States Assembly Annual Report 2019

STATES ASSEMBLY ANNUAL REPORT 2019

PRIVILEGES AND PROCEDURES COMMITTEE October 2020

Foreword by the Bailiff of Jersey  

R.106/Fo2020reword by the Bailiff of Jersey

Forward by the Bailiff of Jersey

President of the States

This is the first occasion on which I have the privilege of introducing the Annual Report of the States Assembly and I am delighted to do so.

This will inevitably be a short introduction for two reasons. Firstly, I have only been President of the Assembly since October 2019 and, secondly, at the time of writing this, we are all facing challenges that we could not have anticipated when the Assembly conducted its business in 2019. Those challenges and how the Assembly is dealing with them, will be I am sure part at least of the introduction to the report for 2020!

It seems to me that in 2019 the Assembly conducted a full range of business, and of course, passed important propositions and legislation. The business of the Assembly in doing so was divided almost equally between matters brought by Ministers and those by individual Members. From the perspective of the chair the Assembly's tradition of robust questioning of Ministers certainly continued in 2019 as, indeed, it should.

I do not propose to refer to specific items of legislation other than to mention that, of course, the Assembly adopted the Government Plan in December 2019 for 2020-2023. It was a long debate as was justified by such a substantial matter.

For me, of course, 2019 was a very significant year. The former President of the Assembly, Sir William Bailhache , stepped down and I took over that role in his stead. Many tributes were paid to Sir William at the time of his retirement as Bailiff and I don't propose in this introduction so do more than to say that he served the Island and the Assembly well in the offices of Attorney General, Deputy Bailiff and Bailiff and, I believe that we were lucky to have him in those offices at sometimes difficult times. Although he continues to serve in a judicial capacity, I am sure that all Members wish him well in his retirement from the office of Bailiff .

Although I had presided over the Assembly as Deputy Bailiff for a number of years, it is different to do so as Bailiff . I am conscious of the tradition and responsibility that the office of Bailiff carries with it. I see the role of the Bailiff in the Assembly as, within Standing Orders, ensuring that robust questioning can take place and any debate can proceed in an orderly and fair manner.

It is too soon for me, I think, to make, as Presiding Officer, observations about the operation of the Assembly so I will hold off for at least until next year about which, as I have already mentioned, there will be much to say.

As always, the smooth operation of the Assembly relies on a competent and committed States Greffe. Members will I am sure agree that the States Greffe serves the Assembly and the Presiding Officer in an exemplary way and I congratulate the Greffier and his team. Again, more is to be said next year

I am delighted to commend this report for 2019. Timothy John Le Cocq , Bailiff of Jersey

Introduction by Deputy Russell Labey

Chair, Privileges and Procedures Committee

I enthusiastically introduce the States Assembly Annual Report, 2019, a document unlikely to find itself on the coffee tables of the majority of Island homes but will nevertheless be pored over in forensic detail by those fascinated with how our Legislative Assembly performs and keen to hold it to account. I place myself firmly in that category; an Assembly anorak; I relish my role as chairman of Privileges and Procedures, the committee responsible for the smooth running of our parliament.

I had decided to take this opportunity to dispel the myth that States Members spend the majority of their time in the Chamber, "talking about ourselves". I now realise that in 2019 PPC was one of the most prolific proposers of propositions, a total of 10, all relating to the workings of the Assembly.

Subjects included making it easier to ask Urgent Oral Questions (won by 34 votes to 13); making it faster to lodge propositions (41 pour, 7 contre); replacing officially the term chairman' with chair' - not obligatory as you'll see above! (29 pour 10 contre); making the declaration of shareholding interests more explicit (34 pour, 15 contre) and introducing time limits on speeches (26 pour 19 contre).

The voting figures reveal I always receive a challenge, with 49 members of the Assembly there are invariably 49 different views on any given procedure; 48 "Assembly anoraks" like me, passionate parliamentarians, I wouldn't have it any other way.

The closest of the votes above was for the introduction of time limits to speeches. The reticence of the 19 is understood, it's a big change. Given time to reflect, it is hoped that when these measures return to the Assembly this autumn for ratification, more will view them as a way to improve debates and time management.

With or without time limits this document proves that we do not spend the majority of our time navel-gazing. Far from it. Debating how we operate doesn't push other items off the agenda and is fundamental to enhancing our democracy.

In October Sir William Bailhache left office as Bailiff and President of the States. This gives me the opportunity, in a first for the Annual Report, to present some statistics on the Presiding Officer's performance! I'll do so by quoting from the customary address I gave on Sir William's final appearance in the chair

There were 5 Royal Visits during your term as Bailiff , and 30 visits from significant overseas visitors to the Island.

Your tenure as Bailiff has spanned a number of 100th anniversaries, chief amongst them the Great War, the Somme, and the Armistice Centenary. You were instrumental in re- establishing our links with Guillemont, you brought home the Heart of the Guillemont Stone to the Royal Square and who can forget those very moving repatriation ceremonies?

On average you've attended 140 events each year - including concerts and shows, receptions and exhibition openings, conferences, sporting events, local visits to hospital or Post Office, and a never ending supply of lunches and dinners for charities and clubs and associations."

All in addition to presiding in Assembly or Court. Pretty impressive.

We wished Sir William well and warmly welcomed our new President, Timothy Le Cocq QC, who is currently making history in the Assembly but that is a matter for next years report

The States Greffe manage operations and can be seen in the Chamber (in black robes) seated at the desk in front of the Bailiff but 95% of their work is carried out in the engine room of Morier House. Members rely to a huge extent on their inexhaustible assistance, expertise and advice and I record our grateful thanks to the Greffier, Dr Mark Egan, the Deputy Greffier, Miss Lisa Hart , the Assistant Greffiers, Mr. William Millow and Mr Tim Oldham as well as to each and every member of Greffe staff. I also extend those thanks to the Legislative Drafting Office who make a welcome first appearance in this annual report.

The electoral reform proposition, resulting from the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association Election Observers Mission to Jersey, was lodged by PPC in December 2019 but debated and defeated earlier this year.

Attempting to address all the major concerns highlighted, in one go' proved too great a challenge, although the vote was closer (26 contre, 20 pour) than failed previous attempts of the last 20 years, since the Clothier Report was published as a pre-echo to the EOM findings. Clearly compromise is called for, from all of us, if we are to make any progress before the next election in 2022.

The Assembly did agree as part of that proposition (28 pour, 18 contre) that "fair representation and equality in voting weight and power across the whole population should be the basis for any reform of the composition and election of the States".

This is what it's all about, the voter, fair representation for all, greater participation by those thus far unengaged and why debates on electoral reform should never result in politicians, "talking about ourselves".

States Assembly 2019

Overview

The Assembly sat on 35 days in 2019, one more than in 2018. The total sitting time was 190 hours and 7 minutes, almost identical to 2018.

Most of the Assembly's time (133 hours) was spent on public business' – debating propositions and legislation. Just over one half of that time was spent on propositions and laws proposed by the executive – including the Council of Ministers and individual Ministers. The remaining time was spent on propositions brought by individual Members and committees (particularly the Privileges and Procedures Committee). 32 propositions from individual Members were debated during the year, compared to 24 in 2018 and 34 in 2017.

Ministers (and others) were asked 285 questions, with advance notice of the subject, compared to 211 in 2018. As usual, the Chief Minister was the most questioned Minister. There was also over 9 hours of questions asked without notice, with the Chief Minister asked the most questions.

There was a big increase in the number of questions requiring a written answer, from 284 to 529.

More data about the States Assembly in 2019 can be found in Appendix 4.

Significant debates

Overview

132 dates took place in the States Chamber during 2019. Amongst the more noteworthy topics discussed by members were the following:

Perhaps the most significant policy matter brought by the Council of Ministers to the Assembly was Government Plan 2020–2023 (P.71/2019). In adopting the Plan, the Assembly approved proposals and limits for both States income and States expenditure, as well as capital expenditure for Government projects and the establishment of the Climate Emergency Fund. Members debated the Plan over 5 days, including various amendments lodged by Scrutiny Panels and Members in their own right, before it was adopted – as amended – on 2nd December 2019.

