A SENIOR minister yesterday admitted that the Policy Council was to blame for the £2.4m. Fallagate waste. Deputy Martin Ozanne broke ranks from his ministerial colleagues by accepting responsibility during the long-awaited States debate.

Others were instead pointing fingers elsewhere, including at the Health Department.

‘I believe that there are some there that are protesting too much and therefore we should all hold our hands up, say mistakes have been made which we do regret and should look to the future,’ said Deputy Ozanne after the first day’s debate.

And the mudslinging of his colleagues could affect their chances of getting back on to the Policy Council, he added.

‘There are States members who are obviously seeing how ministers are reacting today. That will no doubt influence the elections next week. I think the public perception is they want to see a line drawn, people taking responsibility for what happened and now get back to government.’

Deputy Ozanne accepted that a crucial council meeting on Monday 7 August ran out of control. During the debate, he told the House that he was uncomfortable as the issue ran ‘off the agenda’ in a way he felt unnecessary.

He also said that Chief Minister Laurie Morgan was not given guidance or support in the meeting or in his dealings with Deputy Falla at the controversial meeting in the aftermath of that first council conversation.

‘Who is to blame? We’re all to blame. We should have said to Deputy Morgan that this was going too far, halt. We are all equally to blame for not holding that meeting in check.

‘No minister here ever envisaged that outcome or intended it to happen. I only wish I’d been more forceful about protesting at the way this meeting was going.’

Deputy Ozanne’s stance drew support from those members who were clearly unhappy about the Fallagate affair, but others remained loyal to the council.

Debate on the Wales Audit Office report into the clinical block tender should conclude today. Treasury minister Lyndon Trott’s future in the job should also be decided.

Home minister Mike Torode, who was not present at the council meetings, is the only minister still to speak.

Many defended their right to question the project.

But Health minister Peter Roffey claimed the atmosphere at the crucial council meeting changed palpably after the department’s professional advisers left the room.

He said they centred on Deputy Falla’s role and perceived exposure.

Deputy Chief Minister Bernard Flouquet was among those who said that robust questioning within meetings had to be allowed to continue. He feared that without it, backroom decision-making would become the norm.

But others called for restraint with the eyes of the world on the island.

* During the debate, members also criticised Guernsey Press coverage of Fallagate and attacked its editor for his handling of the affair.

States coverage