Health minister faces questions over £350m plans

Scrutiny panel leaders have been surprised at a media interview given by health minister in which he revealed plans to invest £350m across the health service and in infrastructure developments.

The chair of the Environment, Housing and Infrastructure Scrutiny Panel, Hilary Jeune, said her members had been asking for briefings and details of Project Breakwater, led by Tom Binet, in relation to infrastructure investment since December 2024.

In an interview, Binet proposed, under the project, to invest £350m which would be funded by borrowing or "dipping into savings".

Jeune said the panel would hold a standalone hearing with the minister on 2 September.

She said: "This is concerning when we are waiting to scrutinise the spending of hundreds of millions of pounds of public money which is being used for key infrastructure projects, such as Fort Regent and the revitalisation of the town centre.

"How these are to be funded and who is responsible for these projects, such as where they fit into the infrastructure department remit, are key questions we need answered."

Jeune said there appeared to be no cohesive strategy from the Council of Ministers about what the project was, who was responsible for its oversight and how it was communicated to States members and the public.

She added the hearing would review the progress with the revitalisation of St Helier and welcomed input from Binet to see how these visions aligned.

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