:00:04. > :00:09.Good evening, welcome to BBC Channel Islands. Our headlines
:00:09. > :00:13.tonight: Weighing up the costs. New funding
:00:13. > :00:16.for gastric surgery to prevent an obesity timebomb.
:00:16. > :00:22.Replacing people with computers. Why 50 States jobs could be going
:00:22. > :00:32.in Guernsey. And we meet the new first lady of
:00:32. > :00:40.
:00:40. > :00:43.dairy, who has just been honoured Eat less, exercise more. Simple
:00:43. > :00:47.advice, but for people in Jersey who cannot or will not follow it,
:00:47. > :00:49.the States could provide an alternative. The health service has
:00:49. > :00:56.new funding for gastric surgery, including bypasses and bands, which
:00:56. > :01:00.make the stomach smaller. It is thought up to 1,000 people could
:01:00. > :01:04.benefit. Edward Sault has this exclusive report.
:01:04. > :01:08.Nathan Wright knows all to well what it is like to be trapped in a
:01:08. > :01:17.vicious circle of obesity. He has diabetes and earlier this year had
:01:17. > :01:22.a gastric bypass because there was no option left to shift the weight.
:01:22. > :01:26.It got to the point when literally walking up the stairs was difficult.
:01:26. > :01:31.Taking the dog for a walk was really not possible. And this was
:01:31. > :01:36.Nathan before his operation. What difference that this operation make
:01:36. > :01:46.to your life? It made a huge difference. A couple of months
:01:46. > :01:48.
:01:48. > :01:51.later, my son said that he had got his dad back. Jersey's Health
:01:51. > :01:54.service have been guaranteed funding of �150,000. It is hoped up
:01:54. > :01:57.to 13 people a year will benefit from gastric surgery, an operation
:01:57. > :02:02.which will cost �8,500. There is a widely held and had full and
:02:02. > :02:06.fundamentally incorrect presumption that people in the situation up,
:02:06. > :02:11.going for it for at this surgery are somehow morally culpable for
:02:11. > :02:16.the situation defined themselves in. That is not the case. The supper
:02:16. > :02:24.from a medical condition which requires a medical solution.
:02:24. > :02:27.scissor example of -- this as an example of the operation in the UK.
:02:27. > :02:30.Alberic Fiennes is the consultant surgeon who does gastric operations
:02:30. > :02:34.on people from Jersey in the UK. Today he was in Jersey, meeting
:02:34. > :02:42.patients. Gastric bypass has a profound and immediate effect. The
:02:42. > :02:44.person wakes up from the operation not interested in food. But surely
:02:44. > :02:48.�150,000 would be better spent elsewhere rather than on helping
:02:48. > :02:54.those lose weight? If someone remained overweight, the will get
:02:54. > :03:02.diabetes. If they get it will cost �3,000 per annum spread over their
:03:02. > :03:06.lifetime. It is a bargain this way. For Nathan, he is looking to a
:03:06. > :03:10.brighter future. And has he gets on with his life says he is pleased he
:03:10. > :03:13.took that massive step for a slimmer future.
:03:13. > :03:17.Guernsey States members have given the go-ahead to a new computer
:03:17. > :03:20.system which could see the end of up to 50 civil service jobs. The
:03:20. > :03:28.centralised IT system will cost millions to set up, but is aimed at
:03:28. > :03:31.making savings in the long run. I spoke to our reporter Mike Wilkins
:03:31. > :03:41.earlier to ask if this was simply a case of replacing people with
:03:41. > :03:42.
:03:42. > :03:45.machines. Well, you could say that. States
:03:46. > :03:48.members have voted for a proposal that could lead to the loss of 50
:03:48. > :03:51.civil service jobs here in Guernsey. An overwhelming majority backed a
:03:51. > :03:54.recommendation from Treasury & Resources to move to a centralised
:03:54. > :03:57.IT system. It will cost nearly �8 million. The number of staff
:03:57. > :03:59.affected could be as high as 50. And �1.5 million will be available
:03:59. > :04:06.for redundancy payments. But Treasury Minister Charles Parkinson
:04:06. > :04:12.says it will increase efficiency and make savings in the long run.