A number of items of legislation were adopted during the course of the year. On 4th June 2019, the Assembly adopted the Public Finances (Jersey) Law (P.28/2019) following a referral to the Corporate Services Scrutiny Panel for review. Proposed by the Minister for Treasury  and  Resources,  the  Law  established  a  framework  for  the  governance  and administration of public finances, replacing the provisions of the Law's 2005 predecessor. The Government Plan brought forward later in the year was the first fruit of this reform.

Following  the recommendations  of  the  Independent  Jersey  Care  Inquiry,  the  Assembly adopted the Commissioner for Children and Young People (Jersey) Law (P.18/2019) on 30th April 2019 (following a review by the Care of Children in Jersey Review Panel). It had been a recommendation of the Inquiry that a Commissioner be appointed; and whilst this had already occurred, the Law placed the role on a legislative footing.

On  10th  December  2019,  the  Children  and  Education  (Amendment)  Jersey  Law (P.112/2019) was adopted. In approving the Law the Assembly removed the remaining provisions in Jersey Law relating to the corporal punishment of children: effectively banning the smacking of children. In doing so, Jersey became the first jurisdiction in the British Isles to introduce such a ban. The legislation implemented an earlier decision of the Assembly to approve Children (Jersey) Law 2002: repeal of Article 79 (P.144/2018) that had been lodged by Deputy Mary Le Hegarat .

The Minister for Social Security brought the Employment (Amendment No. 11) (Jersey) Law (P.100/2019) to the Assembly for debate. Approved on 24th October 2019, the Law enhanced family-friendly employment rights in the Island, improving access to parental leave and introducing new rights relating to breastfeeding breaks and facilities. The same Minister also lodged the Social Security (Amendment of Law No.11) (Jersey) Regulations (P.110/2019) to give effect to revenue-raising proposals that had been set out in the Government Plan. The Regulations were adopted on 2nd December 2019.

Brexit continued to be a source of debate, as it had in previous years, since the result of the referendum in the U.K. that the country should leave the European Union. Nine sets of Regulations were brought to the Assembly, and approved, as the States prepared for the U.K.'s exit from the E.U. and the potential ramifications for Jersey.

There have been a number of significant debates in recent years about the plans for a new hospital; and this continued in 2019. On 13th February 2019, the Assembly adopted Future Hospital: rescindment of Gloucester Street as preferred site (P.5/2019). Lodged by Deputy Russell Labey , the proposition's adoption (as amended) saw the Assembly agree to revisit the choice of location for the new hospital so that a new site-selection process could be undertaken. However, this process would not involve People's Park, Lower Park, Victoria Park, Westmount Gardens or Parade Gardens.

Reform of the Assembly also remained on the political radar. On 3rd May 2019, the Assembly debated Elected Speaker and Deputy Speaker of the States Assembly: selection and appointment (P.31/2019), lodged by Senator Sam Mézec . Howeverm the proposition to replace the Bailiff as Presiding Officer of the Assembly, although amended, was ultimately withdrawn. Establishment of an elected Speaker (P.47/2019), which touched upon the same subject and which had been lodged by Senator John Le Fondré, was then rejected on 2nd July 2019. There was, however, no debate in 2019 about reform of the elected elements of the States. The Privileges and Procedures Committee lodged Reform of the composition and election of the States (P.46/2020) but it was withdrawn on 24th August 2019.

As in previous years, a number of propositions were brought for debate by independent members. On 1st May 2019, the Assembly adopted Deputy Rob Ward 's proposition, Climate change emergency: actions to be taken by the Government of Jersey (P.27/2019), which led to the Assembly to declare a climate emergency in the Island. On 19th June 2019, however, the Assembly rejected the majority of the same Deputy 's proposition Bus services: proposals to make free of charge (P.52/2019). On 4th June, 2019, the Assembly adopted as  amended  Cats:  additional  protection  when  involved  in  road  traffic  accidents (P.30/2019), which had been lodged by Deputy Jeremy Maçon.

On 27th March 2019, the Assembly adopted a proposition of Deputy Trevor Pointon, Justice and Home Affairs: cessation of restructure (P.24/2019), thereby providing a framework for the Government's proposed re-organisation of the Department of Justice and Home Affairs. Deputy Montfort Tadier saw his proposition, Proposed Government Plan 2020–23: increase in revenue expenditure on the arts, heritage and culture (P.40/2019) adopted on 3rd May 2019 whilst Deputy Russell Labey gained the Assembly's approval of his proposition, Green Street: proposal to make one-way (P.50/2019) on 4th June 2019. The Assembly adopted the amended proposition of Deputy Kirsten Morel , Consultants: reporting on their use by the Government of Jersey (P.59/2019), on 16th July 2019, thereby requiring the Council of Ministers to report regularly to the Assembly on the use of consultants.

Scrutiny 2019

Overview

2019  was  a  challenging  year  for  the  Assembly's  Scrutiny  Panels  and  Public  Accounts Committee, largely owing to the work programme associated with the Government's move from a four-yearly Medium-Term Financial Plan to an annual Government Plan, and a heavy programme of other business throughout the year.

The first half of the year saw the publication of reports into Mental Health, Family Friendly Employment Rights, Population and Migration policy, Revenue Administration Law, Post-16 Education, Legal Aid, Brexit Readiness, and Reducing the Use of Plastics in Jersey, amongst others. Over this period, the Assembly's Scrutiny function was able to have a substantial influence on Government policy, a notable example being the Health & Social Security Scrutiny Panel's review into Mental Health leading to the creation of both a new Ministerial post in the form of the Assistant Minister for Mental Health and the increased priority from the Government on this important issue.

In the second half of the year, the collective focus shifted to reviewing the Government Plan 2020 – 2023. Owing to its size and policy reach, it was agreed that each Scrutiny Panel, alongside the Care of Children in Jersey Review Panel, should review specific sections of the Plan to maximise the effectiveness of Scrutiny and provide the attention it required, whilst being coordinated by the Government Plan Review Panel, formed of members of the Scrutiny Liaison Committee. The resulting report was the largest ever published from within the Scrutiny function and resulted in 11 amendments being lodged to the Plan. The Assembly supported Scrutiny proposals to obtain additional funds for the Island's sports facilities, changes to the Long-Term Care Charge, and the first increase to the Food Costs Bonus in five years.

Throughout  the  year,  Scrutiny  Panels  have  continued  to  ensure  that  the  full  range  of mechanisms  available  to  them  were  used  to  hold  both  Ministers  and  the  rest  of  the Government of Jersey to account. This included questions and statements in the States Assembly, public quarterly hearings, comments in traditional and social media, and all other means available to it.

A full list of official publications by Scrutiny Panels and the PAC can be found in Appendix 3.

Significant scrutiny work

Assessment of Mental Health Services

The Health and Social Security Scrutiny Panel's report into the state of the Island's mental health services proved to be one of the most effective reviews in recent years. Initially launched in 2018, the Panel set out to examine the quality of inpatient and outpatient care, as well as community and child and adolescent services.

The Panel launched a survey between October and December 2018, inviting members of the public to describe both positive and negative experiences of accessing and using mental health services in Jersey, alongside submissions and private hearings from both Islanders and service providers.

The Panel's report, presented in March 2019, identified that a number of problems stemmed from mental and physical health not being treated equally, with the quality of the mental health estate being described as "completely unacceptable". The report also noted a sustained lack of investment in mental health services, understaffing and a struggle to fill vacant posts. As a result, in its report, the Panel recommended the need for increased financial investment and more home-grown talent to address these issues.

Following the publication of the report, the Panel secured an in-committee debate for States Members to share their experiences with mental health and identify ways of improving it, with the Chief Minister announcing that Senator Steve Pallett would be appointed as the Island's first Assistant Minister for Mental Health, with responsibility for improving the quality of mental health care in the Island.

Deputy Mary Le Hegarat , Chair of the Health & Social Security Scrutiny Panel said:

"We wanted to make sure that the people who use mental health services were at the heart of our review. It is clear from the evidence we received that Jersey's mental health services are falling short of people's needs and expectations. If the Government wants to have high quality, safe  and  modern  health  services,  it  should  provide  stronger  leadership  and  significant investment."

