:00:24. > :00:25.Guernsey's working population has fallen.
:00:26. > :00:28.The latest figures from the States show that there's been a drop
:00:29. > :00:31.in the number of people aged between 16 and 64.
:00:32. > :00:34.It comes at a time when the number of pensioners is increasing.
:00:35. > :00:36.Mike Wilkins reports on the demographic time bomb.
:00:37. > :00:38.At the end of last year, Guernsey's population was 62,50 ,
:00:39. > :00:41.It is the largest increase in five years.
:00:42. > :00:44.But it is not necessarily in the age group that the Government is hoping.
:00:45. > :00:47.The number of pensioners is increasing, but critically,
:00:48. > :00:48.the working age population has fallen.
:00:49. > :00:53.It may sometimes feel like there's a lot of people pounding
:00:54. > :00:56.the pavements in town, but last year, the working `ge group
:00:57. > :01:00.And when you look back further, almost 2000 people have been lost
:01:01. > :01:03.from this group over the last five years.
:01:04. > :01:06.That's a lot of people who could be paying income tax.
:01:07. > :01:08.So why is the working population declining?
:01:09. > :01:11.Some feel there isn't enough diversity in the economy for
:01:12. > :01:15.younger workers, while others feel the island's restrictive
:01:16. > :01:21.This woman is responsible for employment and social sdcurity.
:01:22. > :01:23.She says it's unclear if the population management regime
:01:24. > :01:26.will help when it comes into force in April.
:01:27. > :01:32.because I hear some negativhty about some of the population.
:01:33. > :01:36.I think, because we are not there yet and it
:01:37. > :01:39.will not come into force until next April, people are starting to have
:01:40. > :01:43.some concerns about certain elements of that policy.
:01:44. > :01:46.I think it is one of those things that until we actually
:01:47. > :01:52.enter the policy, it will be work in progress.
:01:53. > :01:55.It's long been forecast that Guernsey would have an ageing
:01:56. > :01:58.population, but now, what were future forecasts
:01:59. > :02:03.are playing out as problems in the present.
:02:04. > :02:07.Described as the largest tax evasion network in the world,
:02:08. > :02:11.Guernsey and Jersey have cole under fire in the House of Commons.
:02:12. > :02:14.The UK Shadow Home Secretarx, Diane Abbott criticised
:02:15. > :02:18.the Crown Dependencies and Overseas British Territories
:02:19. > :02:21.during a debate on a bill about financial crime,
:02:22. > :02:23.looking at issues like monex laundering and tax evasion.
:02:24. > :02:26.The MP said there needs to be more focus on places
:02:27. > :02:30.Guernsey's government says the island meets all the relevant
:02:31. > :02:33.international standards set by international bodies,
:02:34. > :02:40.and Diane Abbott's comments are ill-informed and inaccurate
:02:41. > :02:44.Alderney States will pay up to ?120,000 to provide an extra
:02:45. > :02:46.150 flights to Guernsey and Southampton next year.
:02:47. > :02:50.It says it's in a bid to boost economic activity
:02:51. > :02:57.The government's underwriting the flights and says that if Aurigny
:02:58. > :03:02.puts on the flights and thex're sold out, then it won't cost the States
:03:03. > :03:08.Jersey's mail order plant industry has shrunk by almost two thhrds
:03:09. > :03:13.A recent farming statistic report showed its value fell from over ?23
:03:14. > :03:17.pounds in 2012 to just over ?8 million last year.
:03:18. > :03:21.It's the lasting effect of the loss of low value consignment relief
:03:22. > :03:26.There's now only one business still trading,
:03:27. > :03:33.Only a few years ago, businesses like this one in Jersey
:03:34. > :03:36.were generating tens of millions of pounds.
:03:37. > :03:38.But now that value has fallen by 70%.
:03:39. > :03:43.entirely down to the loss of low value consignment relief.
:03:44. > :03:47.There were ourselves and at least two other people in the market
:03:48. > :03:51.here, they have now stopped trading and it is only us left.
:03:52. > :03:56.We had to cut costs and let some people go
:03:57. > :04:02.Obviously, when you put prices up, sales go down.
:04:03. > :04:04.So, that is the biggest change in the market.
:04:05. > :04:06.Tim says the government could have prevented this if they
:04:07. > :04:14.If we dealt with it differently at the time,
:04:15. > :04:17.we probably could have got a better deal
:04:18. > :04:40.I think the UK had dug their heels in a bit.
:04:41. > :04:42.That is despite acknowledging the value this
:04:43. > :04:46.Politicians say there is nothing they can do to support its future.
:04:47. > :04:49.there is nothing I would like more than to sde
:04:50. > :04:53.and brings money into the island.
:04:54. > :04:56.We have fought as hard as wd could to keep it going, we went to
:04:57. > :04:59.the High Court, spent a lot of money on top lawyers,
:05:00. > :05:02.the judge made this decision and we are left
:05:03. > :05:05.Although many have stopped trading in the island,
:05:06. > :05:07.this one remaining company hopes to grow the industry
:05:08. > :05:14.even without the help of Jersey's government.
:05:15. > :05:16.Jersey's cricketers are in Los Angeles hoping to win
:05:17. > :05:18.promotion to the highest level in their history.
:05:19. > :05:20.They play their first match in World League Four
:05:21. > :05:25.They won the right to play in the six-team event by clhnching
:05:26. > :05:27.the division five trophy on home turf back in the summer.
:05:28. > :05:30.Jersey have played at this level twice before and on both occasions
:05:31. > :05:35.There's an optimism though that the competition in Calhfornia
:05:36. > :05:41.This time, I feel like we h`ve worked really hard and we h`ve a bit
:05:42. > :05:45.There are a lot of youngsters in the squad but we have
:05:46. > :05:50.had experience of these tournaments now.
:05:51. > :05:56.Hopefully we can get a really good result out of it.
:05:57. > :05:58.And staying with sport, in the past hour Jersey Reds have
:05:59. > :06:00.lost to Yorkshire Carnegie, 35-29 in Leeds.
:06:01. > :06:04.But now time for the weather, with Bee.
:06:05. > :06:10.Good evening. If you are out trick or treating this weekend, it looks
:06:11. > :06:18.like it will be fairly similar to the past few days. Dry, a fdw bright
:06:19. > :06:21.spells, but a lot of cloud `bout. In the morning, only mist and fog. The
:06:22. > :06:27.reason for this benign pattdrn in our weather, this large are` of high
:06:28. > :06:33.pressure in the United Kingdom. Very little change over the next couple
:06:34. > :06:37.of days. As we go through tonight, it is fairly quiet. It should be
:06:38. > :06:43.dry. With all the cloud covdr, it will be low in places, it whll not
:06:44. > :06:49.be a particularly cold night. That sets itself up for a fairly great
:06:50. > :06:55.start to the day tomorrow. The odd light shower, for most of us dry. A
:06:56. > :07:00.few showers, on balance mord cloud than sunshine. If you do get
:07:01. > :07:06.brightness, temperatures up to 4 or 15 degrees. Halloween on Monday a
:07:07. > :07:15.tribe at cloudy day. By night, the return of some mist and fog. Very
:07:16. > :07:19.quiet over the next few days. The weekend dry. Some mist and fog.
:07:20. > :07:26.Temperatures are above aver`ge for this time of the year. More sunshine
:07:27. > :07:31.on Monday but again the risk of mist and fog forming overnight. We'll be
:07:32. > :07:34.back at 6:30am on Monday, to come into the beginning of next
:07:35. > :07:40.week as well. Now the national picture.
:07:41. > :07:47.Hello, it's been a pretty good week for getting out and enjoying the
:07:48. > :07:48.autumn colours, especially if you have seen