BBC Local Live: Channel Islands

Summary

Debate about 'assisted dying not suicide' - St Pier
States reject call for official inquiry into RNLI split
Proposed school land could face compulsory purchase
Abandoned baby: GPs offer free appointment for mother
Royal wedding: Pub hours extended
Updates from Monday 19 March until Friday 23 March 2018

Live Reporting

Champion Jersey gymnast retirespublished at 17:36 Greenwich Mean Time 21 March 2018
Rob England
BBC News Online
Jersey gymnast Alex Buesnel has announced he will retire at the end of March.
The 25-year-old won the title at the British Disability Championships for the tenth time in October last year, and represented Jersey in the Island Games.
Announcing his retirement, Mr Buesnel thanked his family and trainers, and said he plans to stay on at his club to coach.
He said winning the team silver at the Gotland Island Games was one of the most memorable moments in his career.
Image source, Alex Buesnel
Claims of data use by Facebook ‘go well beyond UK borders’published at 16:46 Greenwich Mean Time 21 March 2018
Guernsey Press
Guernsey's data protection commissioner has expressed concern about the ‘weaponisation’ of personal data amid an international storm around the use of Facebook., external
States to consider longer school days with education reformpublished at 15:30 Greenwich Mean Time 21 March 2018
BBC Radio Guernsey
Guernsey's Education, Sport and Culture Committee, external will consider looking into the benefits of longer school days as part of its restructuring of secondary education according to committee president Matt Fallaize.
He was speaking in response to a question about whether school holidays could be shortened to improve educational outcomes.
Deputy Fallaize says changes will only be made if they can increase benefits for students.
Senator apologises for failing to disclose interestpublished at 14:55 Greenwich Mean Time 21 March 2018
Jersey Evening Post
Senator Sarah Ferguson has been found to have breached the States code of conduct after she failed to disclose her interest in the Jersey Lifeboat Association., external
States departments ‘need to work more closely in future’published at 13:34 Greenwich Mean Time 21 March 2018
Jersey Evening Post
The refusal of planning permission for the new hospital earlier this year could have been avoided if States departments had worked more closely together, a minister has said., external
Warning issued over two new scams in Guernseypublished at 13:31 Greenwich Mean Time 21 March 2018
BBC Radio Guernsey
Guernsey Police have issued a warning about two new scams circulating in the island targeting people by phone, email and text.
The first involves fraudsters contacting islanders pretending to be from HM Revenue and Customs to tell them that a lawsuit is currently being filed against them. They then try to convince islanders to pay false debts and taxes.
The second involves fake technical support claiming to be a technical adviser for a well-known company asking for money to fix a problem with their computer.
Police are advising people not to open suspicious emails or texts and delete them straight away.
Raising awareness to tackle invasive speciespublished at 13:27 Greenwich Mean Time 21 March 2018
Guernsey Press
A call has been made to help fight the threat posed by non-native species to Guernsey’s biodiversity., external
Allowing assisted dying 'could make it harder to recruit'published at 13:12 Greenwich Mean Time 21 March 2018
Ryan Morrison
BBC News Online
It could become harder to retain and recruit doctors to Guernsey if the States allow assisted dying in the island, according to the Guernsey British Medical Association, external (BMA).
It says that to operate as a doctor in Guernsey a practitioner would need to be registered with the General Medical Council , external(GMC), who tell all doctors that assisted dying is illegal.
A BMA spokesman said if the island allows assisted dying, it would be difficult to reconcile the conflict between the GMC guidelines and Guernsey legislation.
The BMA says it remains opposed to doctor assisted dying and says continued investment and development of high-quality palliative care services in Guernsey should be prioritised.
More on this story:
Proposed school land could face compulsory purchasepublished at 13:09 Greenwich Mean Time 21 March 2018
Ryan Morrison
BBC News Online
A St Brelade landowner could be forced to sell his field to Jersey's government to make way for the new Les Quennevais School.
Jersey's planning committee approved plans for the £45m the new secondary school for the west of the island.
A spokesperson for the education department said the landowner, who has not been named, had agreed to sell the land for £194,000 but changed his mind and has asked instead for £4m.
Now politicians will be asked to approve the compulsory purchase of the land so work can begin.
The school was due to open in September 2020 but Assistant Education Minister, Deputy Anne Pryke, said the compulsory purchase order could delay the project by up to a year.
One in six Jersey deaths linked to smokingpublished at 12:30 Greenwich Mean Time 21 March 2018
Ryan Morrison
BBC News Online
One in six of all deaths in Jersey in 2016 were from smoking related conditions according to a report by the Jersey Statistics Unit., external