Family Friendly Employment Rights

Work on this area of legislation was composed of two reviews undertaken by the Economic and International Affairs Scrutiny Panel on the Minister for Social Security's proposals to extend family friendly employment rights. This included the plan to extend leave for all new parents from 26 weeks to 52 weeks.

The first review focused on a consultation process undertaken by the Employment Forum and the possible impact the changes might have on businesses and the Island's wider economy. In its report, the Panel concluded that the consultation undertaken was unlikely to have reached a sufficiently broad number of stakeholders, and any assessment of the impact of existing legislation was not as thorough as it should have been because an insufficient number of employers were consulted.

The legislation was withdrawn in February 2019 due to a legislative issue identified by the Minister. The proposals were relodged in September 2019 and the Panel conducted a second review that focused on following-up the work it had undertaken during its first review. Overall, the Panel's second report welcomed the Minister incorporating most of its proposed changes into the revised proposals, but noted that further changes would be required to ensure that the proposals would limit any unintended consequences for families, Islanders and employees.

Deputy Kirsten Morel , Chair of the Economic and International Affairs Scrutiny Panel said:

"The Panel's findings are clear and unambiguous but our conclusions should not take away from the positive elements and intentions of the proposals, which include the desire for cultural change so men and women are seen as equally responsible for childcare."

Post-16 Education

As a result of the previous Education and Home Affairs Scrutiny Panel's work in respect of student finance, and the previous States Assembly's decision to fund higher education for eligible students, it was deemed important to conduct a review of the provisions available in the Island for further study after the completion of GCSEs.

Post-16 education relates to the learning opportunities for young people (and adults) after compulsory education has been completed. One is to undertake A-Levels at one of the four fee-paying and one non-fee-paying schools and the other is to study either academic or vocational qualifications courses at Highlands Courses.

The Education and Home Affairs Scrutiny Panel collected evidence and held public hearings with the heads of all the post-16 education providers, alongside Skills Jersey, industry representative groups and the Minister for Education. In collaboration with the firm Island Ark, the Panel also conducted a survey of 2,000 local students who were studying post-16 courses and those looking ahead to study them and compared what post-16 education looks like in other countries compared to what is on offer in Jersey.

In its report, the Panel found several barriers to post-16 education, including that one half of those surveyed felt having sufficient finances was a barrier to accessing post-16 education, and that nearly two thirds of those currently studying post-16 courses are doing so within the non-fee paying schools. The Panel discussed these issues with officers in the Department for Children, Young People, Education and Skills as well as with the Minister for Education and recommended that further investigation into the merits, value and implications of removing the financial barriers that may exist for students to access all post-16 education is carried out, including the current bursary arrangements and identifying a future funding model for post-16 education. The Panel also recommended that consideration be given to the integration of provision at Highlands College and Hautlieu School in order to increase the access to a wider range of courses for young people.

Deputy Rob Ward , Chair of the Education and Home Affairs Scrutiny Panel, said:

"We have made recommendations based on evidence, including a survey of 2,000 local students. We would like to thank all everyone who contributed to the review and hope this is the beginning of an ongoing dialogue that has the future of our young people, the education they can access, and the quality of their lives at the heart of its agenda."

Reducing the Use of Plastics in Jersey

There is currently no definitive commitment to phase-out single-use plastics, with only six per cent of the Island's plastic waste being recycled in 2016. As a result of this, the Environment, Housing and Infrastructure Scrutiny Panel undertook a review of what was being done and what could be done in Jersey to reduce the level of plastic waste and improve recycling methods in the Island.

The Panel received submissions from a number of local businesses, representative groups, members of the public and campaigning bodies who each outlined their views on the use and disposal of plastic in Jersey, and how they believed it could be improved.

The Panel's report identified a need for a more unified and consistent approach to kerbside recycling collections, with only half of the Parishes offering this at the time of publication. The Panel also recommended that Jersey cold look to encourage plastic reduction through public water fountains/refill stations and a bottle deposit scheme and suggested that Jersey should adopt the same regulatory bans the EU are looking to introduce on many single-use plastics.

Connétable Mike Jackson , Chair of the Environment, Housing and Infrastructure Scrutiny Panel, said:

"As the evidence gathered during our review shows, public awareness initiatives need to be complemented with more robust economic and regulatory policy measures, in order to achieve notable reductions in the use of plastic. As a Panel, we urge the Minister for the Environment to align with the European Union and ban all avoidable single-use plastics."

Population and Migration

 In  March  2019,  the  Chief  Minister  announced  the  establishment  of  a Migration  Policy Development  Board,  which  was  designed  to  develop  comprehensive  migration  policy proposals to help deliver the Island more responsive controls over who can come to live, work and access public services in Jersey.

The Corporate Services Scrutiny Panel subsequently established a review to analyse the Government's approach to this ambition, the remit of the aforementioned Policy Development Board and how it was working in practice and to hear the views of both the public and relevant stakeholders.

During its review, the Panel held public hearings with Ministers, the Children's Commissioner and business representatives, and received written submissions from members of the public and engaged with them on social media so as to identify a range of views on the current system of migration in Jersey and whether they were satisfied with it. The Panel also reviewed the Board's interim report, which was published in October 2019.

In its report, the Panel noted a series of issues that they believe need to be addressed before a suitable migration policy can be delivered. This included a lack of representation of major Island industries, a failure to satisfactorily consider the diversity of members of the Board, and an  overall  lack  of  progress  within  the  timeframe  provided.  The  Panel  subsequently recommended that the Board should reflect on its diversity, add a younger voice to its membership, include a commitment to examining the human rights implications of a new Migration Policy, and include the voices of children and young people in its work.

The Migration Policy Development Board published its final report in March 2020, and it remains to be seen what impact the Panel's review will have on the final Migration Policy, thanks to its delay as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Deputy Jess Perchard, Lead Member of the Corporate Services Scrutiny Panel for this Review, said:

"We are in dire need of a new Population and Migration policy. There is no doubt that the introduction of such a policy, when it comes, will be welcome. However, in addition to simply having this policy, the content will be of paramount importance to the future economic success of businesses, the environmental sustainability and state of the island, and the mental health and political engagement of Islanders.

Is There a Gender Pay Gap In Jersey?

The then Chairmen's Committee' established the Gender Pay Gap Review in 2018 to examine whether there is a gender pay gap in Jersey (the measure of the difference between men's and women's average earnings in the labour market).  

The Panel used a number of methods to collect data on this topic and received a wide range of views and opinions from a variety of stakeholders on this issue. The Panel found that there are noticeable differences in the average earnings between men and women in Jersey, with men in the public sector on average earning 13.6% more than women.

The Panel's report identified a number of factors that contribute to the creation of this gap, including gender stereotypes, occupational segregation, unconscious bias, the glass ceiling', domestic commitments and caring responsibilities. The Panel separated these into two main areas – structural and cultural. The structural issues included policies and working practices that create barriers for women, whilst the cultural issues such as stereotypical views and values create biases against women's capabilities in the workplace.

The Panel therefore recommended that the Government of Jersey should lead the way in publishing comprehensive data on the public sector gender pay gap and should implement appropriate initiatives and strategies to address it, including encouraging businesses in the private sector to follow suit. This included taking immediate action to close it.

Deputy Louise Doublet , Chair of the Gender Pay Gap Review Panel, said:

"This has been an extensive and in-depth review which has concluded that there is a gender pay gap in Jersey. The crux of the matter is collecting the necessary statistical data to assess the extent of the problem in Jersey's economy... We will follow-up on the review once our recommendations, if accepted, have had time to bed in and take effect."

Government Plan 2020 – 2023

The 2020-23 Government Plan brought together spending proposals for 2020, indicative spending plans for 2021-23, revenue raising proposals for 2020 and details of major projects to be undertaken by the Government of Jersey during the period of the plan. It replaced the previous MediumTerm Financial Plan, which had been agreed in stages in 2015 and 2016, and the annual Budget.

