Official's working from Caribbean criticised

A politician has criticised the oversight of a working arrangement which saw a senior civil servant operating from the British Virgin Islands (BVI) in the Caribbean.

Deputy Rob Curgenven said the fact the States of Guernsey's former Director of Population Managament Gary Salter was working from the BVI showed the "dysfunctional" way the civil service was managed.

In responses to questions from Curgenven, the Committee for Home Affairs (HA) also revealed the committee only found out Salter was working away from Guernsey when the BBC broke the news on 18 August.

Earlier this month, top civil servant Boley Smillie announced the former director of population management had left the role.

It followed political criticism of the arrangement that Salter was working from off Guernsey.

The population management function for the States of Guernsey has also been under fire for delays to the administration of permits.

States Chief Executive Boley Smillie said population management was set to be reviewed by internal auditors.

The answers to Curgenven's questions also revealed there were currently four members of staff working for HA from off-island.

The BBC has asked how many employees across the States were working off-island on 8 September but has not received an answer.

HA President Marc Leadbeater said: "The committee has been made aware that there are four individuals currently working for the committee who are based off-island.

"All are undertaking specialist functions either on secondment or fixed-term contracts.

"None of these individuals are statutory officials, consultants or have team management responsibilities."

Following Curgenven's States Rule 14 questions, HA admitted committee president Marc Leadbeater found out that Salter was working off-island in April 2026, while the rest of his committee found out on 18 August.

On receipt of the answers, Curgenven said: "Home Affairs now admit they knew the head of population management was based off-island, with the president having known since at least April.

"It once again highlights our dysfunctional and over-centralised government that the officer in charge of Guernsey's population was operating from the British Virgin Islands, some 4,000 miles away — something the committee's president himself acknowledged 'wasn't a good look', yet, on his own account, apparently had no power to do anything about it.

"This isn't a one-off failing: the backlog in the population management office has been building for years, and it's not an administrative inconvenience — it's actively affecting people's lives and businesses across the island, who are left waiting on permits they depend on to work and operate."

Smillie has committed to a review of the States' work from home policy before the end of this year.

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