THE St Helier politician behind last year’s narrowly-defeated bid to decriminalise personal possession and recreational use of cannabis has welcomed new proposals from the Health Minister that could fundamentally shift how the drug is controlled in Jersey. Deputy Tom Coles described the nearly-100-page-long proposition lodged by Deputy Tom Binet on Friday as “very well thought […]
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Preferred tenderer for hospital project “a stable company” despite losses, says Health Minister
THE construction firm being lined up to deliver the new acute hospital at Overdale is a “stable company”, the Health Minister has said it emerged the government’s preferred contractor has recorded losses totalling £136 million since 2022. Deputy Tom Binet stressed that the New Healthcare Facilities Programme team had “done their homework”, after it was […]
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Preferred tenderer for main new hospital building “expected to be agreed” by end of September
“SPADE in the ground” works are continuing at Overdale in preparation for the new hospital – with a preferred tenderer for the construction of the main acute building “expected to be agreed” before the end of next month. Health Minister Tom Binet told the JEP that his team remained “hopeful” that the appointment of a main […]
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Health Minister confirms work on cannabis laws but warns of resourcing challenges
PROPOSALS for new legislation which would “reduce the criminalisation” of cannabis possession are set to be brought to the States Assembly later this year, the Health Minister has confirmed. Following a vote by Members last June the minister, Deputy Tom Binet, provided an update to an oral question posed in the Assembly yesterday by Deputy […]
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New guidance welcomed as a further step away from “criminalising people for personal drug use”
MORE lenient guidance outlining how small amounts of personal drug possession can be dealt has been issued by the Attorney General. It sets out how the honorary police officers who preside at parish hall enquiries should deal with instances of possession and importation of some controlled drugs for personal use through a system of written […]
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Politicians to have final say on hospital plans
AN application for the Island’s new £710 million General Hospital at Overdale is due to be discussed by the Planning Committee today. Planning officers have recommended that the application be approved – with a series of conditions attached. However, the group of politicians who make up the committee will ultimately have the final decision in […]
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Cannabis: A practical and pragmatic approach
It’s important to set this weekend’s news, that Jersey’s politicians will shortly consider what can only be described as radical changes to the island’s cannabis laws, in context. In effect, what the Health Minister is asking his colleagues to do, is set out a very clear direction on how they want policy to develop. He […]
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Jersey’s government could grow and sell its own recreational cannabis
JERSEY’S government could become the first in the British Isles to grow and sell its own non-medical cannabis under radical proposals lodged by the Health Minister. Deputy Tom Binet is asking politicians to back a plan that would see the government take responsibility for cultivating, regulating and selling cannabis to registered Islanders as part of […]
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Assembly votes against plans for registration of counsellors
PLANS to bring in a legal requirement for the registration of counsellors have been voted down by politicians. During the second and final day of this week’s States Assembly sitting, Members voted by 26 to 18 to reject the proposition from Deputy Tom Coles regarding registration of counsellors by the Jersey Care Commission and a […]
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Health data gaps means care home residency is unclear
THE government has no idea how many care home beds are available or occupied in the Island, the JEP has learned. A series of requests under the Freedom of Information Act has revealed that neither Health nor the Social Security and Housing departments hold records on how many Islanders are currently in care or how […]
