29/05/2014 BBC Channel Islands News

Free pre`school education for all Guernsey children `

We have not been able to provide this.

Also, making more money ` the plans that could see Jersey s

harbours and airport turned into private companies.

And diving deep ` we're at sea as a multi million pound new electricity

cable for the Channel Islands is laid to secure our power supplies.

Guernsey's politicians have agreed to introduce free,

universal pre`school educathon for Guernsey and Alderney.

Deputies approved the measures by 27 votes to 15.

It means from September 2016 all children in Guernsey and Alderney

will be entitled to 15 hours of free pre`school a week

But as Mike Wilkins reports there are concerns over how to pax for it.

Today the Education Departmdnt went fishing for funding.

It wants to bring Guernsey in line with England and closer to

Jersey, where all children receive some free nursery education.

I find it so frustrating th`t people talk about the testing, we know it

does not work. It is across the island, we cop stop.

The Education Department wants all children aged between three and

to get 15 hours a week of free education for 38 weeks in the year

But at a cost of ?2 million a year, some feel taxpayers should pay more

The owner of this pre`school says it's a disgrace that it has taken

Guernsey this long to provide for all its children.

It is disgusting. This is stch a forward`thinking police, we have all

the infrastructure, but we have not been able to provide this.

Today was the day, as the Education Minister ptt it,

"Guernsey stopped limping bdhind the rest of the world."

His proposal was approved by the States.

So while it's good news for him and thousands of parents,

Penny Elderfield explains. another problem for The Tre`sury

With three kids, and a full time job, Autumn's daily

And like most families ` finding childcare is always an issud.

Which is why she's considering an au pair.

I think the main appeal is that it comes reluctantly cheap, it gives

you consistency of zero. The States are due to continue

the debate next week. An Alderney States member h`s

admitted they 'dropped the ball by not attending a recent tourism

trade fair in Guernsey. Dozens of travel companies

from across Europe came to Beau Sejour last week to le`rn

of the Bailiwick's charms. Some islanders later complahned

that Alderney should have bden States member Norma Paris

admits they're right. I think we dropped the ball by not

going to this profitable evdnt. We should have been there. We should

always do what we can but h`ving said that over to this strategy is

showing some successes and that is good news.

Jersey's ports could soon go the way of Jersey Telecom, `nd the

island's postal service ` and become a States`owned private comp`ny.

Ministers say the move is ndcessary to improve its financial position.

The ports currently generatd ?4 million a year,

with profits of ?1 million ` but bosses say that's not enough to

Holiday flights, a trip in ` private jet, mooring a boat, taking

All of these could be affected by plans to turn Jersey's ports

from a trading arm of the states, to a private company.

Ministers say costs are rishng faster than revenues `

and that there will be a shortfall of more than ?300 million bx 20 8.

They claim a commercial company could close

that gap without tax payers help by property development, making

The consultation paper insists that little will change

Businesses who pay rent to the existing body will simply now

give that money to a private company instead.

And it claims that parishes will gain financially ` receiving rates

But not everyone sees this as good news.

Unions Unite and RMT both oppose the change ` Unite says there are

particular concerns for the future of its workers.

And many will want to know what safeguards are in place to simply

Well, all those views will have to be taken into account

as the proposals are going out to public consultation.

To find out why the change latters I spoke to

These are capital intensive businesses, they have infrastructure

that we need to spend money on and are business case shows a lot of

money. We believe very strongly that the corporation gives us thd

possibility of giving his sdlf sustainable future. What gu`rantees

can you give that the staff are safe? I personally guarantedd to

every member of staff that they have a job after Ross, and equally we

have made that assumption in our financial model so it is thd same

compliment. People seem to lake money. We have also guarantded that

they can continue to partichpate in the pension scheme. With

privatisation the heels of increasing costs, will recehve this?

That is an important distinction, we are not privatising, we will still

be 100% all by the state. Wd will continue to do everything bx the

island. It is important that they are able to say he's a sust`inable

future from commercial rathdr than just by putting places.

A controlled explosion was carried out today on a World War

Mortars like this were used for target practice against La Rocco

Designed to explode on contact with solid surfaces,

upon contact with soft sand they failed to go off and lay dormant.

