States Minutes 28th July 1999

THE STATES assembled on Wednesday, 28th July 1999 at 9.30 a.m. under

the Presidency of the Bailiff ,

Sir Philip Bailhache .

All members were present with the exception of-

S e nator Richard Joseph Shenton - out of the Island

S e nator Nigel Lewis Quérée - absent

S e nator Stuart Syvret - out of the Island

I ri s Medora Le Feuvre, Connétable of St. Lawrence - out of the Island F r ancis Herbert Amy, Connétable of Grouville - out of the Island

J o hn Baudains Germain, Connétable of St. Martin - excused

S t anley John Le Cornu, Connétable of St. Clement - out of the Island M argaret Anne Le Geyt, Deputy of St. Saviour - excused

A l astair John Layzell, Deputy of St. Brelade - out of the Island

R o nald Winter Blampied, Deputy of St. Helier - out of the Island

M ichael Edward Vibert , Deputy of St. Brelade - out of the Island

G e rard Clifford Lemmens Baudains, Deputy of St. Clement - absent

Prayers Arrangement of public business for the present meeting

THE STATES rejected a proposition of Deputy Graeme Ernest Rabet of St. Helier that the States should adjourn and not consider the proposition of the Policy and Resources Committee on Committees of the States reorganisation - Industries Committee (P.94/99 lodged "au Greffe" on 6th July 1999).

Committees  of  the  States:  reorganisation - Industries  Committee - P.94/99;  amendments - P.103/99; comments P.94/99 Com.

THE STATES commenced consideration of a proposition of the Policy and Resources Committee concerning Committees of the States: reorganisation - Industries Committee and rejected an amendment of Senator Patricia Ann Bailhache that for sub-paragraph 1(b) of Part 1 of the proposition there should be substituted the following sub-paragraph -

"(b)  to designate the Industries Committee as a Major Committee."

THE STATES, adopting a proposition of the Policy and Resources Committee, referred to their Act dated 2nd February 1999 in which they charged the Policy and Resources Committee to take immediate steps to promote the formation of an Industry Committee and -

P A RT 1

1 . ( a ) approved the establishment with effect from 14th December 1999 of a Committee of the States to

be known as the Industries Committee;

( b ) a g r e ed that the Industries Committee should have the status of a Major Committee except that,

for the first three years of its operation, it would not be subject to paragraphs (2) and (3) of Standing Order No.

39,

a n d c h a rg ed the House Committee to present to the States for approval the necessary amendments to

the Standing Orders of the States of Jersey;

2 . a g r eed that the overall responsibility of the Industries Committee should be -

(a ) t o develop, implement and maintain a comprehensive industrial strategy for the Island,

encompassing  responsibility for  economic  policy  as  it  relates  to  Industry  and  the  Island's workforce;

(b ) to p erform a range of regulatory functions through an appropriate regulatory and licensing

framework; and

( c ) to p r otect the consumer and safeguard the public interest;

3. ap p roved, in principle, the establishment, under the authority of the Industries Committee, of Strategic Development Boards for different industries within the Island, to function initially as sub- committees of that Committee, and constituted as follows -

( a ) a C  h airman, being a member of the Industries Committee;

( b ) a V  ic e-Chairman, being a representative of the industry concerned; ( c ) u p to two additional States Members; and

( d ) u p t o five additional representatives of the industry concerned;

w  it h a q u orum comprising two States members and two representatives of the industry concerned, and

the appointment and terms of office of persons appointed to each Board being determined by the Committee;

4 . a p p roved in principle the transfer to the Industries Committee, from the date of its establishment, of -

( a ) t h e r egulatory and licensing functions of the Committee for Postal Administration under the Post

Office (Jersey) Law 1969, as amended;

( b ) t h e regulatory and licensing functions of the Telecommunications Board under the

Telecommunications (Jersey) Law 1972, as amended;

( c ) t h e f unctions of the Finance and Economics Committee under the Regulation of Undertakings

and Development (Jersey) Law 1973, as amended;

 ( d ) th e power and duty of representing the States in the matters specified in Article 31 of the

