11 January: No confidence vote fails

The Education, Sport and Culture Committee will vote on a fifth member tomorrow after surviving a vote of no confidence - here's how Guernsey States members voted.

Pour (for) 13:

Barry Brehaut, Lindsay de Sausmarez, Matt Fallaize, Sarah Hansmann Rouxel, Shane Langlois, Jonathan Le Tocq, Jennifer Merrett, Charles Parkinson, Peter Roffey, Gavin St Pier, Dawn Tindall, Rhian Tooley and Emilie Yerby.

Contre (against) 22:

Al Brouard, David de Lisle, Mark Dorey, Andrea Dudley-Owen, Peter Ferbrache, John Gollop, Richard Graham, Neil Inder, Louis Jean, Jan Kuttelwascher, Graham McKinley, Victoria Oliver, Paul Le Pelley, Robert Prow, Mary Lowe, Carl Meerveld, Joe Mooney, Barry Paint, Laurie Queripel, Lester Queripel, Jeremy Smithies and Lyndon Trott.

Je ne vote pas (abstain) 5:

Chris Green, Michelle Le Clerc, Marc Leadbeater, Heidi Soulsby and Jane Stephens.

Guernsey's education committee will not be changing after a vote of no confidence failed.

Members voted 22-13 against the motion, which was brought by seven deputies.

It followed a close States vote to affirm a move to end the use of 11-plus exams for selection in the education system, which was originally voted for in March.

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After the motion was placed Deputy Marc Leadbeater stood down from the committee and a vote to fill his vacant seat will be taken tomorrow.

Elaine Torrance, head of midwifery in Guernsey said: "I have noticed on social media that there have been a number of comments following the media coverage on the NMC hearings currently being held in London.

"Whilst no one has contacted me or other staff on Loveridge Ward directly, I am mindful of the fact that women in the Bailiwick who are pregnant may be concerned or anxious."

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"The media is reporting on hearings that are looking at historical cases. Substantial investigations, reviews and improvements have been made in the service over recent years.

"If any women, or their partners, are concerned and would like to speak to me about their individual circumstances, they can contact me directly on 707430 or email Elaine.torrance@gov.gg."

Monthly increases in bus passengers ranged from 7,000 to 30,000 in Guernsey last year, new figures from the States of Guernsey show.

The 2016 figures from the Committee for Environment and Infrastructure show an increase on monthly figures for 2015, with the exception of January 2016 where there was a small decrease in passengers of 1.5%.

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A number of factors are thought to have impacted on the figures.

This includes the introduction of free transport for students in full-time education provided that they use a ‘student’ card, a successful campaign to encourage cruise ship passengers to use all of the scheduled bus routes to explore various parts of the island, a new journey planning tool and the introduction of a bus app.

It is the highest number of passengers recorded under the current format since 1996.

A midwife manager at Princess Elizabeth Hospital, Guernsey, contacted investigators over "issues in respect of midwifery practice" following the death of a baby, a hearing has heard.

The Local Supervisory Authority Midwifery Officer (LSAMO) for NHS England was contacted on 6 May by Ann Thompson who was troubled by the death of Baby A in January 2016.

Lisa Granville, Antonia Manousaki and Tuija Roussel are facing a hearing at the Nursing and Midwifery Council in connection with the incident.

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Ms Granville investigated the incident - but another manager, Maria Patterson completed a review of the care provided to the baby in which she "disagreed with Lisa's early findings".

Ms Patterson found that a heart rate monitor trace had been classified as suspicious but Manousaki or the shift coordinator Roussel had not reported it.

One of the investigators added she was also concerned that the drug syntocinon may have been freely used without consultation.

She then asked Ms Patterson to conduct an audit of 10 randomly-selected patient records, seven of which showed "syntocinon had been administered either by way of a verbal order or with no order at all".

Granville admits failing to identify inadequate midwifery care in relation to the administration of syntocinon and management of the CTG trace, and admits her investigation into the death of Baby A was inadequate, but denies all other charges.

After a largely dry evening, cloud will gradually thicken with an increasing chance of showers developing towards dawn.

After a breezy start, winds should gradually ease through the night. Minimum Temperature: 7C (45F).

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Tomorrow is a largely cloudy day to come with heavy and persistent rain, especially through the afternoon.

Although the wet weather should ease towards evening, it will turn windier and colder with the risk of hail or sleet showers. Maximum Temperature: 10C (50F).

Bus passenger numbers have risen by almost 10% in a year in Guernsey, new figures show.

A total of 1,653,728 people travelled on scheduled bus services during 2016, representing an increase of 146,927 passengers when compared with 2015.

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This represents a growth in passenger numbers of 9.75% as compared with 2015 and is the highest number of passengers recorded since data was first collected in this format in 1996.

The wildlife officer at Alderney's Wildlife Trust says it's important to keep beaches clean to protect sea life as well as ourselves.

The Channel Islands are collectively taking part in a beach clean this weekend.

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During 2016, balloons all the way from Taunton were among litter found on Alderney's beaches.

Claire Thorpe says she hopes this will become an annual event.

The death of a baby at the Princess Elizabeth Hospital ‘may have been prevented’ had a previous case been properly investigated, a tribunal heard yesterday.

Guernsey is again the global finance industry’s number one choice for non-UK entities listed on the London Stock Exchange (LSE).

LSE data released today shows that there were 124 Guernsey-incorporated entities listed on the Main Market and AIM at the end of 2016.

Guernsey added nine new entities to the LSE markets during 2016, which is the same number as its two nearest competitors combined, excluding the UK.

Guernsey’s total number of non-UK LSE listings is more than 40 ahead of its nearest competitor, which is Jersey with 82.

A furniture and collectibles business founded 50 years ago will be closing its doors later this month.

A £1,000 reward is being offered by two Guernsey garages after two of their car windscreens were smashed by golf balls.

The incidents, one at Forest Road Garage before the new year, and another last week at Mont Saint Garage in St Saviour, caused more than £1,000 worth of damage.

The owners are offering a financial reward for information if it leads to a prosecution.

It continues...

There was talk of an early end to a debate on a motion of no confidence in Guernsey's Committee of Education, Sport and Culture.

However, after about six more politicians expressed they wished to speak, Deputy Lyndon Trott decided against laying a motion to end debate.

Deputy Trott had told the assembly before the lunch break that he had intended to put forward a gullotine motion at 15:30, but when he brought up the motion after 16:00 he withdrew it after seeing who was left to speak.

Guernsey's most senior politician says he does not have confidence in the Committee for Education, Sport and Culture.

President of Policy and Resources Gavin St Pier says he has sat in on various committee meetings this political term and also worked closely with the Education Department last term.

He says he "reluctantly" has to support the vote of no confidence although he "very much would prefer it to be otherwise".

States members are currently debating a motion of no confidence in the committee - listen on 1116MW or online.

A ballet performed by tractors and a cinema open to horses are among artistic events which could take place this summer as part of a Jersey Arts Trust-funded project.

During 2016 Fostering and Adoption Jersey secured five new foster families, and the department currently has 48 approved foster carers.

Placements include both short and long-term, as well as emergency and respite.

They hope to recruit another 10 foster families in 2017.

A member of the Fostering and Adoption Team will be hosting an information stall at the Jersey Library on Wednesday 18 January between 11:00 and 14:00 to enable interested members of the public to find out more about fostering.

Deputy Marc Leadbeater has told the States of Guernsey he will not be seeking reelection to the Committee for Education, Sport and Culture.

He stood down after the motion of no confidence was placed saying he fundamentally disagreed with the pro-selection views of the education president.

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Deputy Leadbeater said the president and vice president had told him they wanted him back on the committee if the motion failed and they would propose and second him.

He said this had changed this morning: "[The committee] had been advised by two senior deputies that such a move could make them appear weak."

Deputy Leadbeater said he was no longer sure if personal interest was being put before the education of the island's children and told the assembly he would abstain from the vote and not be restanding for his seat.