Deputy criticises £430,000 housing plan request

Deputy Chris Le Tissier said he would vote against the plans next week

A deputy has labelled a move to secure £430,000 to hire six new civil servants to work on housing policy "absolutely disgusting".

Deputy Chris Le Tissier said the committee asking for the cash - environment and infrastructure (E&I) - was "out of control".

E&I has asked the States to approve a £430,000 increase to its 2025 budget, to hire six new civil servants to work on housing policy

President of E&I Lindsay de Sausmarez said "perhaps Deputy Le Tissier misunderstood the amendment".

In a response to the criticism Mrs de Sausmarez said: "We’re not making any grab for cash, we’re suggesting a more effective alternative use for the level of resource."

She said alternative proposals to create a committee for housing would also need extra staff.

Mr Le Tissier said in business if there was "no more staff, you work more efficiently", and cited the move as evidence of how "the States works".

He added: "I'm going to oppose this proposal and the new housing committee on the basis of costs - money we don't have according to P&R [policy and resources]."

Seven politicians have suggested creating a committee for housing, with a debate planned for next week.

P&R, the island's top political committee, has suggested a debate on the creation of that committee should be delayed until after the 2025 budget was approved.

Deputy Sasha Kazantseva-Miller, the politician leading plans to create a housing committee, has said she would support the move from P&R to delay debate.

Mrs de Sausmarez has suggested investing in more staff within the current committee structure was the best way of speeding up work by the States on housing policy.

She said creating a new committee would lead to higher secretarial costs, alongside higher pay for the president of that committee, whereas she would rather see that money spent on delivering the Guernsey Housing Plan.