Electricity (Jersey) Law 1937, as amended;

( e ) t h e f unctions of the Public Services Committee, in relation to water rates and charges, and the

accounts of The Jersey New Waterworks Company Limited under Article 14, and Article 22 respectively of the Water (Jersey) Law 1972, as amended;

( f ) t h e functions of presenting matters to the States in respect of the Jersey Gas Company Limited

under Articles 91, 95, 97 and 98 of, and the Second and Third Schedules to the Jersey Gas Company (Jersey) Law 1989;

( g ) t h e f unctions of the Broadcasting Committee;

( h ) t h e responsibilities of the Policy and Resources Committee in relation to the Jersey Consumer

Council;

a n d c h a rg ed the Policy and Resources Committee to present to the States for approval the necessary

Acts under Article 29 of the States of Jersey Law 1966;

PA R  T 2

5 . c h a rged the Policy and Resources Committee to investigate, with the appropriate Committees, the

potential for transferring to the Industries Committee certain regulatory and licensing functions presently performed by the Tourism Committee, the Gambling Control Committee, the Public Services Committee and the Defence Committee respectively, as outlined in the report dated 30th June 1999 of the Policy and Resources Committee;

6 . c h a rged the Industries Committee, in consultation with the Committees concerned, to examine -

( a ) t h e c ase for replacing the Tourism Committee, at an appropriate time, with a Tourism Industry

Board reporting to the Industries Committee;

( b ) t h e case for replacing the Agriculture and Fisheries Committee, at an appropriate time, with a

Board or Boards representing the agriculture and fisheries industries and reporting to the Industries Committee;

( c ) th e c ase for transferring the functions of the Finance and Economics Committee in relation to the

Financial Services Commission to the Industries Committee;

(d ) t h e case for transferring the functions of the Jersey Transport Authority to the Industries

Committee;

a n d t o re p ort back to the States with its findings and recommendations.

7 . c h a rged the Employment and Social Security Committee, the Education Committee and the Industries

Committee to develop further a joint strategy and plan, for States approval if necessary, for the provision of training for industry;

8 . c h arged the Employment and Social Security Committee, in consultation with the Industries

Committee, to investigate and report back to the States with recommendations for the discharge of employment functions;

9 . c h a rged the Finance and Economics Committee, the Establishment Committee and the Department of

Property Services to take all necessary steps, in accordance with overall States policies, and priorities, to provide sufficient funding, staff and accommodation to enable the Industries Committee to discharge its immediate responsibilities effectively;

1 0 . c h arged the Policy and Resources Committee, not later than 16th November 1999, to present to the

States for approval -

( a ) d r af t terms of reference for the Industries Committee;

( b ) d r a f t terms of reference for each Strategic Development Board to be established in accordance

with paragraph 3 of this proposition.

Members present voted as follows -

"Pour" (30)

Senators

Horsfall, Rothwell, Le Maistre, Stein, Bailhache , Norman, Walker , Kinnard. Connétable s

St. Helier , St. John, St. Saviour .

Deputies

H.  Baudains(C), Coutanche(L), St. Mary, S.Baudains(H), Trinity , Pullin(S), Johns(H), Duhamel(S), Routier(H), Breckon(S), Grouville , Huet(H), St. Martin, Crowcroft (H), de la Haye(B), St. Peter, Dubras (L), St. Ouen, Le Claire(H).

"Contre" (5)

Connétable s

St. Mary , St. Peter, Trinity . Deputies

St. John, Rabet(H). Changes in Presidency

The Bailiff retired from the Chamber during consideration of the proposition of the Policy and Resources Committee on Committees of the States: reorganisation - Industries Committee (P.94/99) and the Greffier of the States, Geoffrey Henry Charles Coppock, Esquire, took over the Presidency for a time. The Greffier of the States then retired from the Chair and the Deputy Greffier of the States, Miss Catherine Mary Newcombe took over the Presidency for the remainder of the meeting.

THE STATES rose at 1.16  p.m.

G.H.C. COPPOCK Greffier of the States.