The Weekly Briefing from The Quarry

The Weekly Briefing from The Quarry

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• Patrick Moroney fined £35,000 and banned from finance for eight years for role in Providence Group collapse, a Ponzi scheme causing over £100 million in investor losses
• According to court papers, Moroney approved bank transfers breaching scheme rules, was dishonest with creditors, and provided false financial figures while managing Lumiere Fund Services Limited
• The Providence Group collapsed in 2016 after falsely promising high returns from Brazilian debt factoring to investors worldwide
• Court of Appeal found Moroney's human rights were breached due to two-year delay in Royal Court judgment, leading to reduced sanctions from original £45,000 fine and permanent ban
• Case spanned multiple court appeals since initial 2021 sanctions, with final determination returning regulatory authority to the Guernsey Financial Services Commission

• BallotBot, our AI candidate guide for Guernsey's by-election, handled 685 anonymous conversations with voters since launching in late March
• Assisted dying was a consistently queried topic, though it barely featured in candidates' manifestos or public debates
• Voters asked about disability policy, LGBTQ+ rights, and inclusive employment repeatedly
• Users frequently tested the bot's impartiality by asking it to rank candidates or judge their character, which it consistently declined to do
• Query patterns suggest genuine research behavior, with activity surging in final days before polling as voters made late decisions. Visit our dedicated election site for information on every candidate and where they stand.

• 18% of admissions to the Oberlands Centre in 2025 were linked to cannabis use
• This represents an increase from 16% in 2024
• The Princess Elizabeth Hospital cannot identify cannabis-related admissions due to its clinical coding system
• Emergency department drug-related attendances do not specify the substance involved
• The Oberlands Centre separately records mental health diagnoses and reasons for admission

• Import licences for cannabis-based medicines dropped 77% from 798 in 2024 to 186 in 2025
• On-island cannabis clinic prescriptions rose from 6,741 in 2022 to 19,778 in 2025
• A cannabis-only pharmacy opened in 2025, enabling more patients to access prescriptions locally
• Import licences peaked at 4,275 in 2021 before declining as on-island services expanded
• Health and Social Care does not hold detailed prescribing data for individual GP practices or cannabis clinics

• Guernsey's inflation rate rose to 4.0% for the year ending March 2026, up 0.6 percentage points from December 2025 but down 0.2 points from March 2025
• Fuel and light prices soared 14.7% annually, the largest increase of any category, driven primarily by kerosene prices, whilst tobacco rose 12.4% following new excise rates
• Low-income households faced the highest inflation at 5.1%, whilst owner-occupiers with mortgages experienced the lowest at 3.6%, creating a 1.4 percentage point disparity
• Housing costs rose 4.7% annually, contributing 0.9 percentage points to overall inflation through increases in rents, water charges, Tax on Real Property and waste costs
• The quarterly inflation rate accelerated sharply to 2.1% in the three months to March 2026, compared to just 0.4% in the previous quarter

• Commercial dog walkers and boarding establishments such as kennels and catteries must apply for animal welfare licences by 30th April
• Businesses applying by the deadline receive a transitional period until 31st January 2027 to make improvements whilst continuing to operate
• New businesses and those missing the deadline must obtain licences and pass inspections before commencing or continuing operations
• The licensing scheme aims to protect animal welfare, ensure public safety and promote ethical practices
• Most businesses have already applied and inspections are underway, with officials impressed by standards observed so far

• Les Bourgs Hospice launches raffle to win a Ford Puma Gen-E Select electric car worth over £25,000
• Tickets priced at £35 each to mark the hospice's 35th anniversary in 2026, with proceeds supporting patient care
• Prize donated by TrustFord Guernsey, which raised over £5,000 for the hospice in 2025
• Draw will take place at TrustFord's Family Fun Day on 12th September 2026
• Tickets available at hospice charity shops and community events including Liberation Day and the West Show

• 'Lost in Nature' exhibition opened at Guernsey Museum, running until 5th July 2026
• Exhibition features nature-inspired artworks from the museum's collection, plus soundscape by Flexagon and video installation by SkyWave Media
• Inspired by partnership with Health and Social Care Arts and Health Programme
• Self-led wellbeing walking guide for Candie Gardens to launch during Well-Geeking Week, 25th-29th May
• Entry free with Discovery Pass

• Committee for Environment & Infrastructure piloting priority-based budgeting to align spending with agreed priorities and demonstrable value
• 1.8 million bus journeys recorded in 2025, with Stagecoach covering 1.3 million miles and carrying over 1.7 million passengers in first full year
• Committee maintains over 400 kilometres of road network and managed 4,000 enquiries resulting in 1,252 road closures in 2025
• Strategic Infrastructure Plan being developed to provide coordinated framework for transport, energy, water, coastal defences and land use
• Solar capacity reached over 4MW by end 2025, narrowly missing 5MW target, while offshore wind programme moves into delivery-focused phase

