> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.thequarry.media/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # Bailiwick Commission calls for reforms to 'outdated' governance arrangements with Alderney and Sark - URL: https://www.thequarry.media/bailiwick-commission-calls-for-reforms-to-outdated-governance-arrangements-with-alderney-and-sark/ - Published: 2026-09-29T08:38:48.000Z - Updated: 2026-09-29T08:38:48.000Z - Author: The Quarry - Tags: News - Independent Bailiwick Commission has published interim report calling for major reforms to governance arrangements between Guernsey, Alderney and Sark - Commission identifies 1948 Agreement as outdated and no longer fit for purpose, with lack of financial transparency and no formal dispute resolution process - Public survey shows strong support for change in decision-making balance and calls for greater financial transparency and stronger voice for smaller islands - Commission rules out constitutional changes including independence or becoming UK territory, favouring strengthening current arrangements with substantial reforms - Final recommendations expected in September 2027 include Service Level Agreements, formal Inter-Government Council and clearer funding arrangements Listen to this article 0:00 /0 1× An independent commission reviewing constitutional and operational relationships between Guernsey, Alderney and Sark has published an interim report calling for substantial reforms to governance arrangements across the Bailiwick. The Bailiwick Commission, chaired by Sir Bob Neill KC(Hon), has identified problems with current arrangements, including an outdated 80-year-old agreement, lack of financial transparency, and absence of formal dispute resolution mechanisms. The Commission was established in 2025 by the three island parliaments and will deliver final recommendations in September 2027. Sir Bob Neill said: "The Bailiwick faces challenges ahead, which need to be addressed frankly, but we are very clear that the three islands, individually and collectively, have much that is positive about them, and we want to help them build on that." The 1948 Agreement governing Guernsey-Alderney relations is considered no longer fit for purpose by both governments. Originally intended as temporary post-war support, the agreement struggles to accommodate modern service delivery in healthcare and education. Sir Bob Neill said: "The agreement is now nearly 80 years old and we have been specifically tasked with reviewing its fitness for purpose, as it may no longer reflect the way in which vital public services are delivered in the twenty first century." The Commission notes the agreement's language cannot easily translate to obligations around contemporary policy. A critical issue identified is difficulty obtaining clear data on fiscal flows between islands. The Commission encountered significant challenges getting agreed financial information across the Bailiwick, a longstanding problem previously identified in 2016. Current "best estimates" accounting may be insufficient in the pressured fiscal environment. The full cost of services provided to Alderney and tax revenues generated remain unclear. There is currently no formalised process for resolving disagreements between the three jurisdictions, leaving relationships vulnerable when disputes arise. Alderney has minimal input on transferred services it receives from Guernsey, with no formal consultation process for policy development. The threshold for capital project approvals, set at £250,000 in 2014, is considered too low and causes bureaucratic delays. The Commission's first public survey ran from March to June 2026 and received 255 responses, mostly from Alderney. Results showed strong recognition of each island's distinct identity and substantial support for change in current responsibility and decision-making balance. Respondents supported Bailiwick-wide provision in health, education, immigration, adoption and policing. There were recurring calls for greater financial transparency, clearer funding arrangements, improved connectivity, reform of the 1948 Agreement, stronger voice for smaller islands, and better government accountability. Sir Bob Neill said: "Each of the islands has its own valued identity and we have endeavoured to give all three equal attention and respect." The Commission identified specific policy challenges across several areas. Lack of inter-island connectivity is well-known and creates barriers to economic development and other policy areas. No strategic alignment exists between Guernsey and Alderney on population management, creating tension. Alderney's limited restrictions allow easier residence establishment, affecting population balance with an increasingly large non-working proportion gaining access to Guernsey-funded services. Both healthcare and education were raised as problematic by smaller islands. Uncertainty and unreliability of current arrangements may necessitate clearer agreements. No Bailiwick-wide economic strategy exists. Tourism is the only sector with an inter-island approach. Smaller islands lack individual economic strategies and don't feel part of Bailiwick-wide planning. Both Alderney and Guernsey are interested in renewable energy as a priority. The Commission will examine whether projects would benefit from greater coordination. The Commission evaluated several constitutional options and ruled out becoming part of the UK or France, becoming a parish of Jersey, seeking Hybrid Overseas Territory status, greater autonomy or full