Asked by: Lord Wallace of Saltaire (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether Guernsey still declares its contribution to the maintenance of the Alderney breakwater as their contribution to UK defence; and whether Guernsey makes other contributions to UK defence.
Answered by Lord Wolfson of Tredegar - Shadow Attorney General
The UK is constitutionally responsible for the defence and international relations of the Crown Dependencies (CDs), in recognition of which the CDs make voluntary contributions to the UK Government, either financially (directly and indirectly) or by providing military personnel. As these are general contributions in recognition of the UK’s overall responsibilities, and as it is in the interests of the UK to represent the whole British family internationally, these contributions are not intended to reflect the exact cost of either defending the Crown Dependencies or representing them internationally.
The Isle of Man makes a direct monetary contribution to the Consolidated Fund at HM Treasury. The Isle of Man’s payments are broken down in Table 1 below.
Table 1
Financial year | Isle of Man direct monetary contribution |
2020-21 | £3,236,233.76 |
2019-20 | £3,177,762.92 |
2018-19 | £3,121,881.25 |
2017-18 | £3,076,351.25 |
2016-17 | £3,032,381.72 |
2015-16 | £2,981,692.94 |
The Bailiwick of Jersey’s contribution is to maintain an Army Reserve Unit (the Jersey Field Squadron, part of the Royal Engineers) on the island. Jersey pays the UK Ministry of Defence’s costs associated with the Jersey Field Squadron and meets the on-island costs directly. Jersey’s total contribution can be found in Table 2 below.
Table 2
Year | Bailiwick of Jersey contributions |
2020 | £1,532,678.00 |
2019 | £1,514,701.00 |
2018 | £1,063,833.00 |
2017 | £1,065,461.00 |
2016 | £1,252,121.00 |
2015 | £1,069,039.00 |
The Bailiwick of Guernsey makes part of its contribution in the form of payment of passport fees, which are passed to the UK Ministry of Justice (MoJ), these are subsequently paid over to the Consolidated Fund at HM Treasury. Guernsey also accepts ownership of the breakwater in Alderney and is responsible for its repair, management and maintenance. Guernsey’s contributions can be found in Table 3 below.
Table 3
Financial year | Bailiwick of Guernsey passport fees | Year | Bailiwick of Guernsey Alderney breakwater costs |
2020-21 | £287,812.00 * | 2020 | £521,750.00 |
2019-20 | £546,778.00 | 2019 | £482,351.00 |
2018-19 | £513,442.00 | 2018 | £515,633.00 |
2017-18 | £460,437.04 | 2017 | £302,702.00 |
2016-17 | £453,353.15 | 2016 | £473,930.00 |
2015-16 | £463,624.80 | 2015 | £442,154.00 |
*Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the issue of passport fees from the Bailiwick of Guernsey in respect of 2020 was delayed and therefore receipted in 2021-22. £287,812.00 was received in June 2021 in respect of January 2020 to December 2020 and this amount will be reported in the MoJ Annual Report and Accounts for the year ending 31 March 2022. The 2020-21 figure for Guernsey passport fees is lower than previous years, as Guernsey received a reduced number of passport applications due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Asked by: Lord Wallace of Saltaire (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what was the sum of all the contributions made by the Crown Dependencies to the UK since April 2015.
Answered by Lord Wolfson of Tredegar - Shadow Attorney General
The UK is constitutionally responsible for the defence and international relations of the Crown Dependencies (CDs), in recognition of which the CDs make voluntary contributions to the UK Government, either financially (directly and indirectly) or by providing military personnel. As these are general contributions in recognition of the UK’s overall responsibilities, and as it is in the interests of the UK to represent the whole British family internationally, these contributions are not intended to reflect the exact cost of either defending the Crown Dependencies or representing them internationally.
The Isle of Man makes a direct monetary contribution to the Consolidated Fund at HM Treasury. The Isle of Man’s payments are broken down in Table 1 below.
Table 1
Financial year | Isle of Man direct monetary contribution |
2020-21 | £3,236,233.76 |
2019-20 | £3,177,762.92 |
2018-19 | £3,121,881.25 |
2017-18 | £3,076,351.25 |
2016-17 | £3,032,381.72 |
2015-16 | £2,981,692.94 |
The Bailiwick of Jersey’s contribution is to maintain an Army Reserve Unit (the Jersey Field Squadron, part of the Royal Engineers) on the island. Jersey pays the UK Ministry of Defence’s costs associated with the Jersey Field Squadron and meets the on-island costs directly. Jersey’s total contribution can be found in Table 2 below.
Table 2
Year | Bailiwick of Jersey contributions |
2020 | £1,532,678.00 |
2019 | £1,514,701.00 |
2018 | £1,063,833.00 |
2017 | £1,065,461.00 |
2016 | £1,252,121.00 |
2015 | £1,069,039.00 |
The Bailiwick of Guernsey makes part of its contribution in the form of payment of passport fees, which are passed to the UK Ministry of Justice (MoJ), these are subsequently paid over to the Consolidated Fund at HM Treasury. Guernsey also accepts ownership of the breakwater in Alderney and is responsible for its repair, management and maintenance. Guernsey’s contributions can be found in Table 3 below.
Table 3
Financial year | Bailiwick of Guernsey passport fees | Year | Bailiwick of Guernsey Alderney breakwater costs |
2020-21 | £287,812.00 * | 2020 | £521,750.00 |
2019-20 | £546,778.00 | 2019 | £482,351.00 |
2018-19 | £513,442.00 | 2018 | £515,633.00 |
2017-18 | £460,437.04 | 2017 | £302,702.00 |
2016-17 | £453,353.15 | 2016 | £473,930.00 |
2015-16 | £463,624.80 | 2015 | £442,154.00 |
*Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the issue of passport fees from the Bailiwick of Guernsey in respect of 2020 was delayed and therefore receipted in 2021-22. £287,812.00 was received in June 2021 in respect of January 2020 to December 2020 and this amount will be reported in the MoJ Annual Report and Accounts for the year ending 31 March 2022. The 2020-21 figure for Guernsey passport fees is lower than previous years, as Guernsey received a reduced number of passport applications due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Asked by: Lord Wallace of Saltaire (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask Her Majesty's Government when the Crown Dependencies last made financial contributions to the UK; and what were the amounts transferred.
