Latest news with #MarcLeadbeater
BBC News
09-07-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
Deputy Rob Curgenven 'disappointed' by Home Affairs result
A newly elected Guernsey deputy says he "respects and fully supports the decision of the Assembly" after failing to win a seat on the Committee for Home Affairs. Newly elected Deputy Rob Curgenven was pipped to the fifth seat on the committee, in one of only two contested elections on Affairs President Marc Leadbeater nominated Curgenven alongside Alderney representative Alex Snowdon, Deputy Munazza Malik and Deputy John said he was "disappointed that I did not get the opportunity to work as closely with Deputy Leadbeater and others as I may have liked". In a statement, Curgenven said: "There has been much controversy over my unsuccessful bid to sit on the Committee for Home Affairs, following a nomination from President Leadbeater."We are very lucky to live in a democratic society where a wide range of views can be shared, even if we may disagree strongly with them at times."Following this decision, I have been contacted by many of my peers offering a shoulder to lean on, including Deputy De Sausmarez, for which I am hugely grateful."I hope that throughout this term I am able to, working with my peers, continue to best support the people of our island."After a series of speeches from proposers and nominees, Snowdon was elected to the committee with 34 votes, Malik also with 34, Gollop with 26 and Simon Vermeulen, who was proposed by Deputy Jayne Ozanne, secured 21 received 19 votes and was not elected to Home Affairs.
BBC News
06-07-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
Guernsey politician calls for Snapchat ban for under 16s
The new President of Guernsey's Committee for Home Affairs Marc Leadbeater has said he will look into banning the social media platform Snapchat for under 16s. It follows a high profile case where a Guernsey teenager was sentenced to almost three years in youth detention for child sexual offences after using Snapchat to contact said: "There's eight and nine-year-olds using that app, and there is grooming happening on it".Snapchat has been contacted for comment. "I think there's something we need to examine, and if it needs to be a ban for under 16, then so be it." Scrutiny of smartphones During elections to committees in the States of Guernsey, Deputy Paul Montague, the new president of Education, Sport and Culture, said he would support a community led ban on smartphones for primary school age children. Deputy Leadbeater said he would be supportive of the project following pressure from the community group Smartphone Free Childhood Guernsey. The group is campaigning for a community-wide commitment to delay children getting smartphones until they are at least 14 years old.
BBC News
04-07-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
Votes to decide who will run Guernsey's committees
Politicians will elect the presidents of the States of Guernsey's committees in a secret ballot of members later. First up the States will choose who should lead the seven principal committees. Following that, the presidents of the Scrutiny Management Committee, Development and Planning Authority and States Assembly and Constitution Committee will be elected. The final significant election will be for the President of the States Trading Supervisory Board. Health and Social Care In 2020 there were no willing candidates for the position at the head of the States' highest spending committee, before Deputy Al Brouard was eventually elected to the role. This time around, it looks set to be a coronation, with Deputy George Oswald, a retired doctor and founding partner of the Medical Specialist Group, set to run for the role. He has also served as a non-States member on HSC for the past five years Deputy Marc Leadbeater had said he would stand, but after conversations with the new Policy and Resources Committee, he said he was set to run for the presidency of Home Affairs. The committee has a wide mandate including everything from the running of the Princess Elizabeth Hospital to overseeing the food hygiene ratings dished out by environmental health. Environment and Infrastructure Bringing together a lot of the mandates of the old Environment and Public Services Department, Environment and Infrastructure covers a huge amount of work in the States. It looks after the quality of local roads, the island's policy on climate change and popular spots such as Sausmarez committee vice-president Adrian Gabriel has said he would run for the States members deputies Andrew Niles and Sally Rochester have both said they were interested in a seat on the board. Home Affairs The Committee for Home Affairs has a broad mandate, including the police, border force, the island's immigration regime and trading standards. Simon Vermeulen, the committee's former vice-president, said he would be interested in the presidency, while Deputy Marc Leadbeater who resigned from the committee in the last term has said he will run. New deputy Jayne Ozanne has also said she would like to run the committee. Economic Development Despite having the smallest budget of all the principal committees, there has been a lot of interest in the presidency. Deputies Sasha Kazantseva-Miller and Marc Lainé have both said they would be interested in the role after Deputy Steve Falla who said he wanted the job was elected to Policy and Resources, which means he can't be on any other committees. While Deputy Chris Blin also said he wanted the job, but now says he will most likely stand for a position on the board. Newcomer Deputy Hayley Camp has said she would be keen to serve on the board, while Alderney representative Edward Hill has also said he will stand in an election on term it was one of the key committees which secured the island's new ferry contract with Brittany Ferries. Education, Sport and Culture Education, Sport and Culture has been seen by many within the States as a poisoned chalice, with every leader of the committee losing their seat at an election in the last two decades. The committee oversees the running of the island's primary and secondary schools alongside cultural events like Liberation Day. Deputies Sarah Hansmann-Rouxel and Aidan Matthews have both said they would like to run the committee, while new and former teacher Deputy Paul Montague has said he may also be interested, after initially having said he would not want to run a committee in his