The "Smoking Profile" report also revealed that one in six of all residents aged over 16 said they smoke, down from one in four in 2005.
The amount of tobacco being imported into the island has also fallen by more than 40% in the last decade, the report found.
Image source, States of Jersey
Debate about 'assisted dying not suicide' - St Pierpublished at 11:50 Greenwich Mean Time 21 March 2018
Ryan Morrison
BBC News Online
Guernsey's senior politician says a planned debate is "about assisted dying not suicide", as is being reported in some national media outlets, external.
Deputy Gavin St Pier also says there are no plans for a "Dignitas, external style clinic" in the island.
Politicians are due to discuss when to hold a debate on calls to allow assisted dying in Guernsey later today.
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- The States of Deliberation of the Island of Guernsey Requete Assisted Dying, external
Successor will have to raise taxes, says Treasury Ministerpublished at 11:21 Greenwich Mean Time 21 March 2018
Jersey Evening Post
The next Treasury Minister will need to find more than £25 million of funding and raise taxes to cover additional costs during the next States term, the current minister has warned., external
Baby left at hospital 'doing well'published at 10:46 Greenwich Mean Time 21 March 2018
BBC Radio Jersey
Nurses say a newborn baby left at Jersey General Hospital is doing well, and they've thanked people who have offered clothes, milk, nappies and donations.
States of Jersey Police are still trying to trace the movements of two women seen on CCTV outside the hospital in the early hours of Sunday morning.
They're asking churches, parishes, schools and community groups for their help in finding the mother.
Image source, Jersey Police
Guernsey FC games re-arrangedpublished at 10:30 Greenwich Mean Time 21 March 2018
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Grand Vaux Reservoir a 'serious flood risk'published at 10:29 Greenwich Mean Time 21 March 2018
Ryan Morrison
BBC News Online
A Jersey reservoir has been deemed a "serious flooding risk" by the island's emergency planning officer.
A plan has been created, external in the unlikely event the Grand Vaux Reservoir was to over-top or flood neighbouring land.
In the report published by Mark James it says the water body makes up about 10% of Jersey's land mass and if it floods it would impact on a school, a sports club and housing estates.
If that happens, there would be assembly points and reception centres for people forced to leave their homes.
Mr James, said wardens would be appointed to issue information to those affected, monitor blocked drains and brooks, and there would be extra support for older people living alone, children, those with medical problems and special needs.
The plan also considers the dangers from polluted flood water, fallen power lines and deep water.
States debating reform to the sexual offences lawpublished at 10:12 Greenwich Mean Time 21 March 2018
Ryan Morrison
BBC News Online
The first debate in the States of Jersey today is reform to the island's sexual offences law, proposed by Home Affairs Minister, Deputy Kristina Moore., external
She said the new law makes offences gender neutral and meets international standards.
"Jersey's current sexual offences legislation is dealt with through a number of different offences and comprises a number of offences created by statute," Deputy Moore said.
The minister said she had drawn on previous changes elsewhere in the British Isles to sexual offences law to draw up the new legislation.
Politicians have agreed to stay late this week due to the number of items on the agenda , externaland the need to complete it before the general election in May.
You can listen to the debate on the BBC News website.
Retail survey reveals spending habitspublished at 09:20 Greenwich Mean Time 21 March 2018
Guernsey Press
More than 900 islanders were asked a series of questions on retail experience, and 96% said they had shopped online in the last 12 months., external
Innovation fund ‘should buy equity, not just offer loans’published at 09:15 Greenwich Mean Time 21 March 2018
Jersey Evening Post
The Jersey Innovation Fund should be relaunched but used to buy stakes in start-up companies rather than providing them with loans, the head of Digital Jersey has said., external
‘Failing’ registry to go to Ports of Jerseypublished at 09:07 Greenwich Mean Time 21 March 2018
Jersey Evening Post
The ‘failing’ Jersey Aircraft Registry is to be transferred to Ports of Jersey with a new business model in an effort to recoup some of the £800,000 invested in setting up the scheme., external
Job advert out for new Guernsey harbour masterpublished at 09:06 Greenwich Mean Time 21 March 2018
BBC Radio Guernsey
Guernsey is searching for a new harbour master after Captain Chad Murray announced he was stepping down.
He made the announcement in February and will leave the job in May.
The advert for his replacement says it's seeking a "born leader who can head up a multidisciplinary team".
The harbour master is also responsible for the Guernsey Registry of British Ships, external.
The job has a salary of between £70,000 to £80,000 per year and applicants should be experienced master mariners or harbour masters. Applications close on 26 March.