THE independence of the parish system remains a fundamental part of the Island’s governance, two senior ministers have said following suggestions that greater central control could provide a more consistent or efficient system.
During a public scrutiny hearing yesterday, Chief Minister Lyndon Farnham and the Treasury Minister Elaine Millar said that the parish authorities operate entirely separately from central government.
Speaking to the Parishes and Government review panel, Deputy Farnham said that while improvements could be made in the relationship between the parishes and central government, he was unsure a more standardised approach would deliver fairer outcomes for Islanders.
He said that the parishes “make their own decisions” adding that “communication is key to everything” and that the existing model “generally works very well”.
Deputy Millar supported that position, defending the parish system and highlighting that the strength of the parishes lies in their independence.
“It is that very independence that probably would make it difficult for the government to come in and say ‘well, we want the 12 of you to do something differently’,” she said.
Panel members pressed the ministers on whether the system provides fairness for all Islanders, pointing to the so-called “postcode lottery” created by varying parish rates.
Deputy Millar rejected the idea of standardising charges across all parishes.
“If everybody is going to pay the same rate to the parish, you wonder what the point of the parish system is,” she explained, adding that each parish must be free to set its own rates to meet its individual needs.
Although both ministers accepted that clearer standards and guidance could be helpful – and that there is always scope for modernisation – they were firm in dismissing any shift towards turning the parishes into an extension of government.
Suggestions of centralised services or increased oversight were also downplayed.
With parish accounts still independently audited and each parish administering services in its own way, Deputies Farnham and Millar emphasised that any future reforms would be designed to support, rather than dilute, the long-standing independence of Jersey’s 12 parishes.
The review panel was established to examine how the parishes and the government are working together to deliver community services and implement shared strategies and policies.
