23/01/2017 Channel Islands News

Controversial proposals to introduce tighter regulations for commercial

People with disabilities in Jersey say they are facing daily

difficulties because of limited access to commercial premises.

Although the island's government is holding a public

consultation into the concerns, disabled residents say the island

has a long way to go to become disabled-friendly.

John's local Post Office is soon to be based here at the reception

But the only way in is up these stairs.

The provision of a ramp or an outside lift which

wheelchairs could use is obviously going to solve problem.

And it's a good opportunity for the Jersey Evening Post

and Jersey Post to be in the vanguard of a lot of local

businesses over here to provide for this sort of facility.

But like many old buildings in Jersey, this one wasn't designed

And changing it isn't as simple as it seems.

We've got the added complication of having it as a through road

as well, so we have traffic running right by those stairs.

So we've got to be considerate of how people would get

So we'd have to look at building a refuge

for them first and foremost, so it would mean a whole redesign

of the front of building, which is why we're spending a bit

more time than just putting a ramp up.

Navigating around St Helier can be a bit of a minefield.

Door and step, so I have to push with a hand that works.

Pam is partially paralysed after a stroke, and often

While she has sympathy for businesses, she feels the island

has a long way to go to become disabled-friendly.

Temporary ramps that can be lifted up and taken

And I think it's time that Jersey really has to start thinking

Voisins told us that they do have ramps for people who need them.

the Infrastructure Minister, and Jersey Post either

didn't get back to us, or they said it didn't come

But with new disability laws set to come in next year,

disabled access could soon be higher on people's agenda.

Three Guernsey midwives who are facing charges of misconduct

following the death of a baby in 2014 will have to wait

until next month for the outcome of their hearing.

Roisin Gauson has been following the case.

to conclude at the end of last week, but it's run on, and panel chairman

Alexander Coleman has taken the decision to adjourn

This means there's an anxious wait for the three nurses concerned.

They're all facing charges of misconduct,

following the death of a child, who's at the centre of this.

Baby A died hours after birth in January 2014.

And this hearing has also heard about a similar case,

Lisa Granville reviewed both of those cases and concluded no

The NMC claims she was wrong in doing so, and the hearing has

heard that if the death of Baby B had been adequately investigated,

the death of Baby A 'may have been prevented'.

At the tail end of last week, the parents of Baby A gave evidence.

They said that drugs to induce labour were wrongly given,

The midwives at the time, Antonia Manousaki and Tuija Roussel,

admit giving the drug without a written prescription,

but the hearing also heard of a culture known as the 'Guernsey

way', which used verbal orders and different standards

All three midwives who worked on Loveridge Ward at the time face

a series of charges, and while they accept

It's also important to note that since these events took place,

substantial investigations, reviews and improvements have

The hearing was originally scheduled for ten days.

It'll now resume for a further two weeks, on February 6th.

Controversial proposals to introduce tighter regulations for commercial

vessels in Guernsey have been making waves among the island's

Following the adoption of the UK Port Marine Safety Code,

the Harbour Master must review current legislation and also

A proposed Bailiwick of Guernsey code is at the consultation stage.

Poor communication, complacency, and a failure to follow safety

procedures led to this passenger ferry hitting a reef last year.

And now safety regulations are being tightened up.

A consultation's underway that will affect all

Some of the key proposals are that there needs to be:

More qualifications for crew members.

And also, a full-time engineer present for every journey.

Guernsey's Harbour Master is proposing the changes.

He says safety is ultimately his responsibility.

We aren't suggesting people are not experienced or don't have a wealth

of knowledge and competence, but we need to have that

in some sort of structure that we can enforce and monitor,

as the agency and, ultimately, the people who have to stand

there and explain in the awful event of an incident happening.

This man's worked in shipping for 50 years

But he says the new safety code would mean that he wouldn't be

allowed to work on any commercial vessels.

The qualifications, as currently written,

are very stringent and, as it stands, I wouldn't be able

I'm not sure it was the intention, but that's how it's worded,

and that's why you engage in consultation.

And there's not that much time to fine-tune the detail.

The consultation finishes at the end of the month, with the new code

For the first time ever, Jersey baptism, marriage and death

records going back to 1540 have been made available to search online.

