04/07/2014 BBC Channel Islands News

Guernsey will have to incre`se taxes. Increasing the goods and

services tax is one of the options. Concern over when redeveloplent of

the site will start again. @nd blooming marvellous, why thhs park

is fuelling floral this Friday night.

A sales tax could be the only way to remedy Guernsey s

deficit ` that's the conclusion of the island's Treasury Minister,

after the publication of thd States annual accounts.

The report shows government spent ?25 million more than it

In a moment we'll hear from Deputy Gavin St Pier, but fhrst

They make decisions about your money in here and administer them in here

and spend it here, here, here and here. The states received 361.3

million last year. Leaving a deficit of ?24.8 lillion,

8 million more than anticip`ted Spending is more or less on track

apart from a couple of departmental But the tax take has fallen,

with fewer houses being bought But the biggest fall is

in income tax. And that's

the States' biggest earner. 78% of overall revenue comes

from income tax ` But in the UK that figure

is closer to 30%. National Insurance,

Corporation Tax and VAT all Guernsey has always resisted

taxing businesses or taxing sales. But a reliance on personal tax

has left a legacy of loss`m`king. Perhaps

a difficult decision is looling Well, Jersey took the difficult

decision to introduce a Goods It wasn't popular,

but it has helped States finances. We went out today to find ott

the mood on the street. It is disgusting, we pay enough tax

now. The island needs to generate a little more money and it is a

relatively rich island. I h`ve just heard about Jersey and it is

actually encouraging more pdople to the Internet. I do not think it is

very good, tax on everything. Some resistance there,

but is GST inevitable? Guernsey's Treasury Minister, Deputy

Gavin St Pier, told me earlher all options are on the table, and GST

could see income tax go down. One of the central objectivds is to

ensure we have a sustainabld tax base because the reason for the

increased deficit last year was not as a result of spending out of

control but because revenues have fallen short. That underlinds the

necessity to look at what the alternatives are and certainly a

broad`based consumption tax such as a goods and services tax is one of

the options. When would you have to decide that by? We are due to

publish a document in the ndxt week which will set out some of the

problems and challenges. And what some of the options are, but we are

looking to bring it before the end of the year, so at that point we

will put forward some recommendations. This would be very

unpopular, what about corporation tax?

Guernsey is home to some big businesses.

Shouldn't they pay more rather than hitting those

Clearly any new tax is not popular but we have to consider any changes

as being part of a wide package which could well include substantial

cuts in income tax as a restlt of the redistribution of the btrden

from direct to indirect taxds. In relation to corporate taxes, the

regime has been extended and will continue to be under review, but we

do have international stand`rds that we have to comply with, and actually

one of the opportunities with this goods and sales tax is an

opportunity to obtain a gre`ter contribution from the corporate

sector which is currently forgotten in the current structure, so that is

in its favour. More news now and Jerry has an official polithcal

party tonight. It is currently the only registered party in thd island

at the moment. After nearly two years,

work to upgrade Guernsey's `irport Although there will still bd some

activity going on to restord fields surrounding the site, last night was

the final night of work on the actual runway itself, bringing

to an end the ?80 million project. It's not clear when major work to

redevelop a prime spot on Gternsey's The old Havelet Brewery was

demolished last year to makd way But earlier this year, work stopped,

as Penny Elderfield reports. A morning coffee with

a view to die for. But on the other side,

work here's at a standstill, I think it looks like a bomb site.

You get to hear and this part.. It is terrible. I think it is ` real

shame that they have not carried on because it looks such a mist.

Hopefully they will build something nice. I think it is about thme they

started working on it. But work here is at a

standstill you get a certain amount of visitors asking and we jtst say

we are waiting for paperwork. The plans to replace this

old Brewery with 33 flats And last year diggers were sent

in to get started. For much of this year though there's

been little noticeable work here. And from talking to both Environment

and the developer, no`one c`n really a give a clear idea of when we might

see a bit more action. The developer Comprop says ht is

in the process of discharging various planning conditions

in relation to the developmdnt. And following that will be `ble to

review the timetable for thd work. And Environment says it's got

no cause for concern that this But with neither willing to commit

to when the actual building work might start again, this is

a sight people here will have to put Still ahead tonight, a welcome home

proposal as HMS Somerset returns. Guernsey is celebrating just how

beautiful the island is this week. The Summer Floral Festival hs out

in bloom, with a week of events displ`ying

the best flora it has to offer. This Sunday the Victorian W`lled

Garden at Saumarez Park will be hosting a garden party, so we sent

Sophie Sulehria there ahead From

the outside it may not look much. But like something out of a story

book, as you enter the gate, The Victorian Kitchen Garden's been

restored to its former glorx, by a team of volunteers

from the Guernsey Botanical Trust. And now it's ready to show off

at this year's Floral Festival. Don't you think that's outstanding?

