The Shelter Trust hosts its 20th soup kitchen fundraiser - with a difference.

BBC Radio Jersey

Jersey's biggest retailers will continue paying up to 20% on profits over £500,000 after politicians rejected an attempt to reduce the rate of the controversial so-called "retail tax".

The new rate was introduced by the States in November 2017.

Connétable of St Helier, Simon Crowcroft, claimed Jersey's retail sector had lost millions of pounds of investment as a result of the charge.

He asked members to halve the fee, claiming it was rushed through without sufficient consultation.

However, other members demanded that the States stick to the 20% rate, warning of a £3m gap in public finances.

Members voted 25 to 21 against reducing the retail tax rate.

BBC Weather

Outbreaks of rain will ease away to the east on Wednesday evening, but with large amounts of cloud and a few patches of drizzle lingering overnight. A mild night.

Minimum Temperature: 11 to 14C (52 to 57F).

A mostly cloudy day on Thursday, with the odd patch of light rain or drizzle around, particularly late in the day. Staying quite breezy but also mild.

Maximum temperature: 10 to 13C (50 to 55F).

Jersey:

Guernsey:

Del Crookes
BBC News Online

The latest electronic census shows a small increase in the working population of Alderney.

On 30 June, there were 880 people in employment on the island.

The statistics also reveal, external that the number of employers increased by 6% over the previous year from 127 in June 2017 to 135 in June this year.

Year-end population figures from December 2017 show the number of people living in Alderney stood just short of 2,000 at 1,996.

That is an increase of 1% over the December 2016 electronic census figure and a 1.5% increase over the 2015 population level.

The number of 20 to 39-year-olds, which suffered the greatest decline between 2001 and 2013, has seen a net growth of 59 people since 2013.

The south to southwesterly winds will continue at force seven, says Jersey Met.

BBC Radio Guernsey

Demand on Guernsey’s ambulance service has seen it deal with more than 5,000 calls so far in 2018, managers say.

Of those, about 1,400 were "Priority One" immediate life-threatening cases, the St John Emergency Ambulance Service said.

In the whole of 2017, the service responded to fewer than 4,900 calls. All of 2016 saw fewer than 4,000 calls.

Bosses said this year started with an increase in demand "partly as a result of winter pressures".

People falling had "also continued to account for a high number of calls through the year", they added.

BBC Radio Jersey

A soup kitchen in Jersey's Royal Square raised a record amount for a homeless charity.

Shelter Trust ladled out 43 different soups for people to buy.

Organiser Richard Robins said the final total was £14,500.

The 2018 total is £1,500 more than last year, and the most raised in 20 years of the event.

Rob Byrne
BBC News Online

An MP who visited Jersey on a fact-finding mission earlier this week has insisted her stance has not changed after meeting with the island's chief minister and business representatives.

Labour MP Dame Margaret Hodge visited Jersey on Monday along with Andrew Mitchell MP, a Conservative - both are members of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Responsible Tax., external

In May, the pair were successful in forcing the British Overseas Territories to publish details of the true owners of companies based there, but fell short in extending it to the Crown Dependencies.

Campaigners say public registers make it easier to uncover corruption, money laundering and tax dodging.

On this week's trip to Jersey, Dame Margaret said: "We spoke to representatives of the Jersey government and the finance industry about the island’s role as an offshore tax haven."

"We both still firmly believe that Jersey and the other Crown Dependencies must put in place public registers of beneficial ownership.

"The UK and all its overseas entities must all share the same rules for financial transparency."

The MPs have now visited all three dependencies, speaking to the Isle of Man and Guernsey's senior politicians earlier this year.

Jersey's Chief Minister John Le Fondre described the MPs visit as "productive and informative for all participants".

"I also hope that our visitors will leave the island in possession of greater understanding of Jersey’s efforts to tackle financial crime, and of the measures we are taking to ensure that we remain a robustly regulated and transparent international financial centre," he added.

Simon Fairclough
Guernsey Political Reporter

The Committee for Home Affairs is being questioned following the recent publication of the HMIC report.