A collection of 72,000 images can now be viewed at Ancestry.com,

due to a two-year collaboration with Jersey Heritage.

Jon De La Haye has been delving into the island's history.

We have got a lot of different people here, a gunner in the Royal

Artillery, somebody whose father was a painter. An illegitimate child, a

lot of information people can use to trace their family history.

A 19th-Century baptism register from St Helier,

now accessible online for anyone to see.

Thousands of images, featuring hundreds of thousands

of people between 1540 and 1940, are now available -

and these documents have already helped those tracing their roots.

We actually had a couple in on Saturday, and they came

They knew that the gentleman's grandfather had left

Jersey in the 1920s, but they didn't really know anything

Within an hour, we were back to the 1760s, by using

Looking at the baptisms, the marriage of the parents.

They're wonderful for building up the family tree.

Many of Jersey's more famous residents also

feature in these records, from Jessie Boot, World Number One

golfer Harry Vardon, and Lillie Langtry.

The Church of England documents needed to be legally

released by Jersey's Dean, who thought they should be

The churches are owned by the parishes and people,

so should belong to them, to be accessed.

The secrets of 400 years of Jersey's history is now available

to members of this website, but also for free, here

Will we be scraping ice off the windscreen in the morning?

Thank you, hello and good evening, another cold night across the

islands and we will see Frost and perhaps more available moisture in

the air. That means more frost on the grass first thing tomorrow. The

weather for the week ahead is still relatively cold, we are looking at a

lot of dry weather. Still dry. Feeling the cold. And also becoming

quite windy later. We wait until the end of the week and weekend before

milder air gets in. There is cloud which is rain bearing to the West,

making slow and not regular process -- progress. That is still around

tomorrow and Wednesday. Slowly and steadily creeping towards us, but

with slow progress. You will notice plenty of isobars on Thursday. A

strong wind and a low temperature. Friday, a hint of perhaps less cold

air and later in the day perhaps the chance of patchy and showery

outbreaks of rain. Outbreaks and low temperatures overnight and a cold

night with frost. And tomorrow, another lovely day, a fine day with

plenty of sunshine to enjoy. Not very warm, 8-9 , but not as cold as

last week. Eventually becoming westerly and south-westerly winds.

The cloud is stubborn on Wednesdays and starts as mist and fog. A cold

wind on Thursday and Friday, temperatures go back up. Next

weekend, generally more cloudy, so a cloudier weekend, slightly milder

and also a risk of some fog. Have a good night.

Do have a look at our Facebook page and you will find great pictures

people have sent in the day of the Jersey weather.

That's your news this Monday evening.

For the weekend we will have dry weather with sunny spells and it

will be a little bit milder. Good evening. We are continuing to

see huge righty in the weather. Getting the detail right is proving

to be a challenge. This was in Pembrokeshire and other parts of the

UK were gloomy throughout the day. The fog is thickening up right now.

Particularly pool on the M5 in south-west England. Very foggy

across parts of the West Country. This fog is tending to spread its

way further eastwards. Some fog as well across parts of Yorkshire.

Northern Ireland and Scotland are mild but damn. This is how we will

start the day. At eight o'clock in the morning, quite a lot of fog

around which could affect the major airports. What all of us have seen

fog. There will be Sunni areas to western fringes of England and

Wales. Across Northern Ireland and Scotland it is much milder. Some

patchy rain around coming in on the Bruce, particularly over the hills

in the West. Much of that will fade away. It will be relatively mild.

For England and Wales, much of the fog were clear. Some of it will not

sell it will be especially chilly. Quite a contrast in temperatures

again. -- so it will be especially chilly. Despite sunshine, it will be

on the chilly side. The fog will come back again. On Wednesday

morning, Central and eastern parts are particularly prone. Some

sunshine will emerge. Rather more cloud for Northern Ireland and

Scotland. Most of the rain will be held at bay. Still relatively mild.

A real edge to that further south and east. It would be a sign of

things to come. On Thursday we will tap into some particularly cold air

sitting over the continent for several days now. Europe is frozen

at the moment. Some of the freezing cold air will head towards us on a

stiffening south-easterly breeze. Some places will not get above

freezing, maybe the odd snow flurry. Wherever you are, it will feel cold.

All