18/12/2013 BBC Channel Islands News

let-up. Thank you. That is all from the BBC News at Six. Goodbye. Now

A top Guernsey civil servant has resigned after punching a police

officer in Jersey. Doctor Andrew Sloan was Guernsey's Chief

Economist. He was sentenced to community service for the offence

which happened at the British Irish Council summit last month. Mike

Wilkins reports. Guernsey's reputation was in the

spotlight last month as top officials from the British Isles met

in Jersey for the British Irish Council. But missing from the second

day of the conference was Guernsey's Chief Economist, Dr Andrew Sloan. He

was being held in custody for punching a policeman in this hotel.

He paid the price, firstly by being sentenced to 70 hours of community

service and a ?500 fine. And now he has resigned from his job with the

States of Guernsey. Dr Sloan wasn't available for interview today but

did say in a statement that he apologised to the States and the

public of Guernsey for any embarrassment caused by his actions.

He says the attack was out of character. His resignation has

brought to an end an embarrassing period for the island's government

and the search is now on for a replacement with the right skills

and experience. It is an important role, to help government understand

what is going on in the economy and to help government plan for the

future. Again, some thinking may be required on the best way to ensure

that we receive the appropriate advice in that area.

His former employer, the Policy Council, says that as Dr Sloan walks

away he'll receive no payoffs other than those to which he is

contractually obliged. Two men have been charged in

connection with the theft of ?2.6 million from the States of Guernsey

through fraud. The 56`year`old and 44`year`old suspects, are both from

the UK. Several investigations were launched last year after it was

discovered the money had been signed over to conmen who contacted the

Treasury Department posing as airport contractors Lagan. Yesterday

the two men were charged with conspiracy to defraud and money

laundering by the City of London Police. They're due to appear in

court in London on the 9th of January.

School children in Jersey could fall behind the rest of the world unless

language teaching is radically overhauled. That's the message from

a St Brelade deputy, who wants to see a bigger variety of languages

offered at a younger age. Tim Robinson reports.

Studying hard for their A levels, but these Jersey teenagers aren't

learning any foreign languages. It's not because they didn't want to. It

just was not really pushed all promoted as much at A`level. I took

it as an object at GCSE with seven other people in my class and it was

not really something actively encouraged, even at GCSE. It was

just kind of there. Languages are learnt at about year five so you are

ten years old and you do not have the facility to learn the language

properly. So now there's a call to change the

way languages are taught in Jersey and to start much younger. The

optimum age for language acquisition is about seven years old for a

foreign language, that is when the brain is at its optimum

effectiveness. It begs the question, why are we not putting our resources

at that end? So Deputy Tadier has drawn up a plan

to review the way languages are taught across the island. He wants

to start younger and teach a broader range of modern languages, including

Chinese, to better prepare school leavers for their careers. The plan

has been welcomed be the office de Jerriais but they wan't the local

language included in the plan too. I think it is important to teach

Jerriais for the same reasons as you teach any other language because it

gives the mind the stimulation and uses the processing skills that one

allows in acquiring a language for all kinds of other tasks.

For Jonny and Alexander learning a language will have to be done out of

school and at their own expense, but if Deputy Tadier's review is

adopted, students could be learning a new modern language from the age

of six by 2015. Better fishing opportunity for

greater economic return, that's what Jersey's fighting for in forthcoming

talks with the UK. The amount of fish local fishermen can catch is

controlled by European regulations but the fisheries management

agreement we have with the UK needs reviewing. Emma Chambers reports.

It's a big part of island life and how many islanders make a living.

But even though Jersey is not part of the EU and don't fish in EU

waters, what they catch is controlled by them. This is because

Jersey adopted the same system for managing fish stocks as Europe when

they approved a fisheries management agreement with the UK in 1996. An

agreement our environment department says now needs reviewing.

Typically a quota of 100 kilos a month for example, it is not worth

the boat going out to fish for that because it needs to take specific

equipment and it is not worth it. We feel if we could restrict the quoted

throughout the year but allow a" in months when the fish are plenty and

fetching a good price, then we would not take more out but we would take

them out at a time that was better for the industry and better for the

price. To achieve this representatives from

the island are meeting with the UK's department for fisheries, DEFRA. A

step forward for local fishermen who still believe they shouldn't be

controlled by EU quotas. For shellfish we have a fair degree of

autonomy and there is no good reason why we couldn't have the same for

wet fish. Many of the measures that are handed down from Brussels are

totally inappropriate and we could see the day when we no longer have a

fishing industry here in the island. And it seems provisional quotas

released today of cuts on fishing sole and plaice isn't helping the

situation. Talks on improving fish quotas could take a while. For now

those in the industry can only catch what they can within the EU

regulations. There'll be changes at Jersey

Airport next year after a customer survey suggested security could be

simpler and visitors need clearer signs to the terminals. The first

ever review of passenger satisfaction has found most people

departing the airport are happy with their experience. It included a look

at check in, the helpfulness of staff and the shops and cafes.

Airport bosses say the way passengers go through security is

also set to change from next year. Security is something that is quite

daunting for people so an improvement around security is to

help people understand better what is required of them when they

approach security to make the process more smooth. Putting in

place a series of videos around the security area next year should

prepare people better for the process.

You're watching the BBC in the Channel Islands. Later in Spotlight

with Justin and Rebecca: Going underground.

