Sark 'needs full-time civil servant'

Mr Kniveton said an administrator was needed to move the changes forward

Sark needs a full-time civil servant, according to the man who has held the post temporarily.

Colin Kniveton was given time off his job in the Isle of Man government to take up the four-month post.

He was brought in to look at the details of the recommendations made in an independent review of government.

Mr Kniveton said if there was just one recommendation he would like the Chief Pleas to adopt it would be for a full-time senior administrator.

He said some islanders were concerned the island would end up with "army of civil servants", but that was not what was needed.

Mr Kniveton said a senior figure was needed to oversee the administrative support team and to work with the conseillers to ensure the proposals approved by Chief Pleas are moved forward.

Currently conseillers, who are unpaid, carry out the functions of administrators as well as politicians.

Mr Kniveton is returning to the Isle of Man in March to head up a review of its government.

He said his time in Sark had been spent "putting the flesh on the bones" of the Crowe Report and reviewing the response to an island-wide questionnaire.