The Policy & Resources Committee is the Senior Committee of the system of government in the Bailiwick of Guernsey. It was created on 1 May 2016 to replace the Policy Council of Guernsey.
Guernsey generally operates a system of government by committees and consensus. There were no registered political parties until 2020. The States of Deliberation is both parliament and executive, but it delegates most of its executive functions to policy-specific committees, which are known as the six principal committees, each of which is run by five political members, all of whom have equal voting power.
Objectives To provide advice for the States of Guernsey, to develop policies and programmes and to implement such policies when approved relating to: Leadership and co-ordination of the work of the States Fiscal policy, economic affairs and the financial and other resources of the States External relations and international and constitutional affairs Other matters which have been delegated to the Committee
Committee The committee is elected by States Deputies until the next general election. The next election will be in June 2025.
The current committee comprises a president and four members.
The president of the committee is the de facto head of government of Guernsey and may be given the title Chief Minister. The vice president may also use the title Deputy Chief Minister.
One person in the committee is nominated as Lead Person for External Affairs; the title Minister for External Affairs is sometimes used. PortfolioDeputyAppointedTitleNotesPresidentLindsay de Sausmarez1 July 2025Chief Minister Vice PresidentYvonne Buford26 May 2026Deputy Chief Minister Head of the TreasuryCharles Parkinson2 July 2025 Head of External Affairs Steve Falla2 July 2025 MemberAndrew Niles20 May 2026
Election The 40 States Deputies hold an election to determine the President, with successive rounds of voting continuing until an outright winner is elected. All candidates having to be proposed and seconded.
Shortly afterwards, the newly elected president may name his preferred committee members, however it is the votes of the States Deputies that elect the remaining four committee members. All candidates having to be proposed and seconded.
A lost vote to a motion of "no confidence" in the committee results in the immediate resignation of the President and Members of the Policy & Resources Committee, the States of Deliberation having no confidence in the said Committee and will result in an immediate election of first a new President and then the new committee members.
Avoidance of conflict of interest No person on the Committee may be a president or member of the six principal committees, or of the Scrutiny Management Committee, the Development & Planning Authority, or the Transport Licensing Authority.
Six principal committees
Committee for Economic Development Committee for Health & Social Care Committee for Education, Sport & Culture
Committee for Employment & Social Security Committee for the Environment & Infrastructure Committee for Home Affairs
Civil servants The Policy and Resources Committee is assisted by key civil servants:
Chief Executive Chief Strategy and Policy Officer Chief Operating Officer
States Treasurer Chief Information Officer
See also Politics of Guernsey List of current heads of government in the United Kingdom and dependencies Council of Ministers of the Isle of Man Council of Ministers of Jersey
References
External links States of Guernsey – Policy & Resources Committee