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Concerns raised by the Guernsey Sports Commission about future funding from the Education, Sport and Culture Committee are understandable, according to the President of the Committee.
ESC has previously allocated funding to the Commission to help deliver ‘Active8’, a 10-year programme launched by the States to help facilitate physical activity in the island. The Committee says - due to the challenging financial situation the island is in - it is "examining [its] options” prior to funding allocation for the Commission coming to an end later this year.
Despite the Committee not officially making any cuts, the situation made headlines last week after the Guernsey Sports Commission said it feared an uncertain future without States funding.
Deputy Andrea Dudley-Owen touched on the ongoing public discussion during an interview with Express last week.
“We've recently had the GST debate and that highlighted a lot of fiscal issues - and... whilst we didn't settle on a particular plan, there were resolutions around cutting budgets,” she said, referring to a request from Policy & Resources for committees to try and cut their spending by 2-3%.
“So, of course, there's going to be concern for all commissioned services across the States mandate. And I absolutely understand why the recipients of those funding streams would have concern about where they fit in.
"We of course support the Guernsey Sports Commission and will continue to support them and do all that we can to ensure that things continue in the way that they are. But, we have to have these conversations first, don't we?”
She said that many commissioned services in receipt of States funding will be looking at their own budgets and how they are spending wisely and that she would be surprised if commissioned services weren’t concerned.
Deputy Dudley-Owen lamented that the discussion about funding went public before any meeting had actually taken place.
"There is a tendency, I think, within the media, to pick up and bash certain committees, and certainly the Education, Sport and Culture Committee has been one of those.
“It's been consistent for many, many years.”
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