Owing to the size and novelty of the Plan, the Scrutiny Liaison Committee agreed that all of its members would also form the membership of the Government Plan Review Panel to coordinate the collective efforts of the Scrutiny Panels and the Care of Children in Jersey Review Panel. Each undertook a review of specific components of the Plan relevant to their remit, with Corporate Services also focusing on the budgetary aspects.

Over the course of the review, Panels worked with an independent expert from the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy to understand the financial soundness of the Plan, and with 4Insight to run a series of focus groups looking at the views held by members of the public on the Plan. Scrutiny Panels also held public hearings with Ministers and collected submissions from relevant stakeholders.

Each of the Panels' reports formed a section of a fully-collated report running to 531 pages. The Review Panel concluded that greater cooperation from the Government prior to the Plan being lodged would have allowed for a smoother scrutiny process, with not enough information being placed in the public domain and details of the efficiencies programme being released too late for adequate scrutiny to occur and many published business cases lacking the necessary financial breakdown for proper scrutiny. The Review Panel also concluded that the overall Plan failed to address explicitly how it took the sustainable well-being of Islanders into account, as required by the Public Finances (Jersey) Law 2019.

The Panel subsequently recommended that there needs to be a greater emphasis on the Plan as a budget document rather than a policy document, that it should not make unilateral decisions on broad policy direction without the approval of the Assembly, that details of efficiencies should be released at the same time that the Government Plan is lodged, and that detailed analysis will be required on how future efficiencies have been scoped and calculated.

Owing to the economic impact of COVID-19, the 2020-23 Government Plan is set to be replaced by a Recovery Plan for 2021 and Scrutiny Panels are working together to take the lessons learned from this review into the next one in what will be a compressed timeline.

Senator Kristina Moore , Chair of the Government Plan Review Panel, said at the time:

"The approach taken by Scrutiny for the review of the Government Plan was novel, highly detailed and extremely time-consuming. Importantly though, it worked. We hope that the public access this report, in whole or in part, to see the valuable work undertaken by Scrutiny."

Improving Scrutiny: developments and initiatives

De-Gendering Titles

Through a collaboration between the Privileges and Procedures Committee and the then Chairmen's Committee, Standing Orders were amended in July 2019 to replace any reference to a title of chairman' or chairmen' with the term chair' or chairs' in respect of bodies operating within the States Assembly, including Scrutiny, PAC and Review Panels.

This initiative has been designed to help de-gender the States Assembly, and is in keeping with the Island's statute book, which was de-gendered in 2004. Therefore, the only reference to a gender are those that are explicitly relevant, such as legislation relating to pregnancy. In the same change to Standing Orders, the Chairmen's Committee was renamed the Scrutiny Liaison Committee' to ensure both gender neutrality and better-reflect the remit of the Committee.

Expanding the Role of the Economic Affairs Panel

Following the creation of the role of Minister for International Development following Senator John Le Fondré's election as Chief Minister, consideration was given by the Scrutiny Liaison Committee to identifying which Scrutiny Panel would be most appropriate to take on the responsibility for scrutinising this aspect of the work of the Council of Ministers.

In doing so, it identified overlap between the work of the Corporate Services Scrutiny Panel and the Economic Affairs Scrutiny Panel on matters relating to the Minister for External Relations. It was subsequently agreed that the work of the Economic Affairs Scrutiny Panel should be expanded to take the scrutiny of both Ministers. Following the approval of an amendment to Standing Orders, the States Assembly accepted this change and Economic Affairs was renamed the Economic and International Affairs Scrutiny Panel.

Enhancing the Powers of Review Panels

Review Panels have enjoyed increased attention over the course of this Assembly, with a growing number of them providing an effective way to scrutinise significant cross-cutting matters, whilst benefitting from inherent flexibility.  

Examples include the Government Plan, Brexit, Care of Children, Future Hospital, Gender Pay Gap, and One Gov, each taking on significant work of a wide-ranging scope. However, over the course of their existence there have been procedural constraints that have limited the effectiveness of these Panels and created inefficiency in the process.

Therefore, following the acceptance of an amendment to Standing Orders by the States Assembly, Review Panels are now able to lodge propositions in their own name, present reports and comments in their own name, and have relevant draft propositions and legislation referred directly to them during their development and/or passage through the Assembly, subject to consultation and approval of the Scrutiny Liaison Committee.

It is also hoped that these changes will reduce some of the confusion experienced in public and stakeholder engagement, due to their work up until this point being routed through the Scrutiny Liaison Committee.

Webcasting

Live online broadcasts of public hearings held by Scrutiny Panels and the PAC were initially introduced in 2018. The webcasts have now become an important feature of public engagement with the work of the Assembly's Scrutiny Panels and the PAC, and are accessible via a link on the States Assembly website. Viewers can watch hearings live or on catch-up, with the webcast of each hearing available to view for six months.

Legislative Drafting Office

Overview

This is the first time that the Legislative Drafting Office (LDO), to give it its new name, has been included in this annual report, 2019 seeing the LDO being joined administratively with the States Greffe, while keeping its distinct identity. The Office first came into existence as a separate entity in 1992 when the roles of Law Draftsman and Greffier of the States were split. The two offices have however always remained closely linked and under current arrangements they now share a budget, with the Principal Legislative Drafter reporting to the Greffier.

Our staff

The LDO is headed by the Principal Legislative Drafter, Lucy Marsh-Smith , who took up her post in February 2018. Her deputy is Matthew Waddington, promoted from drafter in August 2019. There are 11.5 posts in the team in total.

Most of the legislative drafters joined us from the UK but we have now welcomed to our team a local Advocate as a trainee and temporary experienced drafters from Canada, Australia and New Zealand due to peaks of work occasioned by Brexit and the Government response to the Independent Jersey Care Inquiry.

The administrative team was expanded this year with the recruitment of a legislation editor for the first time.

In November 2019 Matthew Waddington was commended in the innovation category at the OneGov awards for his work on the international Rules as Code project, exploring with colleagues in several Commonwealth countries the use of technology in the process of formulating legislation.

Lucy   Marsh-Smith  and  Matthew  Waddington  attended  the  biennial  conference  of  the Commonwealth Association of Legislative Counsel (CALC) in Livingstone, Zambia in April, Lucy in her capacity as the CALC Europe Region representative. Lucy presented a paper on "Introducing change and innovation into a legislative drafting office", a topic that reflected a significant year of change in the LDO. Matthew also presented a paper entitled "Formal logic as a helpful tool for drafting – human v artificial intelligence?", representing his on-going work on the topic. They also attended a second conference that followed on from the CALC event organised by the Commonwealth Association of Law Reform Agencies.

Law drafters also attended a lecture in London in July, to celebrate 150 years of the establishment of the Office of Parliamentary Counsel, on the impact of Brexit on the UK statute book; and an event held jointly with the UK Law Commission consisting of a one-day conference entitled "Law and Legislation: the next 150 years".

Our achievements

2019 was another busy year for the Legislative Drafting Office, not only in terms of the legislation produced but because a number of internal reforms were implemented.  

One of the main focuses of the year was to bring forward changes that would improve the efficiency and output of the drafters, reduce errors and enable more draft legislation to be produced at less cost. The changes we introduced in 2019 included:

• New drafting templates designed to speed up the drafting process by eliminating a number of manual functions, both at the drafting stage and when draft legislation is taken through its various stages towards making.

• Plans to replace the annual revised edition of Jersey legislation, which showed the statute book updated to a fixed date in the past, with legislation being published in consolidated form so tht up to date legislation is accessible online at all times. This change has been supported by improvements to the jerseylaw.je website to facilitate accessibility and is being underpinned by a draft Legislation Law which will be brought forward for the Assembly's consideration shortly.

• The recruitment of our very first trainee, a local Advocate, and the establishment of a training regime to enable local lawyers to train as drafters.

• The appointment of the first legislation editor to check all draft legislation from a non- legal point of view to complement the legal review from another drafter and reduce errors in legislation. Equally importantly, this role is to manage the running of the office and the legislation database to ensure it is kept up to date.

• The move from a system of paper filing to a case management system to store each drafting matter electronically and enable recording of data to facilitate the management of all drafting projects. The Drafting Office Management Information System (DOMIS) was installed ready to go live early in 2020.