:04:12. > :04:18.The investment in the system, to be shared corporate services operation,
:04:18. > :04:23.will save us. We estimate it will save us millions of pounds a year.
:04:23. > :04:25.We think this is a good investment of public money which will improve
:04:26. > :04:28.services to the public as well as increasing efficiency for other
:04:28. > :04:31.staff. And what's the latest on the
:04:31. > :04:40.Education Department following the recent resignations?
:04:40. > :04:43.Well, a new member has been appointed to the Education Board.
:04:43. > :04:45.Deputy Robert Sillars has replaced Matt Fallaize, who resigned along
:04:45. > :04:48.with Deputy Mike Collins several weeks ago over the Department's
:04:48. > :04:50.handling of poor GCSE results in two Guernsey schools. States
:04:50. > :04:53.members voted 26-18 in favour of Deputy Sillars instead of Alderney
:04:53. > :05:03.Representative Paul Arditti. Deputy Sillars says he is keen to get
:05:03. > :05:03.
:05:03. > :05:10.started. I was shocked when I read the report back in January of 2011,
:05:10. > :05:15.putting the UK into the middle ranking for reading and maths. I
:05:15. > :05:18.filled very strongly that the money we spend on education, the
:05:18. > :05:26.relatives that the population have, we should be aspiring to a higher
:05:26. > :05:30.level. There are 19 countries higher than us in a maths, in the
:05:30. > :05:38.upper band, and I think that is where we should be. There were to
:05:38. > :05:44.be part of trying to take us there. -- I want to be part of trying to
:05:44. > :05:46.take us there. Next on the agenda is the possible scrapping of
:05:46. > :05:48.Saturday's postal deliveries, a contentious issue, but one, again,
:05:48. > :05:51.about cost-cutting. Just after I spoke to Mike, the
:05:51. > :05:54.States did vote to let Guernsey Post axe its Saturday service, if
:05:54. > :05:56.the company feels it will help it to break even.
:05:56. > :05:59.Guernsey's new slaughterhouse could cost in excess of a �1 million.
:05:59. > :06:03.Plans for the abattoir, which will replace the existing facility in St
:06:03. > :06:05.Peter Port, have now been drawn up. Penny Elderfield has been taking a
:06:05. > :06:07.look. It has served the Island since the
:06:07. > :06:10.Victorian era, but Guernsey's slaughter house is no longer fit
:06:10. > :06:16.for purpose. The authorities say it does not meet modern standards and
:06:16. > :06:25.its busy town location just is not ideal. So the pressure is on to
:06:25. > :06:29.close it once and for all. It has really got to appoint now where,
:06:29. > :06:34.over several years, there have been many improvements that have allowed
:06:34. > :06:38.the slaughter is to continue operating. We are at a point now
:06:38. > :06:41.where it cannot run -- where it cannot meet the regulatory
:06:42. > :06:44.requirements and for that reason we need a new slaughter house. Plans
:06:45. > :06:47.have now been submitted, though, for a new facility next to the
:06:47. > :06:50.existing carcase incinerator here at Longue Hougue. It will cost
:06:51. > :06:53.around �1 million, that is if the States agree. It will be a similar
:06:54. > :06:56.design to the building already there and could be up and running
:06:56. > :07:03.some time next year. It's news farmers like James have been
:07:03. > :07:07.waiting for. June it is just outdated, really, and everyone
:07:07. > :07:12.realises that. The main differences that we can slaughter her older
:07:12. > :07:17.cattle and market them into the food chain. Currently, they are
:07:17. > :07:21.disposed of in the incinerator and we get compensation for that. But
:07:21. > :07:31.it also costs the States a lot more besides that to destroy these
:07:31. > :07:33.
:07:33. > :07:36.counts. That is a tremendous waste. -- cows. For the local farming
:07:36. > :07:38.industry, the development could not happen soon enough. But there is
:07:38. > :07:43.still the hurdle of planning permission, and getting States
:07:43. > :07:46.approval to overcome. Remembrance wrist bands are to be
:07:46. > :07:50.sold in Jersey for the first time to raise money for the Poppy Appeal.
