PPC Minutes 26th May 2005

IC/PH/194 89

PRIVILEGES AND PROCEDURES COMMITTEE (48th Meeting)

26th May 2005

PART A

All members were present, with the exception of Senator P.V.F. Le Claire, Connétable D.F. Gray and Deputy P.N. Troy , from whom apologies had been received.

Deputy R.G. Le Hérissier Deputy C.J. Scott Warr en Deputy J-A. Bridge Deputy J.A. Bernstein

In attendance -

M.N. de la Haye, Greffier of the States

Mrs. A.H. Harris , Deputy Greffier of the States (for a time) I. Clarkson, Committee Clerk

Note: The Minutes of this meeting comprise Part A only.

Standing Orders A1.  The Committee, with reference to its Act No. A12 of 19th May 2005, recalled of the States of that it had begun to review the draft Standing Orders of the States of Jersey, which Jersey: revision. were to be introduced at the commencement of the ministerial system.

1240/4(171)

The Committee continued to review the draft Standing Orders and agreed a Clerk further series of amendments as follows –

G.O.S.

L.D. 110. the Committee considered that a member of the States who had been

suspended should continue to receive remuneration;

117. it was agreed that, in the event that more than one person had been

nominated for the chairmanship of the Privileges and Procedures Committee, candidates should be invited to speak for a period not exceeding 10 minutes and thereafter be questioned by members for a period not exceeding 20 minutes;

118.  the  Committee  concluded  that  votes  in  connexion  with  the appointment of ministers should be conducted by secret ballot;

119. it was agreed that, in the event that more than one person had been

nominated for the chairmanship of the Public Accounts Committee, candidates should be invited to speak for a period not exceeding 10 minutes and thereafter be questioned by members for a period not exceeding 20 minutes;

120. it was agreed that, in the event that more than one person had been nominated for the chairmanship of a Scrutiny Panel, candidates should be invited to speak for a period not exceeding 10 minutes and thereafter be questioned by members for a period not exceeding 20

minutes;

126. the Committee, having recalled that the States had, on 24th May

2005, adopted Projet No. P.75/2005 entitled, Privileges and Procedures Committee: revised terms of reference', agreed that the Standing Order should reflect the Committee's responsibility for electoral reform. Furthermore, and having acknowledged that, following the forthcoming elections, the Assembly was likely to review the composition of the States once again, the Committee considered that it should assume responsibility for conducting any such review;

136. the Committee considered that the draft Standing Orders should

reflect the presumption that Scrutiny Panels would allow the public to observe the majority of meetings held; and

140. it was decided that membership of the Chairmen's Committee

should be restricted to the chairman of the Public Accounts Committee, each chairman of a Scrutiny Panel and 2 elected members, each of whom would be either a member of the PAC or of a scrutiny panel, appointed by the States.

Further to the foregoing, the Committee recalled that Deputy G.W.J. de Faye of St. Helier had recently expressed the view that Standing Orders should be amended so as to allow for rulings of the Chair to be challenged. The Committee noted that, under the draft Standing Orders as proposed, a decision of the presiding officer on any point of order could only be reviewed by the States by debate upon a proposition lodged for that purpose. While it acknowledged that such a rule did not allow for a timely challenge, the Committee was of the view that the amendment would weaken the authority of the presiding officer and allow for frequent disruption of the business of the Assembly. It nevertheless noted that Deputy G.W.J. de Faye retained the right to bring an amendment during the debate on the draft Standing Orders.