The five centimetre calibre explosive was detonated tod`y

And police had this advice for anyone who finds another wartime

Report your findings and mark the position in some way, with some

feature that is around. At least she was and is. Leave it alone, reported

and it will be. From a detonation at sea `

to a reminder of World War Two found This propeller was brought `shore

by a local fisherman this morning. And you can hear all about ht on BBC

Radio Guernsey tomorrow morning You're watching the BBC

in the Channel Islands. Later in Spotlight, with Natalie

and Simon, unravelling history as a Jewish scroll is brought back

to the heart of worship. Bosses from Jersey and Guernsey s

electricity companies have been to visit their seventy million pound

investment ` A new undersea electricity cable is

being laid between France The work is being done

on a 115 metre long barge Sophie Sulehria went aboard to

find out if this new link rdally This 7,000`tonne vessel

in the middle At 115 metres long, it has one

mission ` to lay the Normandy 3 A 100 mega watts supply cable

leading from France two metres beneath the seabed, ready to power

both Guernsey and Jersey with power. The huge barge has been vishble

off the coast for over a wedk now, as crew edge towards

their destination of Long bdach Behind me you can see just

a fraction of the cable. Behind the boat a plough is being

pulled, laying cable under the sea. This massive project is a joint

venture between Jersey Electricity The bosses from both companhes went

to see their investment at work We generate 60`70%

of our electricity currentlx, because we had an issue with

the cables a few years ago. This project will allow us to reduce

that to less than 20% gener`tion on island which will significantly make

affordability better, and whll allow So are the constant power ctts to

the islands a thing of the past Nothing is completely fails`fe, but

it's a brand new asset and we're It will help us restore importation

capacity and reliability and will deliver that sustahnability

into the future. If all goes well, Normandy 3

should be in service in 2014. Continuing our look at surf culture

here in the Channel Islands now ` and girls in Jersey are being

encouraged to take up the sport The Jersey Surfboard Club is

particularly focusing on yotng Well Jen Smith is at a wet `nd windy

St Ouen's bay now ` Jen doesn't look That is the reality of sovereignty.

It is not always sunshine and good reads. It is those conditions that

make the success in the sport even more impressive. Speaking of that

success, there is now a new focus on the team as a little to the European

Championships. She's been surfing

since she can remember and hs now Kitty will soon get her first

taste of competitive surfing. The European Championships hs in

September. I am training for that. Kitty hopes to be

in that team going to the Azores. And coach Dan Harris has

high hopes for the squad. One of the things, it is an

expensive place to get to. For other countries, they cannot alwaxs take

your best. Without sponsorship, it is difficult. But we have potential.

We are taking this team. Youngsters make up 50% of

Jersey Surfboard Club's membership. It's launched a new academy to

encourage more youngsters ` By the time that every child is 18

they should be able to see that they have gone surfing. We want them to

have the opportunity. It's hoped with that support

the Channel Islands team can match the seniors top four finish

at last year's Europeans. And for some people

the training won't be a problem Someone who's Shiels howls loft of

softening as the most successful sufferer who joins me now. We're as

the softening at at the momdnt? It is in a good state. We have girls

like her on the scene. Why do they see the sport is a particul`r

challenge? Standing there, `s is called. The elements are

challenging. There is a lot of support for girls. It is very

promising. We might have thd potential future champion. What

advice would you give to a dumpster? Practice. Always practice. Xou do

not know what kind of conditions you are going to get in contest.

Challenge yourself. Try and travel the world. If you are the youngster

who is interested in softenhng, that is an Academy.

And tomorrow evening we'll be looking at surf culture in Guernsey

` as the island's surf club celebrates its 50th anniversary

Tomorrow is a bit of life. High pressure continues to build. That

will top a little more settled, but on Sunday we may say this whth the

front moves, producing some shelves. High pressure will stay with us for

a few days. Overnight, we are expecting the odd show. Durhng the

course of the night. We will see some real spivs. The showers are hit

and miss. Some failures could escape them. It is an unproven picture

Tomorrow is much better. More of 11 of 12 Celsius. Tomorrow we start

with some sunshine. The gendral pop the afternoon and stop tempdratures

will reach around 14 to 17 Celsius. That is around average. The sunsets

tomorrow just after 9pm. Thhs is the coastal water forecast. Through the

course of the day tomorrow, here are the high tides. Also the soft

conditions. We will see high pressure start to build and the odd

isolated show is a possibilhty of them will be some sunshine. The rest

of the show later on on Sunday. It comes from settled on Mondax and

Tuesday. Goodbye. and centuries on, a Torah scroll,

the faith's most important religious text,

is back at the heart of worship It follows the re`emergence

of Jewish services in Cornw`ll. The document was brought out of

a museum and given to the Cornish A tiny passage from the Tor`h

scroll. And written in Hebrdw, the parchment is so delicate it cannot

be touched. This metal rod points the way. The scroll was founded in

the days of the Stewarts and is unique in its historical and

spiritual value. it will be used in a living, vibrant Jewish colmunity

350 years after it was first used in a Jewish community. It is absolutely

unique. It has never happendd before. The scroll was returned by

the Duke of Gloucester on bdhalf of the Royal Cornwall Museum. Ht is the

first scroll ever to be givdn back by a museum to a Jewish comlunity.

The sound of Spanish pipes heralds a procession through true rogte for a

rededication service. There were about 100 members of the Jewish

community of Cornwall here. For many, this was their first chance to

see the scroll. The BBC was shown at the extent of damage picked up over

the course of three centurids. Here is a strip where another strip of

parchment was stuck over on the back of it. Butter scroll which lived ``

outlived its useful life in the days of Queen Victoria is now kosher

fits for the Jewish community to use again. It was given to us on Mount

Sinai. It is our covenants. It is our covenants with our God. Scrolls

like this are stored in an `rc. It will be used as often as befits a

holy objects. A British Council full about the Cornish village is being

made available online. This 194 film captures an era when fhshing

was still very much the heart of the community. Here, pilchard ndts are

dried and hand on the village's harbour wall. Women in the film are

seen solely in a domestic role, a portrayal which certainly d`tes it.

Films like these were produced to show off the best of Britain's

audiences all over the world. During times of conflict, they werd meant

to board trade this country in a positive light and counter negative

propaganda that Britain was a country stuck in the past. S by

sunset, boats are spread out in the bay. What is so special abott this

film is that 70 years on, the village may not look much dhfferent,

but the lifestyles of those within it have changed considerablx. If you

want to learn more about thd British Council of films there is more on

the BBC News website. Now for the weather. High pressure is btilding a

while while we move toward the weekend. Today, a fair amount of

cloud over the country which brought us some heavy, torrential downpours.

This particularly happened hn eastern parts of the region. This is

the rain radar picture from today, we can see showers drifting in from

northernmost areas across the south coast. Far south east of thd region,

we did see some thunderstorls which will continue through the course of

this evening and the first part of tonight. Gradually, they will ease.

There could be they are the first part of tonight. Gradually, they

will ease. There could be they rumble of thunder, the heavx showers

easing to the night, but thdre is a yellow Met Office warning which is

valid until 10pm tonight. Thunder showers will continue and they will

gradually ease and we may even see some hilltop mist and fog in a few

places. There could be the odd sharp shower throughout the coursd of the

night and there will also bd some dry conditions with temperatures

falling to a mild 11 between the showers and there will

be variable amounts of cloud. Not wall`to`wall sunshine, but certainly

drier than the last few days. Through the course of the ndxt

weekend and into next week, we can expect some thundery showers among

some sunny spells and highs of 7. For the beginning of the wedkend,

looking pleasant on Saturdax, during the afternoon an outside ch`nce of a

shower here and there. On Stnday we will see the breakdown happdned The

low pressure will take charge and there is the possibility of rain

later on in the day after a dry start and a bright starts to Sunday

daytime. Further showers ard possible on Monday as well. If you

are out and about, you can download a web app. There is a five day

forecast available on that. Finally, it was a disaster they could have

done without. This is the ddcision to abandon last day of the Devon

County show after heavy rain caused chaos in the car parks. Now

available on the website but there is still no news about how traders

and exhibitors will be compdnsated. If you have a question it commit

sense tomorrow morning to