• Establishing as a regular event a training course, with accompanying manual, for policy officers on how to instruct the drafter. The course and manual aim to improve the quality of drafting instructions, which is expected to have a positive effect on the quality and speed of drafting.

• Establishment of Saver (Jèrriais for "to know") as the office wiki to be a dynamic repository for up to date drafting and procedural information to enable improved access to and use of current and standard approaches to drafting and publishing legislation.

In addition, we set up our own LinkedIn and Twitter accounts to make people more aware of our work.

Legislation passed 2000-2019

300 250 200 150

100 50 0

20002001200220032004200520062007200820092010201120122013201420152016201720182019

Laws R&Os

Public engagement and outreach

Vote.je

In early 2019 there was a by-election to fill the vacancy in St Helier District 3/4 following the death of Deputy Richard Rondel in November 2018. Vote.je provided information to the prospective candidates and voters within the district and filmed one of the three hustings events which were held. There were 10 candidates and vote.je published and circulated a booklet, containing their manifestos, to all households in the district. A pre-poll station was established in Morier House from 18th to 25th February 2019, and 315 voters took advantage of this option and voted in advance, whilst another 16 voted by post. The by-election was held on 27th February 2019 and a further 1262 votes were cast, a turnout of 18.65% (1600 votes/8576 on electoral register). Inna Gardiner topped the poll with 391 votes and was sworn in as a Deputy on 1st March 2019.

Primary School visits to the States Chamber/Citizenship Programme

The school visit scheme, which involved all Year 5 primary school children (aged 9 and 10), from both the States-funded and private sectors, ran throughout the school year and enabled each school to visit the States Chamber on a Monday morning.

The children sat in the seats usually occupied by States Members, and used the voting system during a mini-debate on a topic of their choice. On each occasion, three of the children took the rôles of the Greffier, the Dean and the Usher.

During 2019, 33 visits were held and 881 Year 5 children visited the States Chamber. Each child was presented with: a copy of their proposition, an Order Paper, an information sheet concerning the States Member whose seat they had taken, and a certificate to commemorate their involvement in the visit.

The scheme aims to encourage local children to take more of an interest in how their Island is governed, and dovetails with the citizenship curriculum to promote participation in elections, especially since the reduction in the voting age to 16.

Debate topics during 2019 included proposals to change the school day to mornings only, limit computer games to over 18's, accept unaccompanied child refugees into the Island and ban smacking.

Youth Service Politics Workshops

The Deputy Greffier continued to work closely with Youth Service colleagues and ran 6 sessions in Autumn 2019 for Hautlieu Year 10 pupils as part of the Personal, Social, Health and Economic curriculum for the fourth year in a row.

Youth forums

In Autumn 2019, the Deputy Greffier attended the first Schools Council events held at Highlands College in which student Council representatives from primary and secondary schools came together to voice their opinions on issues which impacted upon them, which could then be fed back to States Members. It is envisaged that this group could also provide a valuable sounding board for new policies. Discussions were also ongoing with contacts in the Youth Service to develop and establish a new Youth Parliament (Youth Connect) in order that the views of young people in the Island could be heard.

Youth Assembly and other youth debates

The 22nd Jersey Youth Assembly was held in the States Chamber on 19th March 2019. The young people were welcomed to the Chamber by the Bailiff of Jersey, who Chaired the beginning of the event, before the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association Branch Chair, Deputy Carolyn Labey of Grouville took over as Chair for the remainder of the afternoon. 28 young people participated from four schools and colleges, sadly one school was unable to attend due to staff strikes.

The  event  began  with  Question  time,  where  several  Ministers  and  Assistant  Ministers answered questions from the students on a range of topics, including electoral reform, blood donors, preserving Jèrriais and the introduction of rental caps.

The topics covered during the debates were that:

• Jersey should introduce a new immigration policy based on the Australian points system (15 Pour/9 Contre/4 Abstentions)

• changes should be made to the secondary school system in Jersey

(10 Pour/13 Contre/4 Abstentions)

• diversity  quotas  should  be  introduced  to  ensure  that  the  States  Assembly  fairly represents the population of Jersey

(15 Pour/9 Contre/4 Abstentions)

• job applications should be anonymised until the candidates are selected for interview (13 Pour/13 Contre/2 Abstentions)

The Chamber was also the venue on 15th November 2019 for the annual Rotary Peace debate which featured students from eight of the Island's secondary schools. In 2019, this event was renamed in honour of the Island's former Chief Adviser Colin Powell OBE and his widow Jenny presented a trophy to students from Jersey College for Girls whose contributions were deemed to have been the most impressive throughout the various debates on the theme of climate change. The event was Chaired by the Bailiff of Jersey and featured an introduction from the Minister for the Environment, Deputy John Young of St. Brelade .

Visits

During 2019 a wide range of visitors were welcomed to the Chamber for tours, including St. Mary 's Silver Lily group, young people from the Prince's Trust, visitors from Canada, New Zealand and Australia as well as a large group from various U.K. W.I. branches and also a group of visitors as part of the Festival of Words. The Assistant Greffier (Chamber) conducted one tour in French for students visiting from Rennes and delegates were also welcomed from the Commonwealth Women Parliamentarian's BIMR Branch conference which Jersey hosted in September 2019.

Corn Riots

The States Greffe joined forces with the Bailiff 's Chambers to mark 250 years since Jersey's Corn Riots' ,which saw hundreds of people storm Jersey's Royal Court to protest against the price of food. The team held a series of free behind-the-scenes tours on Saturday 28th September 2019.

The Corn Riots' were crucial in the development of the Island's democratic institutions, particularly the legislature (States Assembly) and the judiciary (Court). Previously, the Royal Court had been the most powerful institution in Jersey and had law-making powers. As a result of the Corn Riots', the Royal Court lost its legislative powers and the States Assembly became the sole law-making body in the Island. The Laws of Jersey were also brought together in the Code of 1771'. This meant that for the first time, Islanders could be aware of the laws that governed them.

Starting in the Old Library, visitors were able to watch a short film detailing the historical background to the event. The tour then took visitors on a journey through the Royal Court and States Chamber, relating what happened in 1769 through to how the institutions work in 2019. The tour finished with an exhibition detailing what happened before, during and after the Corn Riots'.

The tours were well received and around 250 people attended the four sessions throughout the day.

Votes for Women

During 2019, the States Greffe coordinated a commemoration of the centenary of women, who were aged over 30 and ratepayers, being able to vote, which included the production of a booklet entitled Votes for Women', a parade in July from Seale Street to the Royal Square, exclusive screening of the Suffragette' as part of the 13th Parish Film festival, bunting and flower displays through St. Helier and culminated in an exhibition at the former Magistrates Court.

The celebratory parade held on 13th July 2019, started with a flash-mob' performance of Respect' at Charing Cross then was led by local groups,  Women in Politics' and the Soroptimists International Jersey', while local choirs, Concordia and Vocalize, sang March of the Women' on the way up to the Royal Square. Arriving at the Square, participants heard from influential speakers such as Charlotte Valeur, Chair of the Institute of Directors; Minister for Education, Senator Tracey Vallois; and high profile champion of equality in the workplace, Lucy Layton of Jersey Heritage. The parade participants wore the suffragette movement colours of purple, green and white.

One of the highlights of the exhibition held from 9th to 20th July 2019, followed on from an Are you related?' appeal made in June which called for members of the public to get in touch if they believed they were related to anyone who signed petitions in 1924 calling for equal rights for women. Seven of those brave women who signed the petition were brought to life with photos, documents and anecdotes of their respective lives. These women were a handful of the many individuals who helped pave the way for women to vote and stand for election in Jersey today.

On 16th July 2019, Deputy J.A. Martin of St. Helier made a statement in the States Chamber to mark the centenary of the promulgation of the Loi (1919) sur les droits électoraux (also known as the Franchise Bill') which had granted the vote to women.

Website and Social media

Visitors to the States Assembly website grew from 104,000 in 2017 to 191,000 in 2019 and the number of users more than tripled over that same period from 34,000 to 108,000. New visitors to the website increased threefold from 33,000 to 105,000. There was also an upsurge in referrals from other sites.

