Government suffers setback on arts funding plans

Deputy Montford Tadier criticised government plans to change the funding model for the arts

Politicians have voted to keep 1% of the States of Jersey's revenue expenditure allocated for the funding of arts, culture and heritage.

The government had said in its draft budget it would move to a different model and instead provide additional funding in line with inflation, rather than as a percentage of States spending.

However, Deputy Montford Tadier said the government's model would leave the arts with less funding and brought a proposal to the States calling for the 1% model to be kept.

Deputy Elaine Millar, Minister for Treasury and Resources, said the new model was a "considered approach to a changing fiscal landscape".

Deputy Elaine Millar said cuts would need to be made in other departments

States members agreed to the 1% model in 2019 and Tadier said the move to change this in the budget rather than the States Assembly was "sneaky".

He added: "The government is trying to rescind a very clear in-principle decision made by previous Assembly to allow the 1% model to continue into the future.

"It sets a worrying precedent if we can disregard States decisions."

'Significant cuts'

Millar said the draft proposals were published in August and backbenchers had "plenty of time to scrutinise it".

She said the current funding model would cost the government an extra £700,000 a year and cuts would have to be made in other departments.

"It would mean a cut of £112,000 to the cabinet office, a cut of £86,000 to technology and digital [and] education, which is already having to deal with significant cuts, a further £88,000."

Millar said the government's inflation model was a "considered approach to a changing fiscal landscape" that would still give the arts an additional £269,000 a year.

Twenty-three politicians voted for Tadier's proposition while 15 voted against it.