How authorities are desperately trying to stop houses falling into

this hole. It's a week until Christmas Day and

all week we're showing festive performances from Channel Islands

choirs. Tonight's comes from St Sampson's Infants School in

Guernsey. They are singing their carols for the last time as their

school will be be closed next year. THEY SING. Very nice. Moving on to

the weather now, it is not going to be music to anybody's years if they

are after the big Christmas getaway. Some fairly grim conditions

with us at the moment. We have fairly stormy weather with us for

tonight very nice. Moving onto the weather now, it is not going to be

music to anybody's years if they are after the big Christmas getaway.

Some fairly grim conditions with us at the moment. We have fairly stormy

fairly stormy weather with us for tonight very us for tonight,

particularly some very strong wind out towards the middle of the

channel, storm force winds are possible and around the island

severe gales are with us for a time. That could mean gusts of up to 65

miles an hour. That is particularly in the next few hours which is when

the wind will play. We have torrential rain as well in the next

few hours and we will see heavy downpours combine strong winds and

rough sea conditions tonight. , particularly some very strong wind

out towards the middle of the channel, storm force winds are

possible and around the island severe gales are with us for a time.

That could mean gusts of up to 65 miles an hour. That is particularly

in the next few hours which is when the wind will play. We have

torrential rain as well in the next few hours and we will see heavy

downpours combine strong winds and rough sea conditions tonight.

Another time of concern is around 7pm tonight in the south coast of

Jersey. Another time of concern is around 7pm tonight on the south

coast of Jersey. We could well have some waves topping over the sea wall

so take care if you have to go out and about in the next few hours. A

lot of water on the roads and possibly debris to look out for.

This is the satellite picture we could well have some waves topping

over the sea wall so take care if you have to go out and about in the

next few hours. A lot of water on the roads and possibly debris to

look out for. This is the satellite picture. . We have a very active

system which will have cleared tomorrow by midday. On Thursday we

have we have a very active system which will have cleared tomorrow by

midday. On Thursday we have winds. On Friday we have a brief respite

with some dry and bright weather on Friday. There will be wet and windy

weather moving in towards the end of the day. Winds. On Friday we have a

brief respite with some dry and bright weather on Friday. There will

be wet and windy weather moving in towards the end of the day. In the

next few hours there is very intense rain and strong wind. In the next

few hours there is very intense rain and strong wind. In the early hours

of tomorrow it will still be breezy with blustery showers and a cooler

night as well. In the early hours of tomorrow it will still be breezy

with blustery showers and a cooler night as well. Thursday in self

Thursday in self will have sunshine for a time. Will have sunshine for a

time. With these showers we could have locally heavy downpours once

again along with the risk of hail with these showers we could have

locally heavy downpours once again along with the risk of hail as it

will still be breezy tomorrow afternoon. And it will still be

breezy tomorrow afternoon. Our taxi our taxi `` out at sea `` out at sea

the showers will mean moderate or good visibility. The showers will

mean moderate or good visibility. Big waves on the surface but not

very usable conditions. On Saturday the next wet and windy weather will

be set to arrive and it will be unsettled again. Thank you very

much. To find out whether any of that

horrible weather will affect your Christmas day you can tune into

radio Jersey or Guernsey from 6am tomorrow. That is just about it from

the TV team for now but on the radio tomorrow morning there will be a

preview of the million pounds Channel Islands Christmas lottery

draw. We will have the numbers here on tomorrow night's programme. Good

luck you have tickets. Now for the weather. It is pretty

good out there. We have a weather warning out there. `` pretty grim.

There have been winds of up to 69 mph. The peak out to the West. ``

They peaked. You can see the intense colours which have swept in. We do

still have some torrential rain. It is a very active system. It is

followed on by some showers and some cooler air. Some of the showers

could be a little bit when today. `` a little bit wintery. The rainbow

clear in the next few hours and the wind will start to ease. `` The rain

will clear. Temperatures are already dropping. Temperatures will drop to

two or three degrees tonight. There will be some dry and bright weather

eventually, particularly into the afternoon, and that could bring some

hail or sleet. We could have some small for a time. `` some snow. Some

fairly strong winds and bright spells. Busts of heavy showers. Here

are the times for high water. `` Bursts or heavy showers. Probably

some very big waves. The winds will be choppy. They will come in from

the West. We have got some showers out at sea as well. Some very

unsettled weather with us for the next few hours tonight but it will

clear away. Showers through the day could come when today. `` could turn

wintery. On Friday it will be not too bad to start off with but it

will cloud over. At the weekend it will still be quite windy. Heavy

showers. Still looking unsettled on Sunday. It will eventually turn

milder. Take care for the few hours. Now with a week until Christmas Day,

in our series of carols recorded with choirs and singers from the

four counties of the South West, this evening we hear from our

soloist from Dorset. Tonight, Eleanor Nickerson from Sherborne

Girl's School sings the Corpus Christi Carol, recorded in the Mary

Harris Chapel at the University of Exeter.

# Lulley, lully, lulley, lully, # The faucon hath born my mak away.

# He bare hym up, he bare hym down, # He bare hym into an orchard brown.

# In that orchard ther was an hall, # That was hanged with purpill and

pall. # And in that hall ther was a bede,

# Hit was hangid with gold so rede. # And yn that bede ther lythe a

knyght, # His wowndes bledyng day and nyght.

# By that bedes side ther kneleth a may, # And she wepeth both nyght and

day. # And by that bedes side ther

stondith a ston, # Corpus Christi wretyn theron.