Meetings of the States in 2011.

STATES OF JERSEY

MEETINGS OF THE STATES IN 2011

Presented to the States on 21st July 2010 by the Privileges and Procedures Committee

STATES GREFFE

2010   Price code: B  R.106

REPORT

The Privileges and Procedures Committee is required to fix dates for States meetings for the following year no later than the end of September each year. Standing Orders 3 and 4 read as follows –

3  Sessions of the States

1. There shall be 2 sessions of the States in each year during which they shall meet.
2. The 1st session shall start on the 3rd Tuesday in January and end no later than the last Tuesday in July.
3. The 2nd session shall start on the 2nd Tuesday in September and end no later than the 3rd Tuesday in December.

4  Planning days for meetings of the States

1. The PPC shall, no later than the end of September in each year, present to the States a list of days for meetings of the States in the 1st and 2nd sessions in the following year.
2. Ordinarily, a meeting day is a Tuesday.
3. The list may include continuation days.

The Committee is conscious that many members and others make plans many months in advance and PPC has therefore decided to fix meeting dates for 2011 before the 2010 summer recess. The dates are shown on the attached list.

Although the Greffier of the States suggested in February to the States Business Organisation Sub-Group that a 3 week cycle might be preferable to the currently fortnightly cycle, these proposed dates for 2011 have been drawn up on the usual fortnightly basis as 2011 is an election year and there is likely to be a significant volume of business to be considered. It would therefore seem unwise to introduce a 3 week cycle that has not previously been trialled in an election year.

The previous PPC decided that, as a matter of principle, States meetings should not take place during the school holidays if at all possible and the attached dates are in line with that decision.

In accordance with the requirements of Standing Orders, the first meeting of 2011 is on the third Tuesday of January, namely 18th January. The schools break up for Easter on Friday 8th April 2011; and to avoid a meeting on 12th April 2011 during the holidays a meeting will be held on 5th April 2011, one week after the meeting on 29th March 2011. The remaining meetings of the first session follow the normal fortnightly pattern with the exception of one 3 week gap at the end of May to avoid the school half-term.

The second session begins on the second Tuesday of September, namely 13th, as required by Standing Orders. This is followed by an additional meeting the following week, in order to allow for business to be concluded in advance of the required 21 day

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gap in States Sittings in advance of the single election day (Wednesday 19th October 2011). This is in accordance with Standing Order 7, which states that the States shall not meet during any period of 21 days ending with an ordinary election for Senators or Deputies. This gap is followed by the Budget debate during the Sitting commencing 8th November 2011.

The 6 Senators, 12 Connétable s and 29 Deputies elected on the single election day will be  sworn  in  on  Monday  14th  November  2011  and  the  first  Sitting  of  the  new Assembly will take place the same day for the election for the Chief Minister. The next 2 Sittings of the new States, Thursday 17th and Tuesday 22nd, are in accordance with  the  statutory  deadlines  set  out  in  Standing  Orders  for  other  appointments (although PPC recognises that this schedule may need to change if reforms are agreed in  response  to  the  proposition –  "Machinery  of  Government:  amended  structure" (P.70/2010) – lodged by Senator Breckon). Following the appointments, one meeting for normal' business for the new States will take place on 6th December before the Christmas recess.

R.106/2010

2011 SESSIONS

In accordance with Standing Order 38 I hereby give notice that the Privileges and Procedures Committee has fixed the following days for the holding of meetings of the States in 2011.

First Session

Continuation (if necessary) January 18th  January 19th and 20th February 1st  February 2nd and 3rd February 15th  February 16th and 17th March 1st  March 2nd and 3rd

March 15th  March 16th and 17th March 29th  March 30th and 31st

April 5th  April 6th and 7th

May 3rd  May 4th and 5th

May 17th  May 18th and 19th

June 7th  June 8th and 9th

June 21st  June 22nd and 23rd

July 5th  July 6th and 7th

July 18th (Monday)  July 19th, 20th and 21st

Second Session

September 13th  September 14th and 15th (Annual Business Plan 2012)

September 20th  September 21st and 22nd November 8th  November 9th and 10th

(Budget 2012)

Second Session (new States)

November 14th (Monday) Election of Chief Minister

November 17th (Thursday)  November 18th Election of Ministers and Chairmen

November 22nd (Tuesday)

Election of members of Committees and Panels

December 6th  December 7th and 8th

The meeting on 18th January 2011 will commence at 10.15 a.m. following a service of dedication at St. Helier 's Parish Church at 9.30 a.m. to which all members are invited. All other meetings will begin at 9.30 a.m. other than the meeting on Monday 18th July which will begin at 2.30 p.m. The first meeting of 2012 will be on 17th January 2012.

2011 States Meetings – School Holidays in yellow / States meetings in orange (S=1st meeting day, C= continuation day if needed)