Latest news with #BobMurray
BBC News
19-06-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Children are suffering due to lack of education decisions
New deputies will be decided, familiar faces will return and some will see their hopes of being elected slip the voters have decided who will make up the States of Guernsey, it will soon be the turn of the newly-elected deputies to make crucial choices for the island. There will be hundreds of decisions made by the next assembly; from education, social care and transport to housing immigration and finance. The BBC has been asking islanders what they think the big issues are likely to be. Finance The financial situation of the island will always be a priority for islanders and the States recently reported a £44m annual deficit in core services. Bob Murray, an outgoing deputy and former member of the Committee for Policy and Resources (P&R), said it was critical to understand the importance of being realistic when it comes to the island's said: "The new P&R will find that our financial situation is as critical as we have claimed."They will find themselves in exactly the same position of having to convince a new assembly to grasp the need for immediate action, and to disappoint many that their hoped-for manifesto promises are simply not deliverable." One of the biggest talking points of this term has been tax and, more specifically, Goods and Service Tax (GST). In November, plans for introducing a goods and services tax were set to be worked up as an income tax rise was rejected by the States. Fast forward to election results day and GST+, the amendment proposed by Deputy Peter Roffey, is still a big talking point. Housing Housing was brought up multiple times in the last has included the suspension of GP11, the planning policy that requires a portion of housing developments to be affordable or social housing. Other issues discussed have been islanders struggling to pay rent and the removal of medium term employment are issues that workers who have relocated to Guernsey hope are addressed by the next worker Emily Piki said: "There's not enough to accommodate everyone, all the people that are coming, because there's no doubt that there's many foreigners coming in from other places but it really is hard to find voter Chloe Presland told the BBC Guernsey Election Roadshow that the next States need to work hard to keep young islanders here, as house prices were giving them no choice but to leave. Education Outside the polling station at Beau Sejour the buzz word was voters felt the future for the island's children would be the making or breaking of the next Andy Wade said education and how the States would pay for for all the decisions were the most important issues. He said: "I just want to see them makes some decisions, they've been talking about it for years and years, meanwhile kids education has been suffering, just do something." Social care Social care has also been constantly raised as a challenge for the next deputy Peter Roffey wants new deputies to think about how best to fund the rapidly increasing amount of social care how much of that cost will fall on the care recipient themselves and how much on the whole community through the Long Term Care Insurance is not just social care that will be a challenge for the next assembly, questions have also been raised by voters about how those who may find themselves without a home will be cared for. The other issues There are more than four main decisions that will need to be made by the next states and the view of voters and outgoing deputies reflects that. Other topics that have been raised include transport, utility costs and Artificial Intelligence (AI).Outgoing deputy Andy Taylor believes AI will be the future for the island. However he said it was important to understand how it would work and how it could be used also raised the issue of what capital projects the states needed to prioritise. He said: "Between grants for vitally needed social housing provision, the hospital modernisation, a new dairy, Alderney Airport and so on there is not going to be enough cash to fund everything which could be deemed to be essential".
BBC News
12-06-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Care provider to lead part of former Guernsey hospital revamp
A private care company has been selected to lead part of a proposed redevelopment of a former hospital in and Resources Committee (P&R) said CI Healthcare would play a key role in the £5m project at King Edward VII hospital site, which would see the addition of 33 "much-needed" care home committee said it was "acutely aware of the pressures on the industry" and acknowledged there was "limited availability of care home beds in the island".CI Healthcare said it was expecting the facility to be ready for use in late 2027. Managing director Nick Trott said: "This redevelopment will make a meaningful contribution to meeting the forecast 132 additional care home places required by 2030."We are excited to be making this substantial investment which showcases our commitment to Guernsey and will deliver a world class care facility on this site."The King Edward VII hospital closed in 2014 after being in operation for 112 Bob Murray, from P&R, said: "The King Edward VII site is a prime location and it makes total sense to use it to help meet the demand for long-term care."We think this is an excellent example of the States working with a private provider to facilitate the kind of investment needed, utilising vacant taxpayer-owned land without requiring any additional financial commitment by the public."
