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Deputies to grill minister over ferry contract

BBC Sustainable Economic Development Minister Deputy Kirsten Morel smiling in park. He is wearing rimless glasses, a navy blue blazer with a poppy and a Jersey badge on it, a blue chequered shirt and dark blue tie. There is an orange vehicle behind him.BBC
Sustainable Economic Development Minister Deputy Kirsten Morel will be quizzed by a scrutiny panel

A cabinet minister is set to face questions over negotiations to find an operator for Jersey's ferry services.

The States Assembly said an additional hearing of the Economic and International Affairs Scrutiny Panel had been scheduled for 15:30 GMT on Tuesday over how the tender process had been handled.

Deputy Montfort Tadier, who leads the panel, called for the meeting as he had "unanswered questions" he wanted to ask Sustainable Economic Development Minister Deputy Kirsten Morel.

Morel said on Wednesday a new faster tender process to find an operator to run ferries until 2040 would start this week after bids from DFDS and Condor failed.

A white, blue and pink Condor Ferries boat in the water as it heads into a harbour on a sunny day.
Deputy Kirsten Morel said bids from DFDS and Condor failed in the tendering process

A joint tender process had been under way involving Jersey and Guernsey.

Jersey's leaders have not reached a decision despite the States of Guernsey last month confirming Brittany Ferries - Condor's parent company - as its preferred bidder.

Morel told the States Assembly the bid from DFDS failed on a "technical, legal" issue.

He said Condor's bid failed on two mandatory scoring areas to do with the age of their fleet and the firm's financial situation.

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