independence for smaller islands, and smaller islands becoming parishes of Guernsey. The favoured direction is strengthening and improving current arrangements through modernisation of operational relationships. The Commission believes solutions lie within the Bailiwick itself, with evidence pointing toward continuation of current constitutional arrangements but with substantial reforms. Sir Bob Neill said: "The relationships between the islands have endured for many centuries and have often worked effectively, even when under pressure. However, the Commission has identified areas where existing arrangements appear unclear, outdated or insufficiently transparent." The Commission indicates its final report will likely recommend updating the 1948 Agreement through Service Level Agreements for Guernsey-Alderney relations. These would clearly define services provided, associated costs and funding arrangements, with mechanisms for monitoring, review and accountability. Recommendations are expected to include increased Alderney participation in operational oversight and delivery, regular and formal review processes, and a stronger voice for Alderney in matters affecting services received. For Guernsey-Sark relations, the Commission proposes a transparent agreement covering all services provided to Sark with clear costings and review processes. Sark would have responsibility for funding structures and contingencies, with clear processes and records of fiscal flows. Bailiwick-wide governance recommendations are expected to include a formal Inter-Government Council with authority to make decisions on Bailiwick-wide matters. The Commission proposes increased transparency around governance, service delivery and fiscal relationships, along with a formal dispute resolution model. Areas for legislative and regulatory alignment where beneficial would be identified, with better coordination on economic development, transport, population management, health and social care, and education. The five-member independent Commission comprises Sir Robert Neill KC(Hon) as chair, a former UK Conservative MP and Minister for Local Government who chaired the House of Commons Justice Committee. Other members are Dr Lisa Cameron, a former UK MP and clinical psychologist; Lord Carwyn Jones, former First Minister of Wales from 2009 to 2018; Professor Caroline Morris, Professor in Constitutional Law at Queen Mary University of London and expert in Crown Dependencies; and Dr Philip Rycroft, a former senior UK civil servant who served as Permanent Secretary for Department for Exiting the EU. Guernsey has committed up to £500,000 in funding, Alderney £15,000, and Sark is providing in-kind contributions. The inquiry is guided by five core values: respect for distinct identities, autonomy and ways of life; transparency and independence; practical and realistic recommendations; evidence-based findings through consultation; and sustainability. The Commission will focus the next phase on updated service agreements, greater transparency around fiscal flows and service costs, clearer governance and dispute resolution mechanisms, more formal inter-governmental coordination, and improved strategic collaboration on economic development. Policy development around transport, utilities, renewable energy, health and education will be examined, along with greater legislative or regulatory alignment where appropriate. Public consultation continues via email at bailiwickcommission@gov.gg. The Commission was established following increasing pressure on Guernsey's public finances, with Alderney's runway rehabilitation emerging as a catalyst. For Sark, the catalyst was a £1.5 million loan from Guernsey to purchase the electricity grid. The three islands together form the Bailiwick of Guernsey, one of the Crown Dependencies with unique constitutional relationships with the UK through the Crown. The UK is responsible for international relationships and defence, but the islands are self-governing with their own legal, administrative and fiscal systems, and receive no UK funding. Governments will be required to respond within 90 days of the final report's publication in September 2027. ## Q&A **Q: What is the Bailiwick Commission?** A: The Bailiwick Commission is an independent five-member body established in 2025 by the three island parliaments to review constitutional, economic and operational relationships between Guernsey, Alderney and Sark. It is chaired by Sir Bob Neill KC(Hon) and will deliver final recommendations in September 2027. **Q: What are the main problems identified with current arrangements?** A: The Commission identified several critical issues: the 1948 Agreement governing Guernsey-Alderney relations is considered outdated and no longer fit for purpose; there is a significant lack of financial transparency making it difficult to obtain clear data on fiscal flows between islands; there is no formal dispute resolution process; and Alderney has minimal input on transferred services it receives from Guernsey. **Q: What changes is the Commission likely to recommend?** A: The Commission indicates its final report will likely recommend updating the 1948 Agreement through Service Level Agreements with clear definitions of services, costs and funding arrangements; establishing a formal Inter-Government Council with authority to make decisions on Bailiwick-wide matters; implementing a formal dispute resolution model; and increasing transparency around governance, service delivery and fiscal relationships across all three islands.