Jersey below-inflation alcohol duty rise 'to help hospitality'
Watchdog urges Guernsey Police improvements
Channel Islands have record sunny October
Updates on Friday 2 November 2018
Friday evening and overnight will remain dry with long clear spells.
It is expected to start to turn increasingly windy later in the night with freshening south-easterly winds.
On Saturday it will be a windy, but dry and fine day with long spells of sunshine.
There will be fresh to strong south or south-easterly winds through the day.
Jersey
Guernsey
BBC Radio Jersey
Jersey's assistant treasury minister hopes a below-inflation rise in the cost of alcohol will help the island's hospitality industry.
If States members pass the 2019 budget, alcohol duty will go up by 1% less than the cost of living.
Deputy Lindsay Ash said she wasn't convinced that previous above-inflation price rises - aimed at discouraging binge-drinking - have worked, claiming they merely force drinkers into supermarkets, and away from pubs, bars and restaurants.
Image source, Getty Images
Chris Quevatre
BBC News Online
A psychologist in Jersey has said there should be better incentives to encourage islanders to move out of empty family-sized homes if they don't need the space.
Housing Minister Sam Mezec wants to encourage downsizing so younger, bigger families can make better use of these houses.
But psychotherapist Marilyn Carré said the States should stop taxing people as much, so they had the motivation to move into a smaller property...
Chris Quevatre
BBC News Online
Guernsey's chief minister says there is "no prospect whatsoever" of a review of how the island's government operates before the next political term.
The States assembly currently operates a committee system, but there has been an appetite from some political commentators to look at a change to an executive government, as is operated in Jersey.
An executive system sees individuals within a government given more power, with supporters arguing it leads to less time being spent in debate.
On Twitter, Gavin St Pier said the next government would be "a committee system, with deputies elected island-wide".
"The quicker everyone accepts and prepares for that reality - rather than wishing for something else - the better," he added.
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Considering the committee responsible for any such review has been tasked with introducing island-wide voting, it does seem unlikely it will have the time for another major review before the next political term.
Rob Byrne
BBC News Online
A film about the role of the sea in island life is highlighting efforts to reduce the use of plastic in Jersey.
The Plastic Free Jersey, external group made the short video to encourage people to look after the environment.
Jane Burns, from the campaign, said simple changes to people's daily routines, like how they drink coffee, could make a difference.
"A really easy quick win for them [takeaway coffee drinkers] would be to carry a re-usable cup.
"Most of the coffee retailers will give you a discount if you take your own cup," she added.
Image source, Plastic Free Jersey
Twitter
A Guernsey deputy has discouraged her colleague from standing for a committee presidency, saying he has "enough commitments".
Deputy John Gollop tweeted his intention to stand for the vacant position as president of the States Assembly and Constitution Committee, saying he wants to "unsettle the status quo and machinations".
However, Deputy Michelle Le Clerc responded by saying he has "enough commitments, political and personal".
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Deputy Gollop is already president of the Development and Planning Authority, and a member of the Committee for Employment and Social Security, of which Deputy Le Clerc is president.
Chris Quevatre
BBC News Online
Excavation works that will enable repairs to the faulty cable link which caused an island-wide power cut in Guernsey at the start of October have been completed.
Guernsey Electricity, Jersey Electricity and nine specialist organisations have all worked on the excavation at Greve de Lecq in Jersey.
Image source, Guernsey ElectricityAbout 300 tonnes of sand was removed and stored during the excavation.
The faulty section of the cable has now been removed to allow the cause of the failure to be established, and work to replace it will begin next week.
Guernsey Electricity's Head of Asset Management, Stuart Blondel, said the provider is aiming to complete the repair works by the end of November, but the job may prove to be more difficult and time consuming.
Since the power cut on 1 October, Guernsey Electricity has generated all electricity on-island, using nearly 6,000 tonnes of fossil fuels.
BBC Radio Guernsey
Cancer Research UK has said it's "delighted" that a new bowel cancer screening test will soon be available to people in Guernsey.
The "faecal immunochemical screening" tests help identify samples more accurately and experts are confident they will save lives on the island.
Testing kits will be available across the island to detect early signs of bowel cancer, thanks to a £20,000 donation for the testing machine from Bowel Cancer Guernsey.
Katie Patrick, health information officer at Cancer Research UK, said the test is more accurate and easier to use than previous ones.
Chris Quevatre
BBC News Online
The IT systems at Guernsey Police are the "most fragmented and out of date" that inspectors have ever seen.
A comprehensive review by Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary found many areas of improvement for local law enforcement in a 113-page report, external.
The report included 26 "areas for improvement" and eight formal recommendations, which it suggested be in place by 31 January 2019.
The island's Home Affairs Department has warned it may struggle to meet eight recommendations to improve policing in Guernsey by the end of January and it needs to "be realistic".
Twitter
Guernsey experienced its sunniest October for 47 years last month.
There were 172.3 hours of sunshine, the longest since 1971.
There was also less rainfall than average, although the temperature was about the same as average.
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Jersey experienced its sunniest October since records began.
There was a total of 191.8 hours of sunshine last month, nearly 20 more than Guernsey - not that it's a competition...
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Bringing you the news, sport, travel and weather for the Channel Islands on Friday 2 November
Read MoreBBC Radio Guernsey
Guernsey's Home Affairs Department has warned it may struggle to meet eight recommendations to improve policing in Guernsey by the end of January.
A report by Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary, external has called for a review of the merger of police and border agency, a strategic plan setting out business objectives and priorities and a plan to improve the care of the victims of crime.
It also said a merger between the police and border control was not delivering the full benefits that were intended as they were not a cohesive unit, more of a half-way house.
Quote MessageWe must be realistic ... and I would not want the public to have false expectations in terms of how quickly the recommendations will be met. Some of these are big pieces of work and require careful consideration."
Deputy Mary Lowe, President of the Committee for Home Affairs
BBC Radio Jersey
It is hoped a below inflation rise in the cost of alcohol will help Jersey's hospitality industry.
Alcohol duty will increase by 1% less than the cost of living, if politicians approve the measure in the 2019 budget next week, external.
Image source, Getty Creative Stock / iStockAssistant Treasury Minister Lindsay Ash said previous above-inflation price rises had not reduced alcohol consumption, and merely forced drinkers into supermarkets and away from pubs, bars and restaurants.
"I don't think they've stopped drinking. I think you see now a lot more people, particularly young people, will drink at home," he said.
But Jersey Director of Public Health Martin Knight said a number of international studies had found higher prices did reduce consumption.
Any early showers will soon die away to the much of the day dry and fine with long spells of sunshine breaking through.
Maximum temperature: 9 to 12C (48 to 54F).
Jersey:
Guernsey:
Hayley Westcott
BBC News Online
A man was taken to hospital with a facial injury after being "hit on the head by a glass or bottle" at a nightclub in Jersey, police have said.
A fight broke out between several men at Mimosa nightclub in Liberty Wharf, St Helier at about 02:00 on 28 October.
The man, in his 20s, was taken to hospital for treatment but was released the following morning, officers said.
Anyone with information is asked to contact police.
BBC Radio Guernsey
A comprehensive review of policing in Guernsey says there is much to be proud of but there are areas for improvement.
Of concern are IT systems, described as some of the worst inspectors have seen, meaning Guernsey police can't access the UK Police National Database, external.
The Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary's report, external runs to 113 pages and praises crime detection rates, the downward trend in reported crime and the way the island's border agency protects the island's borders and officers' working with other agencies.
