Call to remove charged politician from committee

A request to terminate the former Guernsey chief minister's membership on the Policy & Resources Committee "with immediate effect" has been made.

Jonathan Le Tocq was charged with making more than a thousand indecent images of children among other offences at Guernsey's Magistrate's Court on Friday.

Policy & Resources (P&R) said Le Tocq had not participated in any work with the committee since his arrest in July and his absence was "hindering" it from fulfilling "time-critical" work without a five member team.

It added the request was in relation to "practical implications" and that it did not "infer any commentary on the justice process".

P&R said: "Deputy Le Tocq's absence is detrimentally affecting the committee's capacity to progress an extensive programme of time-critical work including external commitments.

"While there are provisions under the rules to support committees in making urgent decisions when inquorate, this is not an appropriate or sustainable substitute for a full-time member who is indefinitely unavailable to participate fully in committee discussion and meetings."

The committee added that the recent charges had "understandably shocked many in our community and our thoughts continue to be with anyone affected".