Answered by Lord Wolfson of Tredegar - Shadow Attorney General
The UK is constitutionally responsible for the defence and international relations of the Crown Dependencies (CDs), in recognition of which the CDs make voluntary contributions to the UK Government, either financially (directly and indirectly) or by providing military personnel. As these are general contributions in recognition of the UK’s overall responsibilities, and as it is in the interests of the UK to represent the whole British family internationally, these contributions are not intended to reflect the exact cost of either defending the Crown Dependencies or representing them internationally.
The Isle of Man makes a direct monetary contribution to the Consolidated Fund at HM Treasury. The Isle of Man’s payments are broken down in Table 1 below.
Table 1
Financial year | Isle of Man direct monetary contribution |
2020-21 | £3,236,233.76 |
2019-20 | £3,177,762.92 |
2018-19 | £3,121,881.25 |
2017-18 | £3,076,351.25 |
2016-17 | £3,032,381.72 |
2015-16 | £2,981,692.94 |
The Bailiwick of Jersey’s contribution is to maintain an Army Reserve Unit (the Jersey Field Squadron, part of the Royal Engineers) on the island. Jersey pays the UK Ministry of Defence’s costs associated with the Jersey Field Squadron and meets the on-island costs directly. Jersey’s total contribution can be found in Table 2 below.
Table 2
Year | Bailiwick of Jersey contributions |
2020 | £1,532,678.00 |
2019 | £1,514,701.00 |
2018 | £1,063,833.00 |
2017 | £1,065,461.00 |
2016 | £1,252,121.00 |
2015 | £1,069,039.00 |
The Bailiwick of Guernsey makes part of its contribution in the form of payment of passport fees, which are passed to the UK Ministry of Justice (MoJ), these are subsequently paid over to the Consolidated Fund at HM Treasury. Guernsey also accepts ownership of the breakwater in Alderney and is responsible for its repair, management and maintenance. Guernsey’s contributions can be found in Table 3 below.
Table 3
Financial year | Bailiwick of Guernsey passport fees | Year | Bailiwick of Guernsey Alderney breakwater costs |
2020-21 | £287,812.00 * | 2020 | £521,750.00 |
2019-20 | £546,778.00 | 2019 | £482,351.00 |
2018-19 | £513,442.00 | 2018 | £515,633.00 |
2017-18 | £460,437.04 | 2017 | £302,702.00 |
2016-17 | £453,353.15 | 2016 | £473,930.00 |
2015-16 | £463,624.80 | 2015 | £442,154.00 |
*Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the issue of passport fees from the Bailiwick of Guernsey in respect of 2020 was delayed and therefore receipted in 2021-22. £287,812.00 was received in June 2021 in respect of January 2020 to December 2020 and this amount will be reported in the MoJ Annual Report and Accounts for the year ending 31 March 2022. The 2020-21 figure for Guernsey passport fees is lower than previous years, as Guernsey received a reduced number of passport applications due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Asked by: Lord Wallace of Saltaire (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask Her Majesty's Government how the (1) financial, and (2) other, contributions made by the Crown Dependencies to the UK in return for UK provision of (a) defence, (b) security, (c) international representation, and (d) other services, are reported to Parliament.
Answered by Lord Wolfson of Tredegar - Shadow Attorney General
It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before Dissolution. Ministers will correspond directly with the Member.
Asked by: Lord Wallace of Saltaire (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask Her Majesty's Government when they last negotiated with each of the three Crown Dependencies the (1) financial, and (2) other, contributions they should make in return for the UK Government (a) ensuring their security, and (b) representing their interests abroad.
Answered by Lord Wolfson of Tredegar - Shadow Attorney General
The Crown Dependencies are self-governing jurisdictions and do not receive funding from the UK Exchequer. The UK is constitutionally responsible for their defence and international relations, in recognition of which the Crown Dependencies make contributions to the UK Government, either financially (directly and indirectly) or by providing personnel. These contributions are based on longstanding arrangements with the Crown Dependencies that were last amended in 1987 for the Bailiwick of Guernsey, 1994 for the Isle of Man and 1988 for the Bailiwick of Jersey.
The Crown Dependencies’ contributions have not recently been reviewed and there are no plans to review them in the near future.
Asked by: Lord Wallace of Saltaire (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Taylor of Bolton on 7 July 2009 (WA 122), why the <i>Background briefing on the Crown Dependencies </i>on the Ministry of Justice website indicates that the maintenance costs of the Alderney breakwater form part of Guernsey’s annual voluntary contribution towards the cost of its "defence and international representation by the UK" when the Ministry of Defence ceded responsibility for the maintenance of that anchorage in 1950.
Answered by Lord Faulks
The background briefing paper to which the noble Lord refers correctly represents the current position. The United Kingdom is responsible for the defence and international representation of the Crown Dependencies, including the Bailiwick of Guernsey of which Alderney forms part. The Alderney breakwater was completed in 1865 to shelter Royal Navy vessels. In 1950 responsibility for its maintenance was transferred from the Ministry of Defence to the Home Office. The maintenance costs continued to be met by HM Government until 1 April 1987, when Guernsey assumed responsibility for maintaining the breakwater as part of its annual voluntary contribution towards the costs of defence and international representation undertaken by the UK.