Earlier this week, the report written by Jessica Simor found that there was confusion over who held ultimate responsibility for the fund and that the political set-up made it difficult for the Chief Minister to reallocate ministerial duties.
St Helier Deputy Mike Higgins has now confirmed that at the next States sitting he will ask for an in-committee debate – where Members can speak for as long and as often as they want – on the findings and the failings of the fund.
Chief Minister Ian Gorst said that the Simor report could pave the way for a return to the ministerial benches for Senator Philip Ozouf, who resigned as an Assistant Chief Minister in January after it emerged that more than £1.4 million of taxpayers’ money handed out by the fund was not likely to be recovered.
Deputy Higgins criticised the Chief Minister for releasing the report when he made an official statement about it in the States Chamber, saying that some Members did not receive a copy.
He said: ‘If this was open and transparent then we would have been able to see it. No one knew it was coming.
‘How can we read a 72-page report when you are also listening to the statement? How are we then meant to ask questions? It is evasive and not good enough. There are serious questions that need to be answered.’
