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STATES OF JERSEY
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ENVIRONMENT COMMITTEE: ESTABLISHMENT (P.13/2005) – COMMENTS
Presented to the States on 1st March 2005
by the Environment and Public Services Committee
STATES GREFFE
COMMENTS
When the States approved P.70/2002, the decision to amalgamate the Public Services Committee and the Planning and Environment Committee was taken on the basis that there were functions within the 2 Committees that needed to be reviewed and, where necessary moved, in order to provide a clearer distinction between regulation, policy and operations between 2 Committees whose responsibilities overlapped in a number of respects.
Since the amalgamation took place, under the new administration, many of the service areas have already been reviewed and where appropriate, reorganised. This provides the clarity required between the roles of regulator, policy-maker and operator.
Developing a strong team approach where the combined experience of members of staff in conjunction with Committee members, provides the Committee with much stronger policy-making. To lose this opportunity now is likely to see the Committees go back to the previous rigid, silo way of working that has in the past led to many of the problems that the Deputy has alluded to in his report.
There are many important matters before the Committee that require resolution in the remaining 9 months before ministerial government commences. For example, the Solid Waste and Rural Strategies have to be completed. The Committee of Inquiry into Buses will shortly deliver its findings and the Committee will then complete its work on an integrated Travel and Transport Plan. In all these areas, teams from across the organisation (Planning, Environment and Public Services) are in place to deliver these strategies. In addition, the Planning Law has to be implemented in 2005.
To split the Committee now, allowing time for the various administrative functions to be agreed and the new Committees established will frustrate progress on any of these major initiatives.
The Committee is disappointed to read the comments concerning the Planning function which it does not believe are valid or fair.
The Committee believes that it is premature to consider splitting the Committee and urges the Assembly to support the Committee in retaining its overall responsibility for the remaining 9 months of its term of office to allow it to concentrate on delivering these important pieces of work for the future of the Island, all of which are clear requirements of the States Strategic Plan.