• Sickness absence across Guernsey's public service reached 67,000 days in 2025, up from 63,000 in 2024 and 60,000 in 2023
• Average sickness absence per employee rose to 11.4 days in 2025, compared to 11.0 days in 2024 and 10.8 days in 2023
• Long-term sickness absence now accounts for 52 per cent of all sickness days, with 117 employees on long-term absence as at 31 December 2025
• Non-work-related stress accounts for around 20 per cent of all sickness absence and 25 per cent of long-term absence
• Guernsey's absence rates sit between Jersey's 8.8 days and Northern Ireland's 13.4 days per employee, though direct comparisons are difficult due to different workforce compositions

• States Trading & Supervisory Board sets goal for unincorporated businesses to be financially self-reliant by end of 2029, with 1% annual real-terms reduction in operating costs
• Board warns of navigational risks with Black Rock land reclamation project and calls for further data collection and modelling before firm decisions
• Deputy Helyar says Aurigny's role must be defined clearly as either commercial airline or strategic asset with corresponding funding model
• Trading group has stabilised finances after pandemic losses, with unincorporated businesses now forecasting operating surpluses for 2025
• Board calls for greater delegated authority over capital projects and fees to reduce bureaucratic duplication and speed up decision-making

• MyGov programme wasted more than £21 million in a systemic failure of governance and accountability, with almost nothing delivered despite years of operation
• P&R responds after investigation found key supplier was embedded in Programme Board overseeing its own work, whilst staff who raised concerns were marginalised
• Chief Executive has set out comprehensive reforms including clearer project ownership, stronger procurement discipline, and leadership accountability at all levels
• Revenue Service transformation also closed after £24 million investment over a decade, with fundamental challenges remaining despite new systems being delivered
• Digital & Technology Advisory Panel to be appointed imminently to provide independent oversight, with members serving at no cost to taxpayers

• States of Guernsey have sold fuel tankers Sarnia Cherie and Sarnia Liberty to James Fisher Everard in confidential deal
• Sale proceeds will enable full repayment of remaining loan from original 2008 purchase
• Vessels were bought to ensure fuel supply security when few NAABSA vessels existed worldwide
• Other suitable vessels now regularly deliver to Guernsey, removing need for States ownership
• JFE confirms intention to continue including Guernsey in vessels' trading operations

• Guernsey will launch the Normandy programme of the 2026 Rendez-vous aux Jardins, a European garden festival running 5th-7th June
• More than 10 gardens from across the Bailiwick will participate, including nine in Guernsey, two in Sark, and one in Alderney
• This year's theme 'The Five Senses in the Garden: The View' focuses on sight and how gardens frame landscapes and perspectives
• Participating venues include Victor Hugo's Garden, Government House's Victorian Walled Garden, and Sausmarez Manor's subtropical gardens
• The festival showcases over 2,800 parks and gardens across Europe and highlights cultural ties between Guernsey and France

• Guernsey Ports is investing £300,000 to replace ageing pontoons at Albert and Victoria Marinas over eight weeks
• Work begins with Victoria Marina's north-east corner, followed by Albert Marina's 'U' pontoon
• The pontoons date back to the 1970s and have reached the end of their design life
• The project follows £2.5 million investment over two years, replacing 200 marina berths
• New pontoons will feature modern electrical infrastructure, water supply and safety lighting

• Public Health partners with UK charity Skcin to offer skin cancer awareness training to beauty and health professionals
• Ten free training spaces available to islanders, with reduced fees for enrolments until end of May
• Guernsey's skin cancer incidence rate is 95% higher than England's, according to Public Health
• Local beauty therapist Racheal Day says training has increased her confidence in recognising concerning skin changes
• Training teaches the A-E rule for identifying possible melanoma signs and is open to members of the public

• 36-metre passenger gangway at Inter-Island Quay removed for essential maintenance
• Gangway separated into three 12-metre sections for welding repairs to aluminium frame
• Work expected to take around one week to complete
• Passengers will use steps to access quay during maintenance period
• Repairs address winter storm damage and ongoing wear and tear

• All 14 of Guernsey's reservoirs are currently at full capacity despite variable 2026 rainfall patterns
• January saw 170% of average rainfall and February was the wettest since 1978, while March was the driest since 1990
• One billion litres of surplus water had to be discharged to sea in February alone due to capacity limits
• Guernsey Water says no changes to current water usage are required and the system is performing as designed
• Businesses are being encouraged to plan ahead for potential water efficiency measures as part of summer planning

ICYMI: Dig This - a podcast for Guernsey by The Quarry

Episode 28: Can Guernsey become a global innovation lab?

Guernsey Gazette

St Pierre du Bois parish is raising household refuse collection charges to £147.80 and levying £88,577 in rates for parish services in 2026.

Torteval Parish residents will vote on May 13, 2026 to approve £50,741 in local taxes and £61,000 in refuse collection charges.

Forest Parish residents will vote on May 13th to approve £72,287 in owners' rates and £97,500 in refuse rates for 2026 parish services.

GFSC notices

Publication of a Notice of the fact of a Prohibition Order and a Discretionary Financial Penalty