MORE than £100,000 of taxpayers’ money went towards a high-end live-stream and branding for the Royal Visit in July, new figures have revealed.
The Bailiff’s Chambers this week published their breakdown of costs for the visit of King Charles III and Queen Camilla on Monday 15 July, showing that the department racked up a bill of £485,000 – £85,000 over budget.
Almost £115,000 was spent on communications, compared to the planned budget of £100,000 – and a spokesperson for the Bailiff’s Chambers has since confirmed to the JEP that most of that spending was for the high-end production of a live-stream which attracted 43,000 viewers on YouTube.
The spokesperson further added that all third-party contractors and services used in planning and delivery of the event were based in Jersey.
The Bailiff’s Chambers has previously attracted criticism from the Public Accounts Committee when a JEP freedom-of-information request revealed that the department spent £130,000 on Liberation Day celebrations – which included £68,704 for the rental of two seven-metre screens from a non-Jersey provider.
The largest proportion of the £485,000 cost was on contractors, payment for which came in at almost £135,000 compared to a planned budget of £80,000.
According to the Bailiff’s Chambers, this amount covered event and site co-ordination, crowd and safety consultation, site building, and the visit’s first-aid provision.
A spokesperson defended the high costs for the live-stream and branding, which were “to ensure the visit was appropriately and professionally elevated to best reflect the Island’s image throughout the local, national and international coverage”.
Nearly £92,000 was spent to “furnish the Royal Visit Exposition to a high standard”.
The planned budget for this environmentally focused showcase was £50,000, according to a Ministerial Decision published last month.
A total of £12,198 was spent on catering for the tea party for 340 guests, compared to a £10,000 budget.
However, there was an underspend on both infrastructure and transport.
The event’s infrastructure – which included marquees, staging, seating, toilets and barriers – cost £50,281 compared to a budgeted £60,000. Just £1,140 was spent on transport for the visit – compared to a budget of £30,000.
An additional £80,000 was spent on security, entertainment, safety training and logistics.
In a statement accompanying the total cost announcement, the Bailiff, Sir Timothy Le Cocq, acknowledged that the costs were “significant”, but said they were “what is expected when delivering an event of this nature and scale”.
“The Royal Visit was a momentous occasion for the Island and one where it had been 19 years since the Sovereign had visited Jersey,” he said.
“The Island as a community came together for a rare and joyful occasion and I believe this visit was a very positive experience.”
