HEALTH minister Peter Roffey was bruised but not beaten by the Fallagate debate. He and his department came under sustained pressure as deputies looked for someone to blame for the £2.4m. loss.

But after one-and-a-half days of debate, yesterday he stood by his comments that a ‘gang of four’ was operating in the Policy Council.

‘I was very pleased with the way debate went today. I was feeling angry last (Wednesday) night that those who caused the damage were seeking to pass the blame onto Health, saying we broke the tender, that we should have stuck it back together,’ said Deputy Roffey.

He added that yesterday’s debate made it clear the department had not had the opportunity to do that.

And he said that a statement to the House by HM Procureur backed that.

Those criticising Health should have addressed the real question of why R. G. Falla wanted to withdraw from building the clinical block, said Deputy Roffey.

He still blamed the actions of the Policy Council.

Deputy Roffey apologised to the House on Wednesday if members felt his comments about the ‘gang of four’ had been too abusive.

‘They were put forward at a time when I believed I was the only person resigning from the Policy Council.’

But he stood by the major content.

‘I believe that there was fairly extraordinary behaviour by four members of the Policy Council, not in asking questions but in seeking to query whether or not we could accept one tender when the minister was a major shareholder of the firm concerned.’

There was not agreement in the House, he admitted.

‘Health is clear that we have played it straight as a die, but we now have to move forward. That includes moving forward with those who have sought to blame us.’

Deputy Roffey had no idea about his future.

‘I decided to get this debate out of the way before considering where I wanted to go,’ he said.

One outcome could be sitting on the floor of the House, he said.

‘If that happens I’m not one of those who would resign from the States – I would look forward to that role with vim and vigour.’

But neither has Deputy Roffey ruled himself out of standing for chief minister, although it was not something for which he harboured ambitions.

Whether there were wholesale changes in the Policy Council next week depended on who was elected chief minister, he added.

‘I suspect there will be some changes, I think the island might be a bit bemused if it’s the same 11 people and would query their ability to work collectively again after what happened.’