from Granville, ready to spend their money in the shops, cafes and

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museums. Among them, the millionth passenger the revived service has

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carried. Who will be rewarded with a free ten-year pass?

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It is very pretty. In fact, we as a family like to come to Jersey at

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Christmas time. So that is one less fare on an

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already loss-making route. Launched in 2003 with three boats,

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the high cost of diesel forced a cut back to two ships in 2010. They are

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both owned by La Manche Council and run by private ferry operators. In

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all, the service costs the council about 1.5 million euros a year.

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channel islands are very attractive for French tourists. It is part of

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the economy to bring people from France to the Channel Islands, so

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they want to be involved in the service, even if it is not

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profitable. It seems our French cousins are

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happy, for now, to subsidise our tourism industry. The Channel

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Islands will have to hope their natural charms are enough to keep

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hooking visitors in. So should Jersey's government put

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more money into ferry services? I spoke to the Economic Development

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Minister, Senator Alan McLean, earlier and asked him if Jersey

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should be supporting the sea links. We do, first of all. We contribute

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in terms of joint marketing initiatives and we also have a night

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performance related initiative, based on a reduction in Harbour dues

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if the service given to passengers is good. But it brings into this

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every day? Yes, it is an important part of the market. It is about

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63,000 people. They are, more interestingly, more valuable to

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others than cruise ship visitors. They spend more and that is very

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important to the hospitality sector. Could we learn from the French

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government about the way they treat the session initiative? We are happy

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to learn from anyone. But we are very keen to invest in theory like

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to get every return on these investments we have to be very

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careful. We have to make sure that every �1 we spend we get a return on

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and I think we do that very effectively.

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Taxpayers' data has been lost by Guernsey's Treasury & Resources

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Department. Information on people's properties was lost when a computer

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system failed. Former board member Deputy Garry Collins leaked the

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information to the media, to highlight what he feels is a culture

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of secrecy within the government. People's data, stored by the States.

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Well, some of it has been lost forever.

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A series of computer failures resulted in a loss of six month's

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worth of Cadastre data, containing information on people's properties.

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No-one knew about it till this man blew the whistle. It highlights the

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fact that the minister did not know until I told him on a Friday when we

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were in Jersey in a casual conversation, 40 make of this? He

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did not know what had happened. Following on from this revelation

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and claims of a culture of secrecy within the Treasury & Resources

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Deparment, an external consultant's report has been released this

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afternoon. It reveals a number of failings with

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the States' latest computer system, also known as SAP. The report says

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Despite today's claim of the States fostering a culture of secrecy, the

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Treasury & Resources Deparment Minister insists it is not true.

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There is no evidence to suggest information has been denied at a

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political level and I think it is just a question of asking for the

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information. The loss of data and the problems

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with the SAP system are embarrassing for the Treasury & Resources

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Deparment, but despite the setbacks and claims of a cover up, the

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Minister is making no secret of his belief that the new system is on

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schedule to deliver benefits by the end of the year.

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Now there is a long evening ahead for all those involved in Jersey's

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Battle of Flowers tomorrow, as they finish their floats. This year,

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organisers are mixing things up by introducing some changes to the way

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battle will start. But those changes Sheds across Jersey are bursting

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with colour and buzzing with activity, as floats are transformed

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into prize-winning exhibitions for tomorrow's Battle of Flowers. While

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this is the usual scene on Battle eve, tomorrow's parade will see some

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changes. Organisers are not sticking to the normal way the parade starts.

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This year, they are introducing a French influence. We went down to

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France and saw this idea where everyone could get on the Ali now

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without having to wait too quickly. We are hoping everything will start

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up and go like clockwise. But while The Optimists have also

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gone with a French theme, they say this change puts added pressure on

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exhibitors. I think the idea is that we stand around for 90 minutes to

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engage with the public. We aren't a small group of 30 people. Some of

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the other parishes have the luxury of having a lot more people to work

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with them. Come one o'clock, once we have been judged, that is the

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important thing. Tomorrow, we will see how the

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changes will go down with the crowds.

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For now, it is all hands on deck to television tomorrow and our special

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on Friday featuring every float on the parade. Now, letters get a look

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after the rather dull and rainy weather today. That is good news for

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the battle of flowers in Jersey. Afternoon temperatures getting up to

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21 Celsius. All the weather system is close by today will move away

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overnight. We have a ridge of high pressure over the islands. There

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will be more cloud introduced overnight tomorrow and into Friday.

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Again, we should have a fine day on Friday, give take the odd shower.

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Overnight, temperatures dipping down to 14 of 15 Celsius. For tomorrow,

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the wind variable to start with, with plenty of sunshine. I

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temperatures of 22 Celsius. He has the coastal waters forecast: Onto

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the times of high water: four the still fine for Thursday and Friday,

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perhaps a future was on Friday and rather cloudy skies on Saturday.

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Here is the outlook into the second half of the weekend. On Saturday and

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Sunday, we can expect a lot more in the way of cloud, with some more

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