Chamber and committees

That is fascinating. Thank you.

Good morning. Moving from demand to supply, climate change appears to be having an increasing impact on the provision and, indeed, the cost of all utilities. This summer, we had record temperatures. What impact has that had on your reservoirs? Earlier, Dame Susan Rice said that some had fallen to record low levels. Have they recovered? In those circumstances, what can you do to manage and mitigate the situation? How can you proactively help them to recover?

I understand. Does Johanna Dow have anything to add?

My final question is for Douglas Millican; I will put the same question to Johanna Dow. Earlier, you talked about capital investment. As I understand it, your income is comprised of Government loans and the income from the bills that you put out. Your costs for things such as electricity will go up significantly—notwithstanding the fact that that is hedged, we heard that it will cost you £70 million extra. We have also heard about the cost of new treatments for manganese, drought supply vehicles and so on, all of which put extra costs on you.

What are the implications of those extra operating costs for the capital expenditure that you have presumably planned in for upgrades for the move to net zero, which we heard about earlier?

Thank you. Peter Farrer has something to add.

I just want to press you on that for my own understanding. Does the fact that crew live aboard have any impact on their status? Does it make them seafarers for the purposes of the Maritime Labour Convention, for example, or does it have an impact on national insurance and the applicability of any tax advantages as a result of being employed out of Guernsey?

I assume from that that nothing has been formalised and it is just, as you have said, a matter for the master’s professionalism. Do any of the relevant unions and/or any company policies have any influence over the master in making that decision?

Do you have anything to add, Martyn?

Martyn Gray, we heard Gordon Martin talking earlier about on-board accommodation, and you have already talked about vibration disturbing people’s sleep. Is there any practical reason why people live aboard vessels instead of using onshore accommodation?

That is fine. Thanks for that. Gordon, I am going to throw the next question to you, but if you have anything to say on national insurance, by all means do so. I appreciate that it is rather technical.

The committee understands that the decision whether a vessel sails in inclement weather rests entirely with the master. What does the master consider in taking such a decision? Have those considerations been formalised anywhere?