Minister to face questioning over ferry contract

A cabinet minister is scheduled to answer inquiries concerning the process of securing an operator for Jersey’s ferry services. The States Assembly announced that an extra session of the Economic and International Affairs Scrutiny Panel has been arranged for Tuesday at 15:30 GMT to examine the management of the tender process. Deputy Montfort Tadier, who chairs the panel, requested this meeting, citing “unanswered questions” he intends to pose to Sustainable Economic Development Minister Deputy Kirsten Morel. On Wednesday, Minister Morel stated that a new, expedited tender procedure to identify an operator for ferry services through 2040 would commence this week, following the unsuccessful bids from DFDS and Condor. Previously, a collaborative tender process had been in progress, involving both Jersey and Guernsey. While the States of Guernsey last month designated Brittany Ferries – Condor’s parent company – as its preferred bidder, Jersey’s leadership has yet to finalize a decision. Morel informed the States Assembly that DFDS’s bid was unsuccessful due to a “technical, legal” issue. He further explained that Condor’s bid did not meet requirements in two mandatory scoring categories, specifically concerning the age of their fleet and the company’s financial standing.