A comprehensive review by Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary (HMIC) found many areas of improvement for local law enforcement in a 113-page report, external. Inspectors said the island's police force had the "most fragmented and out of date" IT systems they had ever seen.

The report included 26 "areas for improvement" and eight formal recommendations, which it suggested be in place by 31 January 2019.

The Scrutiny Panel hearing is the follow-up to the public hearing held with the committee in September.

Scrutiny Panel chairman Chris Green, said "This timely public hearing with the Committee for Home Affairs will focus on the recent publication of the HMIC report findings and recommendations."

Deputy Green said the report created much media attention and was an opportunity for the panel to question the committee on the issues raised, particularly on the criticism made regarding IT and governance.

He said it would be seeking to assess how the Home Affairs Department was or would be progressing the recommendations and areas for improvement set out in the report and over what time frame.

BBC Radio Jersey

The president of Jersey Netball Association (JNA) wants more help from the States to find a dedicated centre for the sport.

It follows its continued search for a new home - as they have to be out of their current courts at Les Ormes by 2020.

JNA president, Linda Andrews says she's struggled to get in contact with the States about helping to find a suitable place.

She says they need somewhere specifically designed for netball - and not shared courts...

Senator Steve Pallett - the assistant minister responsible for sport - says the States do support netball and will continue to do so.

However, he added there won't be a long term solution until after a review of the island's sports facilities in the new year.

BBC Radio Jersey

Jersey's States members have started debating the island's 2019 budget.

It includes plans for lower stamp duty for more first-time buyers, and a rise of 3.5% in the cost of alcohol.

Treasury Minister Deputy Susie Pinel said her plan was based on three key principles: affordability, balance and common sense.

Six changes to the plan have been suggested, and these will each be debated in turn, before a final vote on the amended document.

You can listen to the debate live here.

Bringing you the news, sport, travel and weather for the Channel Islands on Wednesday 5 December 2018

BBC Radio Guernsey

A former airline captain - with more than four decades of commercial flying experience - is urging Guernsey States members to improve the island's airport rather than spend tens of millions of pounds of taxpayers' money buying three new aircraft for Aurigny.

Next week, the island's politicians will consider the acquisition of three new ATR aircraft with so-called "Low Visibility Landing Capability" technology.

But Mervyn Dacey - who lives in the island - believes the recommended technology is "highly experimental and might not work in Guernsey at all" and has gone to the trouble of sending two comprehensive reports to States members setting out his arguments.

The retired captain claims the best Guernsey Airport can hope to achieve with this new technology is reducing fog disruption by 14% - compared to a 53% reduction rate an airport upgrade and runway extension would achieve.

Aurigny has dismissed the former captain's claims saying he has "no specific island expertise" and his knowledge is "outdated".

Live coverage of the States of Jersey meeting from BBC Radio Jersey.

Hayley Westcott
BBC News Online

There's currently a yellow weather warning in place for wind across the islands, Jersey Met has said.

It added winds of force seven are imminent.

Image source, Jersey Met

BBC Radio Guernsey

Commercial gardening companies are protesting changes to operating hours at Mont Cuet.

It's due to the implementation of the new waste strategy - with household waste now being taken to the facility at Longue Hougue.

The companies are upset the tip at Mont Cuet will open from 08:00 onwards - with owners saying this will add to running costs.

The adjustments were first presented to companies during the summer, with the landfill site no longer allowing household waste and only accepting green and hazardous waste.

The States Trading Supervisory Board said the tip at Mont Cuet will continue to open during the early hours and discussions with the companies are ongoing.

Hayley Westcott
BBC News Online

The windows of a car have been damaged in St Peter Port, police have said.

It happened on 1 December - some time in the afternoon - in St John's Road, where the car was parked.

Officers are investigating and anyone with information is asked to contact Guernsey Police on 725 111.

BBC Weather

A rather cloudy day ahead with occasional drizzle, but the odd brighter spell too.

Longer spells of rain are expected this afternoon - some of which may be heavy.

It will be quite breezy but mild with highs of 12C (53F).

Jersey:

Guernsey: