04/01/2017 Channel Islands News

Compared to the UK, Jersey is described as an embarrassment

I think, as an island, we should be very embarrassed about that.

Good evening and welcome to the late news from BBC Channel Islands.

Gas prices are expensive in Jersey but there's no need for regulation,

It's a gift that could make the difference between life

or death, but in Jersey only 12% of the population have registered

It's been described as an embarrassment,

compared to the UK's sign-up rate of 36%.

The Health Minister is now considering following Wales

and France and adopting an opt-out system.

There's me and my mum on my 18th birthday,

That was probably one of the last times that we were altogether.

But her death enabled others to live as she was an organ donor.

I take great pride in what we did and what my mum did.

We still receive cards and letters from the people that

received my mum's organs, saying, "Thank you for another

wonderful year," you know, "I've been able to see my grandchildren

grow up, I've just had another grandchild just been born," and how

amazing is that to have made a difference to make

difference in their lives at such a sad time for us?

But organ donors are a minority in Jersey.

As only 12% of the islands population have registered,

Jersey's sign-up rate is embarrassingly low and I think

as an island we should be very embarrassed about that.

Neil's daughter had a heart transplant ten years ago.

He now campaigns for organ donation and thinks the low sign-up rate

People aren't aware that there is only one register which is based

in the UK and that Jersey people who live here have access to that

register and it's to the UK we look for organs when we need them.

But with eight people in Jersey and over 6,500 people in the UK

currently waiting for a transplant, there is a shortage.

Jersey's Health Minister is now considering adopting an opt-out

system like Wales and France, but wants the public's view before

Scotland are doing a consultation, Wales have done it,

England are following suit, I think, with a consultation soon,

So, we're on the English register, we should be in line

with England as well, so I think it's a possibility,

With changes being considered to try to grow the number

of organ donors in Jersey, more lives could be saved in future

There are plans to look into whether people with high energy

bills in Jersey should get help to pay them.

It's after an independent report concluded Jersey gas prices don't

But the minister responsible says it is expensive and more support

This drop-in centre for older people switched fully to electricity

Beforehand, we had gas, oil and electric.

It was quite expensive to run on gas, so when we did

the refurbishment we decided to look at the providers, the costs

and everything else, and we are now totally electric.

Most people here told me they don't use gas at home.

But those who rely on it said it's pricey.

Of course, I am a pensioner so it does come quite expenseive

-- Of course, I am a pensioner so it does come quite expensive

and when you're older you have to have heating on all the time.

But an independent report has found Jersey Gas prices

A consumer watchdog, however, believes just because it's

the Island's only gas provider doesn't mean it has free reign.

We need to make sure it's kept competitive, not necessarily

Clearly, we don't have natural gas, we're importing gas which makes it

But that's not to say we can't make sure the consumer's

getting a fair deal, understands the prices, what they're

Jersey Gas says it is cost-effective and that recent mild winters

have reduced demand, driving up prices.

But the politician overseeing competition believes

Jersey Gas is a very expensive energy source for consumers,

and over the next few weeks I now need to take this report to work out

whether there are any options for government for reducing those

consumers who are facing high energy costs.

Meanwhile, there's a warning it's unlikely fuel prices in Guernsey

At some garages, it's now more than ?1.20 for a litre of unleaded,

higher than it would be at many UK garages.

It's because the cost of oil has risen.

The oil-producing companies of the world met and decided

that they wanted to increase prices and the only way that they can do

that is by dropping consumption - production, rather.

Which they did, by 1.2 million barrels a day, which took effect

When production is lower, prices rise and over

the next few months, we'll see price rises.

Outline plans have been submitted to turn a former brewery

Channel Island developers Comprop want to build a 605-space

multi-storey and 15 new homes on the site of the disused

The ?19 million project includes keeping the listed brewery facade

and replaces previous plans for a supermarket there.

There are currently no plans to reconsider the decision to send

Guernsey's waste to Sweden for recycling from next year,

The Island's landfill site is almost full and there's been calls

for Guernsey to look at options closer to home, such

The authorities say despite falling exchange rates, they're

still confident that the agreement to send it to Sweden provides

Currently, Jersey is an unsuccessful bidder

We will be looking at a contract for three years, with the option

At the end of the three years, it is entirely likely

that we will be re-tendering and Jersey can put in another bid.

A Guernsey man will take on a challenge that few people

Along with three crew members, 27-year-old James Plumley will row

across the Indian Ocean, a journey completed by fewer people

Lucy Bickerton met him to find out why he's doing it.

For now, though, it's full steam ahead in a greenhouse.

But what will James fear the most, when him and his team leave the safe

I've heard there's flying sea snakes, which I'm

Apparently there could be big storms, sharks and other

We're going into the unknown and will find out when there

No stranger to the seas, in 2013, James broke the world record

They'll row two hours on, two hours off continually for 3,600 miles.

His friend and coach is helping him prepare for the set off in June.

You need someone to keep you in check and motivated and chat

I think it's probably where the use comes as he doesn't know

the other guys well, so you need someone to ask

The team will raise money for Young Onset Parkinson's Disease.

And scientists will monitor the rowers progress,

But will James be looking to break any more world records?

There's a record of 57 days which I think half way through we'll

-- decide if we want to go for it, but the main challenge

How many people have rowed across the Indian Ocean?

41 crews have tried, 20 have succeeded.

Now, let's take a look at the forecast, with David Braine.

Hello, good evening. A cloudy day today. Tomorrow is much brighter and

much colder. Cold beer filtering down from the north. Updated daily

and the chilly start. One weather system is truth across as this

evening. That will gradually phase out and move away from ours. The

high pressure is back in charge for much of the day tomorrow. A couple

of weather front arrived from the West later in the day on Friday. The

resid possibility of further light resid possibility of further light

rain and drizzle but after midnight a lot of that cloud will begin to

break up and clear and we could start the day tomorrow with a touch

of Frost. Tomorrow is a break, dry day, with a patchy cloud floating

by, but on the holder is a good deal sunshine to enjoy overly warm. The

colder here also across northern parts of Spain and Portugal and

parts of France, no more than four or five Celsius and certainly on the

eastern side of Europe, D-Day came temperatures tomorrow and Freddy

well below freezing. For us, we are going to see some changes as we head

into the weekend. More cloud on Friday at another cold start the day

on Friday, wind from the south gradually picking up. Into the

weekend, temperatures of ten or 11 Celsius, so we'll riding freight

credit into Saturday and patchy rain around also. That is. Have a good

night. That's your news this

Wednesday evening. Temperatures creeping up a notch or

two and turning milder into the weekend.

A guarantee on your journey to work tomorrow, if you are nipping out to

the shop for a paper, somebody will talk about how cold