Ha ha I can’t take credit for that! It was Darwin.

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Scarlett old boy, if you feel you need to be condescending to make you feel good about yourself then it’s better to direct it at me than sixteen year old Ed. Mind you I doubt it bothers him any more than it bothers me.

You have so much more to offer than putting others down and speculating on nonsense. I’m surprised you indulge yourself.

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certainly that’s all you have now, thank god.

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Sherlock Holmes would have had no competition from you. I’m not Carol Steer and have never said I’m a mum I said I’m a parent.

I defend injustice generally and have no bias towards the civil service. The only political power I have ever had is in my freedom of speech and putting an x in a box on a voting slip.

I’m flattered that you describe my style as legendary. You are pretty good at making your points too when you stop bitching and get on with it.

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I see she’s now wandered off onto the subject of the abattoir/vegetarianism again, obviously doesn’t feel she hammered the point home by boring the t*ts off us all on the last comments board.

Still, I s’pose it’s an outlet for her, just being a ‘ordinary mum’ an’ all, with half term to contend with.

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Despite the fact she’s just an ‘everyday mum’, apparently, Sparty’s knowledge – and passionate involvement – in everything to do with the defence of the civil service (or as I call it, the self serving service), and near constantly taking the opponent stance on certain other political topics, is legendary, and she will argue black is white ’til the cows come home.

…..you see, unfortunately, since she lost the day job, Sparty’s only involvement with the Education Dept is doing the school run, and to go from wielding so much power to only having control over the steering wheel must smarts rather.

Bless.

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Don’t answer. IT’S A TRAP!

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Thank you that is more reassuring and I understand your point about inspecting living conditions however Housing are responsible for ensuring poor conditions do not arise in the first place.

I will try to find details of the package of proposals for improving the private rental sector. If you could point me in the right direction or give me an idea of when this was presented to the States it would help me find the information on the notoriously difficult States website.

If the social housing criteria is amended due to high rental values in Guernsey and this allows you to accept more tenants into social housing I see that as an increased problem rather than a solution.

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That may well be the case and I would like to see the evidence of a 100% success rate in implementing those policies.

Fortunately the majority of the States do not agree with your ideas on bringing back corporal punishment in schools.

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I’d love to hear your views on the UK plans for reform of the system relating to under occupancy in social housing and whether you think Guernsey should adopt similar initiatives.

http://www.parliament.uk/briefing-papers/SN06272

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That is correct but we do not police the private rental sector that is the job of the Environmental health department.

We played a leading role in setting up the Guernsey Private Landlords Association which has worked with Housing to improve the private rental sector, tenancy agreements and a better deposit system etc.

We also presented to the States a package of proposals aimed at improving the quality and affordability of the private rented sector.

We are aware that there are many poorer families living in private sector accommodation paying high rents, this in some cases results in rent induced poverty for these families, as a disproportionate amount of their income often goes in rent, leaving very little for all their other basic needs, which is why we reviewed our eligibility criteria in order to take on board the disposable income after rent in the private rental sector.

As I said it is not the job of the States Housing officers to go round inspecting the conditions of private rental property.

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The States have supported overwhelmingly every single Housing policy report that I have put before the States in 9 years.

That includes the full Corporate Housing Programme which is presented every two years, with an update of Housings work plan and partnership with the Guernsey Housing Association, together with individual Housing policies on Extra Care housing and NCH Youth Housing Project(now known as (Action for Children) as well as all previous Housing need surveys.

We have had a 100% success rate in getting all those policies passed.

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