The introduction of live-tweeting resulted in a significant increase in traffic to the website on States meeting days, leading to 28% more daily users than in 2017 (up from 20,000 in 2017 to 30,000 in 2019).

Page views grew from 95,000 in 2017 to 114,000 in 2019. Webcasting viewing figures also increased to 23,314, a 14% rise on 2017 levels. Visits to the site increased by 26% compared to 2017 figures.

The biggest win for social media was that Twitter impressions expanded from 444,000 in 2017 to over 1.7 million in 2019, in part due to incorporating scrutiny into the States Assembly Twitter account. States Assembly posts were liked 3,000 times in 2019, compared to just 422 in 2017. Retweets of States Assembly posts also saw an upturn to 3,200 in 2019, from 1,600 in 2018 and just 579 in 2017.

The States Assembly's Facebook follower count grew by 32% to 771.

International outreach

Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (Jersey branch)

Jersey is an active member of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA), which brings together parliamentarians from across the Commonwealth and helps build and develop parliamentary capacity and capabilities.

The highlight of the year came in September when Jersey hosted the 6th Annual British Islands  and  Mediterranean  Region  (BIMR)  Commonwealth  Women  Parliamentarians Conference on Thursday 19th and Friday 20th September 2019. The event was held in Jersey as part of celebrations to mark the Island's 100-year anniversary since the first women were able to vote.

The overriding theme of the event was The next 100 years', looking at how female politicians could  ensure  diversity and  equality  in  Commonwealth  Parliaments.  The  CWP regional conference explored ways to ensure the voices of women are heard over the next century, especially within the political arena. In addition, attendees had the opportunity to share their experiences of being a woman in politics; and discuss specific topics regarding diversity in representation, women in technology and how to build a sustainable political future.

Chair of the Institute of Directors, Charlotte Valeur, was the keynote speaker, discussing equality for women in positions of leadership. A play entitled The Unforgotten Figures' was written by Deputy Jess Perchard for the conference's opening ceremony, bringing together six women from various points in Jersey's history who were key players in developing equality for women.

Deputy Jess Perchard, Jersey's CWP Steering Group representative was the creative force behind the event and worked with a group of young women from the Island's sixth forms to design not only the content of the workshops and overarching programme, but also the conference logo.

In addition, during 2019 Members attended the 49th annual meeting of the CPA BIMR in Guernsey in May and in September the CPC in Uganda. A number of members undertook training arranged by the CPA during 2019, including Election Observer training in London in July 2019, the CPA Fundamentals programme in Canada and PAC training in the Falklands. In September, a delegation from Jersey visited the Isle of Man with colleagues from Guernsey as part of the inaugural Crown Dependencies Network. Jersey was also represented by young people at the Commonwealth Day celebrations in London in March and the Commonwealth Youth Parliament held in India between 24th to 28th November 2019.

Assemblée Parlementaire de la Francophonie Attendance at APF Conferences

The Executive Committee of the Section de Jersey agreed a policy in respect of attendance at conferences that, in general, the Section should be represented at the three principal conferences held each year: the Assemblée Générale, the Assemblée Région Europe and the Conférence des Présidents.

The Conférence des Présidents of the European Region took place in Athens from 14th to 16th April 2019, where the Section de Jersey was represented by its President, Deputy Montfort Tadier . As well as dealing with the affairs of the European Region for the ensuing year, the delegates learnt about, and discussed, the use and promotion of the French language in Greece. At the end of the conference, Deputy Tadier acted as one of the verifiers of the Region's annual accounts.

The Assemblée Générale of the APF took place in Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire, from 8th to 9th July 2020 and the Section was represented by Connétable Michael Jackson and Deputy Kirsten Morel . In addition to a general debate on the main subject, "Parlements et renforcement de la démocratie", the delegates heard from a number of guest speakers, including the Secrétaire Générale de la Francophonie, the Executive Secretary of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test- Ban Treaty Organisation, and the Director of External Relations for the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria.

From 13th to 16th November 2019, the Section de Jersey was represented at the Assemblée Région Europe by Senator John Le Fondré, Connétable Michael Jackson and Deputy Geoff Southern . The conference took place in Delémont, Swiss Jura, and there were two main subjects of discussion: "Le droit d'autodétermination des peuples comme principe juridique : état de la situation en Europe" and "La démocratie directe et l'initiative citoyenne dans le processus législatif".

Journée de la Francophonie

Each  year,  20th  March  is  celebrated  as  La  Journée  internationale  de  la  francophonie. Promoted  by  the  Organisation  Internationale  de  la  Francophonie  (OIF),  the  day  is  an opportunity to recognise the international role of the French language and the diversity of jurisdictions in which it is used.

For the 2019 celebration, the Section de Jersey arranged a reception, hosted by the Bailiff in the Bailiff 's Chambers. In speeches given by the Bailiff and Deputy Tadier , recognition was given to the Francophone community in Jersey and the work it undertakes, including the Alliance Française, the Maison de la Normandie et de la Manche and the École Français Langue Maternelle in Jersey.

British-Irish Parliamentary Association

The British-Irish Parliamentary Assembly (BIPA) is a deliberative body consisting of members elected to the parliaments and legislatures of the United Kingdom, Ireland, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and the British crown dependencies. Its purpose is to foster common understanding and mutually beneficial relationships between elected representatives from these jurisdictions. Deputy David Johnson is Jersey's BIPA representative and Connétable Simon Crowcroft is associate representative. They attended conferences in Wicklow and the Forest of Arden during 2019.

Appendix 1:

Membership of the States Assembly, as at July 2020

Timothy John Le Cocq , Bailiff , President (Appointed 17 October 2019)

Air Chief Marshal Sir Stephen Dalton GCB, Lieutenant Governor (Appointed 13 March 2017)

Elected Members Senator Ian Joseph Gorst

Senator Lyndon John Farnham Senator Sarah Craig Ferguson

Senator John Alexander Nicholas Le Fondré

Senator Tracey Anne Vallois Senator Kristina Louise Moore

Senator Stephen William Pallett Senator Samuel Yves Mézec

First sworn in as States Member

05.12.2005 09.12.1999

12.12.2002 05.12.2005

08.12.2008 14.11.2011

14.11.2011 07.03.2014

Role

Minister for External Relations and Assistant Minister for Treasury and Resources

Minister for Economic Development, Tourism, Sport and Culture and Deputy Chief Minister

Chair, Public Accounts Committee

Chief Minister and Chair, States Employment Board

Minister for Education

President, Scrutiny Liaison Committee and Chair, Corporate Services Scrutiny Panel

Assistant Minister for Economic Development, Tourism, Sport and Culture and Health and Social Services

Minister for Children and Housing and Assistant Minister for Education and for Health and Social Services

Connétable Alan Simon Crowcroft of St. Helier

Connétable Leonard Norman of St. Clement

Connétable Deidre Wendy Mezbourian of St. Lawrence

Connétable Sadie Anthea Le Sueur -Rennard of St. Saviour

Connétable Michael Keith Jackson of St. Brelade

Connétable John Edward Le Maistre of Grouville

12.12.1996

17.06.1983  Minister for Home Affairs 05.12.2005  Chairman, Comité des Connétable s 14.11.2011

11.11.2005  Chair, Environment, Housing and

Infrastructure Scrutiny Panel 04.10.2013

Connétable Christopher Hugh Taylor of St. John

Connétable Philip Bond Le Sueur of Trinity

Connétable Richard Vibert of St. Peter

Connétable John Michael Le Bailly of St. Mary

Connétable Richard Alan Buchanan of St. Ouen

03.11.2014  Assistant Chief Minister 03.11.2014

01.06.2018

01.06.2018

01.06.2018  Assistant Chief Minister and

Assistant Minister for External Relations

Connétable Karen Shenton-Stone  01.06.2018 of St. Martin

Deputy Judith Ann Martin of St. Helier No. 1

Deputy Geoffrey Peter Southern of St. Helier No. 2

Deputy Carolyn Fiona Labey of Grouville

Deputy Kevin Charles Lewis of St. Saviour No. 2

Deputy Montfort Tadier of St. Brelade No. 2

Deputy Michael Roderick Higgins of St. Helier No. 3

Deputy Jeremy Martin Maçon of St. Saviour No. 1

Deputy Susan Jane Pinel of St. Clement

Deputy Stephen George Luce of St. Martin

Deputy Richard John Renouf of St. Ouen

Deputy Louise Mary Catherine Doublet of St. Saviour No. 2

Deputy Russell Labey of St. Helier No. 1

Deputy Scott Michael Wickenden of St. Helier No. 1

Deputy Robert David Johnson of St. Mary

05.05.2000 15.02.2002 12.12.2002

05.12.2005 08.12.2008

08.12.2008 08.12.2008

14.11.2011 14.11.2011 03.11.2014 03.11.2014 03.11.2014 03.11.2014 03.11.2014

Minister for Social Security

Minister for International Development, Assistant Chief Minister and Chairman, Jersey Overseas Aid Commission

Minister for Infrastructure

Assistant Minister for Economic Development, Tourism, Sport and Culture and for the Environment

Assistant Minister for Education, Health and Social Services and Social Security

Minister for Treasury and Resources

Minister for Health and Social Services

Chair, Privileges and Procedures and Planning Committee

Assistant Chief Minister and Assistant Minister for Social Security

Deputy Graham John Truscott of St. Brelade No. 2

Deputy John Hilary Young of St. Brelade No. 1

Deputy Lindsay Barry Edward Ash of St. Clement

Deputy Kirsten Francis Morel of St. Lawrence

Deputy Gregory Charles Umberto Guida of St. Lawrence

Deputy Rowland Edward Huelin of St. Peter

Deputy Hugh Charles Raymond of Trinity

03.11.2014

14.11.2011  Minister for the Environment 01.06.2018  Assistant Minister for Treasury and

Resources and for Home Affairs 01.06.2018  Chair, Economic and International

Affairs Scrutiny Panel

01.06.2018  Assistant Minister for the

Environment and Home Affairs

01.06.2018

01.06.2018  Assistant Minister for Infrastructure

and Health and Social Services

Deputy Trevor Pointon of St. John  01.06.2018

Deputy Mary Rose Le Hegarat of  01.06.2018  Chair, Health and Social Security St. Helier No. 3/4  Scrutiny Panel

Deputy Steven Morrison Ahier of  01.06.2018

St. Helier No. 3/4

Deputy Jessica Harriet Perchard of St. Saviour No. 3

Deputy Robert James Ward of St. Helier No. 2

Deputy Carina Soares Alves of St. Helier No. 1

01.06.2018

01.06.2018  Chair, Education and Home Affairs

Scrutiny Panel

01.06.2018

Deputy Kevin Glyn Pamplin of St.  01.06.2018 Saviour No. 1

Deputy Inna Gardiner of St. Helier  01.03.2019 No. 3/4

Robert James MacRae Q,C., Deputy Bailiff (Appointed 6 January 2020)

The Very Reverend Michael Keirle , Dean Of Jersey (Appointed 7 September 2017) Mark Howard Temple, Q.C., H.M. Attorney General (Appointed 9 March 2020) Advocate Matthew Jowett, Q.C., H.M. Solicitor General (Appointed 1 May 2020) Officers of the States

Dr. Mark Egan, Greffier of the States (Appointed 19 January 2016) Lisa-Marie Hart , Deputy Greffier of the States (Appointed 13 May 2014) Advocate Elaine Millar , Viscount (Appointed 10 July 2015)

Advocate Mark Harris , Deputy Viscount (Appointed 28 January 2013)

Appendix 2:

Tributes to former States Members

Tributes were paid to the following States Members in the Chamber during 2019:

Mr. R. Gray, former Greffier of the States of Jersey - 15th January 2019

I have been advised that shortly before Christmas Mr. Ron Gray died. He was Deputy Greffier for many years, Greffier I think for just over a year, in the early 1990s. I remember him well. He was a very thoughtful and consistent man who took pride in maintaining high standards of clerking in the States Greffe. He was a staunch Francophile who enjoyed promoting  Jersey  within  the  Association  Internationale  des  Parlementaires  de  Langue Française, now the A.P.F., from its very beginning, from its inception. He had the reputation among Members of always being available to assist Members with their work, indeed a reputation that the Greffe maintains today, and I bring to Members attention that a colleague for many years - I think he was 19 years or so in the Greffe - passed away just before Christmas. We would wish his family our condolences.

Mr. Terence Sowden Q.C. - 30th April 2019

Many Members are no doubt aware that Mr. Terence Sowden Q.C. (Queen's Counsel) died on 9th April at the age of 89. He had been Deputy for St. Helier No. 1 for 3 years from 1960 until 1963 and indeed was elected at the top of the poll with 1,139 votes at the time, some way clear of second place. On entering the States, he was elected to the Harbours and Airports Committee, the État Civil Committee, he was president of the Manual Workers Employment Committee. In her tribute to him at his funeral, the former Solicitor General, Stéphanie Nicolle, said that he was also President of the Housing Committee. Although the Greffe records from that time are not entirely clear, I would take the recollections of Ms. Nicolle to be correct, because they were very good friends. Certainly, it is true that plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose would come to mind, because there was a housing shortage between 1960 and 1963. Mr. Sowden, indeed, was determined to tackle that issue and the Housing (Jersey) Law was applied rather more rigorously during his time than previously. Mr. Sowden had a second period as a States Member when he became Solicitor General in 1986, an office he held until 1994. During that time, he was responsible for many important matters which concerned Members, perhaps not least of which was the oversight of the defence  of  the  Les  Pas  litigation.   In  those  days,  the  Law  Officers'  Department  was considerably less well-staffed than it is today and we should be grateful that a senior advocate was prepared to take the very substantial drop in earnings from his private sector practice and put his name forward to serve the Island in that important office. At his funeral last week, Ms.

Nicolle listed many of Mr Sowden's very laudable achievements, both professional and not professional, including national swimming prowess, but she ended on this note: she described him as being a very kind man and surely none of us could want for a better tribute than that. Mr. Sowden leaves behind him a widow and children and grandchildren and on behalf of Members, I extend our sympathy to them all. I ask Members to stand in silence as a mark of respect in the usual way. [Silence] May he rest in peace.

Mr. William John Morvan – 24th September 2019

Can I first of all mention that the late William John - or as he was known, Bill - Morvan, died recently? He was elected as the Deputy of St. Helier in 1969 and he subsequently stood as a Senator in a by-election in 1975, before becoming Connétable of St. Lawrence in April 1981. Those who have thought that the Connétable of St. Clement is the first person to make the transition from Deputy to Senator to Connétable , he did have a predecessor in Bill Morvan. It was the first occasion on which a Senator had converted to become a Connétable . He was a very active Member of the States. He served as President of Harbours and Airports from 1972 until 1981. He was President  of the Telecoms Committee and the Land Reclamation Committee from 1981 to 1984. Throughout his term of office he also served as a Member on over  a  dozen  committees,  including  Finance  and  Economics,  the  Island  Development Committee, Overseas Aid, the Public Works Committee and the Resources Recovery Board and he was on the special committee on the establishment of Sound Radio in Jersey. So he was, as I have said, extremely active as a Member of this Assembly. He retired from the States in June 1984 and I know Members would wish to pass on our condolences on behalf of all Members to his family. Can I ask Members to stand in the usual way? [Silence] May he rest in peace.

Appendix 3:

Scrutiny and PAC Reports/Comments/Amendments/Propositions 2019

Chairmen's Committee/Scrutiny Liaison Committee

• Comments - Draft Commissioner for Children and Young People (Jersey) Law 201- (P.18/2019): comments [P.18/2019 Com.]

• Amendment - (No. 39) of the Standing Orders of the States of Jersey: amendment [P.4/2019]

• Amendment - Draft Commissioner for Children and Young People (Jersey) Law 201- (P.18/2019): amendment [P.18/2019 Amd.]

• Amendment - Draft Access to Justice (Jersey) Law 201- (P.23/2019): amendment [P.23/2019 Amd.]

• Amendment - (No. 40) of the Standing Orders of the States of Jersey: amendment [P.70/2019 Amd.]

Corporate Services Panel

• Amendment - Draft Revenue Administration (Jersey) Law 201- (P.122/2018): amendment [P.122/2018 Amd.]

• Amendment- Draft Public Finances (Jersey) Law 201- (P.28/2019): amendment [P.28/2019 Amd.]

• Amendment - Draft Public Finances (Jersey) Law 201- (P.28/2019): second amendment [P.28/2019 Amd.(2)]

• Amendment - Draft Public Finances (Jersey) Law 201- (P.28/2019): third amendment [P.28/2019 Amd.(3)]

• Amendment - Draft Public Finances (Jersey) Law 201- (P.28/2019): fifth amendment [P.28/2019 Amd.(5)]

• Amendment - Government Plan 2020–2023 (P.71/2019): sixteenth amendment [P.71/2019 Amd.(16)]

• Amendment - Government Plan 2020–2023 (P.71/2019): seventeenth amendment [P.71/2019 Amd.(17)]

• Amendment - Government Plan 2020–2023 (P.71/2019): eighteenth amendment [P.71/2019 Amd.(18)]

• Amendment - Government Plan 2020–2023 (P.71/2019): nineteenth amendment [P.71/2019 Amd.(19)]

• Amendment - Government Plan 2020–2023 (P.71/2019): twentieth amendment [P.71/2019 Amd.(20)]

• Amendment - Draft Social Security (Amendment of Law No. 11) (Jersey) Regulations 201- (P.110/2019): amendment [P.110/2019 Amd.]

• Addendum - Government Plan 2020–2023 (P.71/2019): seventeenth amendment (P.71/2019 Amd.(17)) – addendum [P.71/2019 Amd.(17)Add.]

• Addendum - Government Plan 2020–2023 (P.71/2019): twentieth amendment (P.71/2019 Amd.(20)) – addendum [P.71/2019 Amd.(20)Add.]

• Comments – Draft Revenue Administration (Jersey) Law 201- [P.122/2019 Com.]

• Comments – Draft Public Finances (Jersey) Law 201- [P.28/2019 Com.]

• Further Comments – Draft Public Finances (Jersey) Law 201- [P.28/2019 Com. (2)]

• Report – Draft Damages Law [S.R.1/2019]

• Report – Draft Revenue Administration (Jersey) Law 2019- [S.R.3/2019]

• Report – Government Plan 2020 – 2023 – Corporate Services [S.R.13/2019]

• Report – Population and Migration [S.R.14/2019]

Economic and International Affairs Panel

• Amendment - Draft Employment (Amendment No. 11) (Jersey) Law 201- (P.17/2019): third amendment (P.17/2019 Amd.(3)) – amendment [P.17.2019 Amd.(3) Amd.]

• Amendment - Draft Employment (Amendment No. 11) (Jersey) Law 201- (P.17/2019): fourth amendment [P.17/2019 Amd.(4)]

• Amendment - Draft Employment (Amendment No. 11) (Jersey) Law 201- (P.17/2019): fifth amendment [P.17/2019 Amd.(5)]

• Amendment - Draft Employment (Amendment No. 11) (Jersey) Law 201- (P.100/2019): amendment [P.100/2019 Amd.]

• Amendment - Government Plan 2020–2023 (P.71/2019): fifth amendment [P.71-2019 Amd.(5)]

• Government Plan 2020–2023 (P.71/2019): sixth amendment [P.71/2019 Amd.(6)]

• Comments - Draft Shops (Regulation of Opening) (Amendment) (Jersey) Regulations 201- (P.93/2019): comments [P.93/2019 Com.(2)]

• Comments - Channel Islands Lottery: allocation of proceeds from 2018 (P.105/2019) – comments [P.105/2019 Com.]

• Report – Family Friendly Employment Rights [S.R.9/2019]

• Report – Family Friendly Employment Rights – Follow-Up Report [S.R.11/2019]

• Report – Government Plan 2020 – 2023 – Economic and International Affairs [S.R.13/2018]

Education and Home Affairs Panel

• Comments – Comments - Draft Explosives (Amendment) (Jersey) Law 201- (P.21/2019) [P.21/2019 Com.]

• Comments – Comments - Draft Motor Vehicles (Removal from Private Land) (Jersey) Regulations 201- (P.43/2019) [P.43/2019 Com.]

• Comments – Draft Rehabilitation of Offenders (Exceptions) (Amendment No. 2) (Jersey) Regulations 201- (P.104/2019) [P.104/2019 Com.]

• Comments - Draft Cybercrime (Jersey) Law 201- (P.134/2018): comments (P.134/2018 Com.) [P.134/2018 Com.]

• Report – Post-16 Education [S.R.7/2019]

• Report – Government Plan 2020 – 2023 – Education and Home Affairs [S.R.13/2019] Environment, Housing and Infrastructure Panel

• Amendment - Government Plan 2020–2023 (P.71/2019): third amendment [P.71/2019 Amd.(3)]

• Amendment - Government Plan 2020–2023 (P.71/2019): fourth amendment [P.71/2019 Amd.(4)]

• Addendum - Government Plan 2020–2023 (P.71/2019): fourth amendment (P.71/2019 Amd.(4)) – addendum [P.71/2019 Amd.(4)Add.]

• Comments – Draft Sea Fisheries (Minimum Size Limits) (Amendment No. 7) (Jersey) Regulations 201- (P.41/2019): comments [P.41/2019 Com.]

• Report – Reducing the Use of Plastics in Jersey [S.R.5/2019]

• Report – Government Plan 2020 – 2023 – Environment, Housing and Infrastructure [S.R.13/2019]

Health and Social Security Panel

• Report – Assessment of Mental Health Services [S.R.4/2019]

• Report – Government Plan 2020 – 2023 – Health and Social Security [S.R.13/2019] Public Accounts Committee

• Comments – The States as Shareholder – Follow-Up (R.25/2019) – Executive Response with Comments of the Public Accounts Committee [R.25/2019 Res.]

• Comments – Role and Operation of the States Employment Board (R.35/2019): Executive Response with Comments of the Public Accounts Committee [R.35/2019 Res.]

• Report – Estate Management [P.A.C.1/2019]

• Report – Organisational Culture and Corporate Learning [P.A.C.2/2019]

• Report – Recurring Themes: Decision Making [P.A.C.3/2019]

Brexit Review Panel

• Report – Brexit Readiness [S.R.6/2019]

Care of Children in Jersey Review Panel

• Amendment - Draft Commissioner for Children and Young People (Jersey) Law 201- (P.18/2019): amendment [P.18/2019 Amd.]

• Comments – Draft Commissioner for Children and Young People (Jersey) Law 201- (P.18/2019): comments [P.18/2019 Com.]

• Report – Response to the Care Inquiry – Update Report November 2019 [S.R.12/2019]

• Report - Government Plan 2020 – 2023 – Care of Children in Jersey [S.R.13/2019] Future Hospital Review Panel

• Report – Future Hospital [S.R.2/2019]

Gender Pay Gap Review Panel

• Report – Is There a Gender Pay Gap in Jersey [S.R.10/2019]

Government Plan Review Panel

• Amendment - Government Plan 2020–2023 (P.71/2019): seventh amendment [P.71/2019 Amd.(7)]

• Report - Government Plan 2020 – 2023 [S.R.13/2019] Legal Aid Review Panel

• Report – Legal Aid [S.R.8/2019]

Appendix 4:

States Assembly data

Average age of States Members, July 2020  58 years, 2 months

States Members' Age Distribution

20 17

15

8

10 4 3 3 3 3 5

5 2 1 0

# OF MEMBERS'

29 - 34 35-39 40-44 45-49 50-54 55-59 60-65 66-70 70-75 76+

AGE BANDS

Average age: 58 years

15.07.202 0

Speaker Statistics - 2019 States Sittings

Appendix 5:

States Greffe accountability 2019

Business plan commitments

The following table sets out the principal commitments made in the States Greffe business plan for 2019 and the action taken during 2019 in relation to each matter.

Expenditure