:00:11. > :00:19.Big increase in those earning big pay in Guernsey's civil service.
:00:20. > :00:25.It is just making sure all our resources are put in the correct
:00:26. > :00:29.places for the correct price. I have no qualms about being people good
:00:30. > :00:32.wages as long as they are value for money.
:00:33. > :00:35.Good evening and welcome to the late news from
:00:36. > :00:40.Also on the rise - property sales and prices in Jersey,
:00:41. > :00:50.some by the highest increase ever recorded.
:00:51. > :00:52.There's been a 40% increase in the number of people
:00:53. > :00:55.working for the States of Guernsey earning more than ?70,000
:00:56. > :00:57.Figures reveal the increase happened between 2010 and 2015.
:00:58. > :00:59.The Government says it needs the best staff
:01:00. > :01:06.Mike Wilkins has been looking at the figures.
:01:07. > :01:09.The States Of Guernsey is the island's biggest employer,
:01:10. > :01:12.with around 5,000 people on its payroll.
:01:13. > :01:16.In 2015, its wage bill was more than ?240,000.
:01:17. > :01:19.When we look at staff pay bands, in 2010 there were 174 people
:01:20. > :01:29.Five years later, that figure had shot up to 261
:01:30. > :01:32.And when we peer even higher up the pay scale,
:01:33. > :01:36.there were five people earning between ?150,000
:01:37. > :01:45.In 2015, that has shot up to 20 people.
:01:46. > :01:50.The States Chief Executive says he needs to spend to save.
:01:51. > :01:53.People talk to me about, we want a lean public sector,
:01:54. > :01:57.high performing public sector, we don't want waste,
:01:58. > :02:08.Actually, I need quality people to do that.
:02:09. > :02:10.Otherwise we won't drive that performance.
:02:11. > :02:14.We need the best that we need, but no more than we need.
:02:15. > :02:16.This deputy is keeping a close eye on where taxpayers'
:02:17. > :02:21.She says any increase in pay costs must represent value for money.
:02:22. > :02:24.It is just making sure that all our resources are put
:02:25. > :02:26.into the correct places for the correct price.
:02:27. > :02:28.I have no qualms about paying people good
:02:29. > :02:30.wages, but as long as they are value for money.
:02:31. > :02:34.The Chief Executive admits the States hasn't necessarily
:02:35. > :02:36.kept the closest of eyes on staff pay.
:02:37. > :02:39.Clearly, I don't think there has been a really good restraint and
:02:40. > :02:41.discipline and scrutiny on where we have been employing officers.
:02:42. > :02:44.But what I can give assurances on is that scrutiny
:02:45. > :02:54.This is the home to many civil servants in Guernsey and it appears
:02:55. > :02:57.States' pay has over the years been relatively unchecked.
:02:58. > :03:02.Those days appear to be over, especially with
:03:03. > :03:06.the announcement yesterday of the savings of ?7.5 million.
:03:07. > :03:09.The challenge now is to ensure
:03:10. > :03:19.The average house price in Jersey now stands at almost
:03:20. > :03:34.Confidence in job stability and the housing market
:03:35. > :03:40.has driven up prices - some by the highest
:03:41. > :03:44.But many young professionals are still struggling to buy
:03:45. > :03:54.More than 1,400 properties were sold last year,
:03:55. > :03:59.12% more than in 2015, making it the highest for a decade.
:04:00. > :04:03.A 4% hike in house prices, putting the average house now at ?468,000.
:04:04. > :04:06.But one area that's not doing so well is two-bedroom houses
:04:07. > :04:11.Not good news for Jason who's trying to sell his to buy a new home
:04:12. > :04:14.If we look at property prices maybe five years ago
:04:15. > :04:19.the places we are looking at now would have been in reach.
:04:20. > :04:21.But the property values have increased drastically
:04:22. > :04:24.and it is making it difficult I think to find the perfect home.
:04:25. > :04:31.And he's not the only one finding it difficult.
:04:32. > :04:33.Estate agents want more support for first-time buyers
:04:34. > :04:43.We have many properties in the ?150,000, ?170,000 price
:04:44. > :04:45.range which can allow people to get onto the property ladder.
:04:46. > :04:47.But it's the deposit, you know sometimes between ten
:04:48. > :04:52.and 20% deposit is needed, and that's a lot of money
:04:53. > :04:55.And with mortgage interest rates at an all-time low,
:04:56. > :05:00.it's thought the market isn't going to slow down.
:05:01. > :05:02.We are going to start reaching a stage where certain sectors
:05:03. > :05:04.of the market will see a shortage of supply.
:05:05. > :05:08.And when supply is exceeded by demand, that's when prices
:05:09. > :05:13.And we fear, and I know this is shared by estate agents
:05:14. > :05:17.and by professional valuers, we fear prices are going to start
:05:18. > :05:20.going up a bit faster perhaps than we have witnessed so far.
:05:21. > :05:24.So, although more properties are changing hands, it isn't always
:05:25. > :05:31.the home buyers have dreamt of owning.
:05:32. > :05:43.Police are investigating what they describe as the unexplained death
:05:44. > :05:44.of a man in his seventies at
:05:45. > :05:54.The force don't think there are any suspicious circumstances
:05:55. > :05:56.but emergency services spent several hours at the harbour after being
:05:57. > :05:59.After two days of debate, Guernsey's waste strategy has
:06:00. > :06:02.Deputies rejected all proposed changes, including an end
:06:03. > :06:04.to kerbside recycling, parish collections
:06:05. > :06:07.The total bill for exporting Guernsey's waste and increasing
:06:08. > :06:09.recycling rates is estimated to be almost ?300 million
:06:10. > :06:18.And there will be more on this story tomorrow morning
:06:19. > :06:23.on BBC Radio Guernsey with Isla Blatchford.