All the flowers and fruit and vegetables that we could all are

from 1875 to 1900, so these fantastic sweet peas are Victorian

varieties and it is really lovely to cultivate them again. During the

coming week, Guernsey will be alive with colour and prove exactly why we

have said such success in exporting fruit and flowers. Most of the

parishes on the island have done an extraordinary job with flowdr

decorations, with hanging b`skets and flowers everywhere,

and St Peter Port is looking absolutely tremendous and I'm sure

and flowers and why locals love their gardens so much.

the Victorian walled garden summer party is free this Sunday,

complete with music, hog ro`st, and of course, flowers.

sounds good, doesn't it? But what will the weather bd like.

If you have anything to do outdoors this weekend, Sunday is the better

they were mainly dry condithons but tomorrow, Saturday is that H mostly

but keeping clouds and photon brighter towards the end of the

afternoon. Quite a thick band of close to the west of us. We have a

weather front producing somd rain but slow progress, so it cotld be

that we start to see the mahn line grinds to a halt for a time around

the early part of the data lodel before slowly clearing out of the

way. Brighter and fresher conditions behind and some sunshine before we

see showers returning. For `ll of us, a fresh and cool feel. The rain

overnight tonight gives us lore that bursts of rain and when thex as

well. Overnight temperatures down to 14 Celsius. The rain band whll peter

out but mostly it is cloudy and overcast. A little bit dire through

the afternoon and the best of the improved weather. Top temperature

tomorrow, 18 Celsius. Quite breezy for a time and eventually swinging

round and becoming more westerly. Times of high water are on screen

now. Up to about three feet but a little on the choppy side. Luch

better on Sunday, and it should be bright and Friday and next week 19

Celsius the top temperature. Dismal tomorrow. Have a nice weekend.

Hold out for Sunday and don't forget you can send your weather phctures

to David than see them on the television. That is it for now, back

with the headlines at the end of the national news I will hand you over

now. Why what the Queen

has been doing in Scotland And we are racing in the Falmouth

Working Boat World Championships. Every member of the upper door

shipyard in North Devon was gathered to watch on television. `` @ppledore

shipyard. HMS Queen Elizabeth is the largest warship ever constrtctive

for the Royal Navy. Andrew Ormsby joined the workers for a very

special day. And everyone here at Appledore

shipyard has stopped work and come to watch and landm`rk event

of British shipbuilding. I name this ship the

Queen Elizabeth. May God bless her

and all who sail in her. For the 400 strong workforc

to day is an extremely proud day. It is fabulous project

to be involved in. And this is

eight years work. And to see all

the workforce here gathered is just A bottle of Scotch whisky instead

of the traditional champagnd Schoolchildren in Appledore got

involved as well, making their own versions

of the 65,000 tonne carrier. On the crane, we focused

on putting planes and things. So when you watched the namhng

ceremony, and saw the real carrier, do you think you would have managed

to do that building project? They were given a goodie bag to take

home, including a model kit of The carrier officially named,

time to get back to work. There is no question that today s

staff here at Appledore shipyard will have felt

a huge sense of pride. As one naval ship repairs pdr

service, another one prepard for duty. Not once welcomed HMS Somerset

home. The Type 23 frigate returned

after a six month patrol in the Gulf Spotlight's Johnny Rutherford

was alongside to meet them. Making sure the message was right

for a father. HMS Somerset back home and for many emotions running high

while waking to be reunited with loved ones after months apart. But

one young woman was not aware she was about to receive an important

ship to shore message. Fumbled, but message is received. CHEERING. The

company of 220 had been patrolling the Middle East policing kex

shipping lanes in the Gulf `nd Indian Ocean, but it was good to be

home. How do you feel? Thred is back and it is a special day. I can't

believe! Did you have any idea? Not at all. Pleased to see him? Signed

by yeah! What was it like? We not so much better to be back. It hs so

much better to be home. The ship was engaged in maritime operations,

including a major bloodbath in the Indian Ocean. HMS Somerset was

fortunate to see the of heroin on one occasion. For the ship company,

it was one of the recognisable highlights. After 27,000 nattical

miles, the company has deserved a short break. Return, the shhp has to

go through a lot of mainten`nce for the next deployment next ye`r is ``

next year. Some lovely scenes. I am so glad she

said yes. Of course! Yesterday we heard

about a new study at the Unhversity of Exeter being carried out

into just how far plastics have travelled in the sea before they get

washed up here in the south west. Well, one man

from Bude has started a campaign to remove the tonnes of plastics

which are littering our coastline. Spotlight's Emma Thomasson has been

to North Cornwall to find ott more. One man's crusade to clean

up our coast. Martin's idea is that, everx time

you go to the beach, you send just I used to come away

from beach cleans you mean like I But now I do my two minutes and I

know I go back tomorrow And another two minutes

the next day. And eventually it will all

add up to clean beaches. And people all over the world are

posting pictures to social ledia And the one

from Mexico has a telly on ht? Yeah, someone found a televhsion

on the beach. The fact that people in Mexhco

are doing this is just wonddrful. And the campaign is being b`cked

by Keep Britain Tidy. Not everyone has an hour or two to

give up to do an organised clean. And in this way, they can jtst pop

down to the beach, walking the dog, Just do two minutes

and it is a real positive thing you What is amazing

about this is quite how much you The thing is just three

of us doing this. And if there were 100 of us,

what a difference it would lake And if everybody did this every

time they went to the beach, the The tenth annual working bo`t world

championships take place in the Fal The big open sailing boats tsed to

be used for oyster dredging, As they race across the start line,

it is hard to imagine these boats were originally built to gently

dredge for oysters in the estuary. Some still do,

but most are now kept racing, powering through the water, driven

by huge sails and all the l`test in So it gives you

the same sensation estuary `s I'd have anywhere you go

in the world, Working boats are hard work

to make them sail well. Then the gang on the mainshdet

which controls the mean saw. A separate crewmember

for each control? The racing over the next few days

starts and finishes in Saint Mauls. They are calling this the F`lmouth

Working Boat World Championships. But I think the name is

a little bit tongue in cheek. The furthest is coming from

the creek about five miles `way The racing continues over

the next five days. Time for the weather and pldnty of

grey skies? Not used to that. Did you rdcognise

those boats? Yes! Some wet weather, pretty miserable

today, the rain off and on, good news for some, the rain washing out

a lot of the pollen, so somd relief for a fever sufferers. Not bad this

weekend, it is cool as well, temperatures overnight last night,

16`17 for night`time is unusual collected nine down to about 12 And

generally, a fresher feel to the error. Some sunny spells, btt the

risk of sunny shoulders. Lots of cloud, `` the risk of sun and

showers. We are between two lines of rain. The second one later tonight.

That will bring the more definite clearance across as. Across the

English Channel tomorrow, other outbreaks of rain for the Channel

Islands tomorrow morning, btt greater for most of us, even some

afternoon sunshine. And the risk of showers that of the into Sunday but

isolated showers for Sunday, and hopefully some sunshine. Fahrly dull

evening this evening, althotgh the rain has eased a little, and other

spot of rain from the West later tonight. Some heavy for a Txne

Bridge singularly across Dartmoor and Exmoor. `` some heavy for a time

particularly across. Some pressure temperatures after that band of

rain. For `` briefly, some outbreaks of rain, then quite a nice `fternoon

tomorrow, some showers to spoil an otherwise tidy. The wind in a

fresher direction, so expect a drop in temperatures. The link love for

all. Some sunshine on the Isles of Scilly, and here are the tiles of

high water... And some good news for something. `` surfing. The wind

changing direction. On Sund`y, the showers are likely to be quhte

heavy. Most of us getting away with another reasonable day. Showers

could be heavy. More to comd on Monday. We should have a re`sonable

deal on Tuesday and high prdssure back for Wednesday, so not too bad

for the next few days, but ht is quite a bit cooler. Have a nice

again. Thank you. That is it. Have a lovely

weekend. Thank you for joinhng us at this very late Dame! See yot next

week. Goodbye. `` at this vdry early