Review of big Guernsey States projects launched

Al Brouard is Guernsey's Health and Social Care Committee President

A review of how big projects are managed within Guernsey's States has been commissioned.

The Head of the Public Service Mark De Garis commissioned the review.

Chief Minister Lyndon Trott said an external expert had been brought in after it was found officials knew about a possible £30m overspend on the hospital extension in February 2023.

The Health and Social Committee (HSC) said it would look at how costs can be kept in the current £120m budget.

The budget was agreed in October 2023.

Guernsey's Scrutiny Committee has called the HSC for a special hearing to look at the situation.

HSC President Al Brouard described the incident as "unacceptable" and told the States the staff involved no longer work for the government.

When asked whether the staff had resigned, been fired or been paid off, the States refused to answer the question.

When questioned about whether there was any political oversight on the project board for the hospital extension scheme, Mr Brouard said there was not.

Deputy Tina Bury, who announced her intention to resign from HSC this month, said she believed the problem had come from an issue with behaviours within the States.

Deputy Tina Bury says she intends to resign from the HSC

She said: "I think this is about culture within the States and it goes back to my concerns about openness and transparency."

Former Chief Minister Gavin St Pier has urged the HSC to be more transparent.

He said the States should have been informed about the possible increase in costs in January as the committee had estimates from officials in December.

He said: "This has only come out because it was put in the public domain.

"I'm not at all sure when it would have come out if not and I think that's a serious issue which needs to be considered."

Mr St Pier said it was reflective of a "culture of secrecy" within the States.

Mr Brouard said he wanted to make sure any figures brought to the States were "accurate".

John Fernandez Political Reporter Analysis

Deputies have told me today in any other assembly "this would be a resigning matter" but so far nobody has publicly called for HSC to be removed from office.

What may save this committee is time, or more importantly, the lack of it.

With just more than a year left of this term many politicians have said to me they struggle to see the point of removing the four remaining members.

The question will be, are there other projects going over-budget or out of schedule within the committee that the public are yet to learn of? That would be the straw that breaks the camel's back.

Until then it looks like this HSC Committee is safe.