:07:50. > :07:53.The blue and red bands are unique to the island, and it is hoped they
:07:53. > :07:56.will be popular with young people. They go on sale on Monday,
:07:56. > :08:01.alongside 3,000 limited edition metal pins from the poppy shop in
:08:01. > :08:06.Halkett Place. Money raised will go to the Royal British Legion.
:08:06. > :08:16.Later on in Spotlight, back to ration books. This whole town is
:08:16. > :08:21.
:08:21. > :08:24.celebrating the 1940s. A Jersey dairy farmer has been
:08:24. > :08:27.honoured in America. Anne Perchard was invited to the World Dairy Expo,
:08:27. > :08:30.where she won the International Person of the Year award. She is
:08:30. > :08:32.the first Channel Islander to bag the title and her certificate was
:08:32. > :08:35.signed by a very special person. Emma Chambers reports.
:08:35. > :08:39.Anne Perchard has devoted her life to the Jersey cow, not only here on
:08:39. > :08:41.her farm in St Martin but also worldwide as part of the World
:08:41. > :08:44.Jersey Cattle Bureau. And now her devotion has been recognised in
:08:44. > :08:51.America. She was awarded with this, the International Person of the
:08:51. > :08:55.year award at the World Dairy Expo, the largest dairy show in the world.
:08:55. > :09:00.After the dinner was over, I had lots of people coming up to me and
:09:00. > :09:06.ask me about the island and about the German occupation. They were
:09:06. > :09:09.fascinated by it all. This huge state of Wisconsin, where you could
:09:09. > :09:14.fit umpteen their jerseys in it, found it difficult to believe that
:09:14. > :09:17.this little island could produce this wonderful cow. Not only is
:09:17. > :09:23.this an honour in the dairy community but is also recognised by
:09:23. > :09:28.America's president. I could not believe it was true, and all the
:09:28. > :09:32.recipients were thrilled to think that it had been signed, by the
:09:32. > :09:39.president of the United States. It is really quite something, isn't
:09:39. > :09:43.it? It is a prestigious award. Anne is back home, all she has to
:09:43. > :09:50.do is find somewhere to put it. am very proud to have it. But why
:09:50. > :10:00.did well in my bedroom with all my others, or one of my sons suggested
:10:00. > :10:05.
:10:05. > :10:08.it: the kitchen, where it will be seen by everybody.
:10:08. > :10:11.Guernsey tennis star Heather Watson has lost her second round match at
:10:11. > :10:14.the Aegon GB Pro Series tournament in Devon. She was beaten by Laura
:10:14. > :10:17.Robson 6-1, 3-6, 6-3. It is the first time the British teenagers
:10:17. > :10:20.have met on the WTA circuit. Bosses at Tarka Tennis Centre in
:10:20. > :10:26.Barnstaple, where the tournament is being held, say Heather was among a
:10:26. > :10:30.high standard of players in action. The trip to put a bit of effort to
:10:30. > :10:40.get people to watch these local players. The standard has got
:10:40. > :10:44.
:10:44. > :10:54.better at the year. -- Eddie year. -- every year.
:10:54. > :11:03.At the moment we have a low pressure close to the UK, keeping a
:11:03. > :11:13.weather settled -- unsettled. Tomorrow, by the middle part of the
:11:13. > :11:14.
:11:14. > :11:19.day, it is sitting on top of us. By the end of the BT, much quieter end
:11:19. > :11:23.to things. Overnight tonight, some cloud pushing in and we'll see a
:11:23. > :11:28.good deal of Rain spreading in from the south, becoming persistent and
:11:28. > :11:32.at times quite heavy through the early hours of the morning. It will
:11:32. > :11:37.be mild overnight, and living Celsius the minimum temperature.
:11:37. > :11:41.Tomorrow, the Rain will be with this from the beginning, heavy and
:11:41. > :11:46.persistent that much of the day. It will eventually start to clear,
:11:46. > :11:54.slowly from the South later in the day. Generally, a fairly unpleasant
:11:54. > :12:00.day. Temperatures are around 14 or 15 Celsius, but with the cloud,
:12:00. > :12:10.Rain and a brisk wind, it will not feel especially warm. The forecast
:12:10. > :12:31.