:06:24. > :06:27.Up to 1500 people in the Channel Islands could have
:06:28. > :06:29.been sold gas bottles that might leak.
:06:30. > :06:35.there's a small risk propane cylinders like these may
:06:36. > :06:42.They want anyone who's bought one since last March to get in touch
:06:43. > :06:53.Secondary school pupils in Jersey have been getting a taste
:06:54. > :07:01.It's all part of the charity Prison Me No Way's Crime Week
:07:02. > :07:02.which has been running interactive workshops.
:07:03. > :07:05.We sent our reporter Jon De La Haye back to school.
:07:06. > :07:11.It may look like a soap drama, but it carries a real message.
:07:12. > :07:13.These Beaulieu pupils have been learning that
:07:14. > :07:14.actions have consequences, with prison cells, police
:07:15. > :07:19.We have been learning about alcohol and drugs,
:07:20. > :07:23.To make sure we don't make the same mistakes
:07:24. > :07:24.other people have made in
:07:25. > :07:27.More people are going out and getting drink.
:07:28. > :07:34.If you do something wrong now, and if you
:07:35. > :07:39.are applying for a job, they
:07:40. > :07:46.And how it will affect you when you are older.
:07:47. > :07:48.And the theme of consequences runs through Crime Week.
:07:49. > :07:50.Aimed specifically at 12 and 13-year-olds who are at
:07:51. > :07:52.an important stage of life, it's hoped it'll help them
:07:53. > :07:58.They are at a stage in their life where they are facing challenging
:07:59. > :08:02.They are struggling with moving up from being a child to an
:08:03. > :08:11.So we think it is time in year eight to come in and
:08:12. > :08:14.Now in its 11th year, the Crime Week messages
:08:15. > :08:20.are delivered through demonstrations by police officers and fire
:08:21. > :08:26.If the kids go home and have taken just one part of what ever they have
:08:27. > :08:28.been taught today, and if that is, I'm not
:08:29. > :08:32.criminality because I could get bitten by a dog, or get involved
:08:33. > :08:34.in drugs because the penalties and the chances
:08:35. > :08:35.of me getting caught are
:08:36. > :08:38.so high, then we have done our little bit.
:08:39. > :08:40.If they take home just one point, we've done our job
:08:41. > :08:43.This Prison Me No Way campaign has been touring round Jersey's
:08:44. > :08:46.And the hope is that, by spending time with youngsters now,
:08:47. > :08:49.they won't be spending too long with them in the future.
:08:50. > :08:51.Unfortunately, there's been a few delays and cancellations for air
:08:52. > :08:55.So, lets see if tomorrow will be any better,
:08:56. > :09:11.Kid evening. We have a real contrast today with some of us seeing mist
:09:12. > :09:16.and fog and visibility and elsewhere some lovely sunshine. Many have seen
:09:17. > :09:21.some of both. Tomorrow we are likely to see some mist and fog, more so
:09:22. > :09:24.during the morning and it should hopefully clear and the afternoon
:09:25. > :09:33.some of us getting some bright spells. Because high pressure is in
:09:34. > :09:37.charge it can bring dry and bright weather but equally because the ear
:09:38. > :09:42.is stagnant it can lead to mist and fog and that is a problem many of us
:09:43. > :09:47.saw today. The high pressure stays in charge over the weekend. Less of
:09:48. > :09:51.a problem with mist and fog but there is some weather fronts pushing
:09:52. > :10:01.and which could bring cloud and some rain, mostly dry, however. Through
:10:02. > :10:04.tonight so, some mist and for camp visibility, light winds, staying dry
:10:05. > :10:11.tonight and some clear spells around -- poor visibility. We could perhaps
:10:12. > :10:17.see a touch of ground frost. Tomorrow, risk of mist and fog at
:10:18. > :10:24.first. Hopefully it will lift unclear and by the afternoon some
:10:25. > :10:31.bright spells coming through -- left and clear. A mild day. Fairly light
:10:32. > :10:39.winds. These are our times of high water.
:10:40. > :10:44.This is the picture for the coming days. Fairly mild with light winds
:10:45. > :10:47.and mostly dry. Some mist and fog and a fair amount of cloud but when
:10:48. > :10:49.we see sunshine it should feel nice. BBC Radio Guernsey and Jersey
:10:50. > :10:52.will have bulletins from six tomorrow morning, including
:10:53. > :10:59.regular travel updates. of 11. Not too bad for the
:11:00. > :11:05.forthcoming weekend. Here is Nick Miller with a resume of the National
:11:06. > :11:09.weather picture. Hello, rain for some of us today
:11:10. > :11:13.although it won't make much of a dent in the dry winter so far across
:11:14. > :11:17.much of the UK. A few threatening clouds in Cumbria but more than a
:11:18. > :11:22.threat of rain across the pond for Friday. The wettest weather system
:11:23. > :11:25.of the season is over heading into California, and there have been a
:11:26. > :11:29.few, with copious amounts of rain and lots of mountain snow.
:11:30. > :11:34.Record-breaking wet winter so far in parts of California. In Los Angeles
:11:35. > :11:39.this might be conservative, 50-100 millimetres of rain in a short space
:11:40. > :11:40.of time. A deluge on the way. This has made a bit