THE Government Business Plan is a set of promises to which the States will be committed, deputy Chief Minister Stuart Falla told a public meeting last night. About 100 islanders attended Capelles Primary School to hear a presentation on the GBP by team chairman Deputy Falla and team member Deputy Jonathon Le Tocq.

The GBP, which States members are due to approve at the end of the month, lists the government’s top priorities and sets the political agenda for the rest of this States term and into the next.

It lists 14 priorities that include asserting Guernsey’s independent identity, investigating the impact of climate change and providing best-value health care.

‘I believe the GBP is the States signing up to a set of promises and the island will be able to judge if they have kept those promises,’ said Deputy Falla.

Each of the priorities is the responsibility of one or more departments or States groups and Deputy Falla said that would lead to greater accountability.

‘If islanders believe that the relevant politicians have not kept to the promises within the plan, they can get rid of them at the next elections,’ he said.

Deputy Le Tocq said the plan would change over time and was not set in stone.

‘I would emphasise that the process is as important as the plan itself,’ he said.

‘In 20 years, I would be very surprised if the priorities are the same as they are now. They will change, but the process is the important aspect.

‘This is about all States members owning something together.’

Deputy Le Tocq said that all members of the States had been involved in the development of the plan.

‘The 14 priorities were brought about with unprecedented consultation.’

Deputy Falla said that when the next States is elected they will be asked, by July 2008, to endorse the plan they will inherit or reject it. By 2009, they will have produced a fully-costed plan that can be regularly monitored.

‘The next States will be able to hit the ground running,’ said Deputy Falla.

‘It may mean that for the first time, an election is fought on political issues rather than popularity.’

A question and answer session was held after the presentation and a wide variety of queries were put to Deputies Falla and Le Tocq, including whether anything in government would change because of the plan.

Deputy Falla said the current States had been in a period of transition and the island needed the plan in order to have a consensus government.

‘One of the beauties of the plan is that States members will know more clearly what other departments are going to do, so the chances of a more cohesive States is on the cards.’