first term. Employment and Social Security The Committee for Employment and Social Security admisters benefits, including pensions, alongside looking after health and safety in the workplace. In the last term it was responsible for the introduction of secondary pensions and the island's first anti-discrimination legislation. Deputy Tina Bury sat on the committee in the last term and has said she would like to lead it in the new assembly. Returning politician Deputy Garry Collins has said he would like to serve on the board, alongside new politician Deputy David Dorrity. Housing A successful proposal from Deputy Sasha Kazantseva-Miller led to the creation of this new committee. Former Guernsey Housing Association CEO Steve Williams has said he wanted to lead this new board, while Deputy Marc Lainé also said he would be interested. It will have responsibility for the island's social housing stock and will take over general housing policy from Environment & Infrastructure. The new housing committee is the last of the principal committees so there is a chance some of the candidates who fail to get a place at the top of other boards may run for this role. States Trading Supervisory Board The board is not like the other big committees in the States, partly because it has fewer deputies on it and in the way it operates. It has political oversight of Guernsey Electricity, Waste, Water and the Channel Island Lottery amongst other things. Deputy Mark Helyar is set to run for the role, while Deputy Neil Inder had said he would contest the position, but has now decided not to. Scrutiny Father of the house Deputy John Gollop, the longest-serving politician in the States, has said he would like to run this committee, which looks at whether committees within the States of Guernsey are delivering their services effectively and has also run a series of public hearings where politicians and officials are quizzed on their work. He will face competition from former States economist Deputy Andy Sloan. Development and Planning Authority Former environment department minister Deputy Yvonne Burford could stand as the president of the authority. Before the changes to the machinery of government in 2016, environment had responsibility for of the first jobs for the new committee will be to finish the review of the Island Development Plan which was started, paused and restarted in the last term. States Assembly and Constitution Committee With a lot of talk before the election about the shape and size of government, alongside talk at election time about the electoral system, it seems likely both of these areas will be looked at by whoever takes up the presidency of the States Assembly and Constitution Aidrian Gabriel, Andy Cameron, John Gollop and Tom Rylatt have all said they would like to stand for roles on the committee, while Deputy Burford has also said she would be keen to run the committee alongside the Department and Planning Authority, if elected.
BBC News
29-04-2025
- Health
- BBC News
'Ongoing progress' in Guernsey's mental health strategy report
Guernsey's Mental Health and Wellbeing Strategy is seeing "ongoing progress" being made, the States its 2024 annual report, which was released on Tuesday, the States said the development of a mental health and wellbeing services directory was part of work taking strategy was approved two years ago in collaboration with the States of Guernsey, Primary Care and the charitable sector, and will continue until Marc Leadbeater, Chair of the Mental Health and Wellbeing Technical Team, said he was pleased with the progress highlighted in the first full annual report. 'Clear and accessible' The States said the strategy was made up of four pillars of work, including collating bailiwick datasets, early intervention, service improvements, and responding to recommendations of external said: "Work has begun to develop a directory of mental health and wellbeing services, as well as map an island-wide network of care pathways. "Once complete, the resources will provide clear and accessible information so residents can better understand how to navigate local mental health and wellbeing services, and understand the support that is available to them. "Alongside this project, work remains ongoing to develop information and guidance for people to safely access formally accredited private therapy on-island."The report showed the overall mental health strategy to be 42% complete, with 78% of actions started and 11% of actions Leadbetter said: "I am very pleased with the publication of the first full annual report on the Mental Health and Wellbeing Strategy, which highlights our progress made since its launch in September 2023. "I would like to thank all members of the technical team and supporting officers for their dedication and hard work in helping design and implement the strategy."
BBC News
04-03-2025
- Health
- BBC News
£270k funds for social prescribing scheme in Guernsey
A scheme that links people in Guernsey with activities to boost their wellbeing has been given additional government funding of £270, than 1,000 people have been referred by Bailiwick Social Prescribing (BSP) with 96% of doctors using it since it scheme was launched in 2021 as a four-year pilot with link workers providing personalised support through a range of options from physical activity and art to singing and green Health Improvement Commission has been given the funding by the Committee for Health and Social Care after evaluation of the pilot scheme. 'Increasing demand on health services' According to the BSP, 61% of people who used the scheme had fewer GP appointments in the following project also offers help with issues such as housing, financial worries and new funding will mean the scheme can recruit an extra link Simon Sebire, the Health Improvement Commission chief executive, said: "Social prescribing recognises the importance of the social causes of our health and the valuable contribution that non-medical community-based activities and support can make to improving personal, social and community well-being, and the challenges the Bailiwick faces in terms of an ageing population and increasing demand on health services."Deputy Marc Leadbeater, vice-president of the Committee for Health and Social Care, said the partnership with the charitable sector "is helping transform how we manage health and wellbeing from a focus on ill health to a wider consideration of what constitutes better health for islanders".
