Jersey Consumer Council - appointment of Chairman

JERSEY CONSUMER COUNCIL: APPOINTMENT OF CHAIRMAN _______________

Lodged au Greffe on 22nd May 2001 by Senator S. Syvret

______________________________

STATES OF JERSEY

STATES GREFFE

180             2 0 0 1    P . 8 0          

Price code: A

PROPOSITION

THE STATES are asked to decide whether they are of opinion -

to refer to their Act dated 25th April 1995 regarding the establishment of a Jersey Consumer Council, and to appoint Deputy Alan Breckon of St.  Saviour as Chairman of the Jersey Consumer Council for a period of three years from 5th June 2001.

SENATOR S. SYVRET

Report

Deputy Alan Breckon will have completed his second term of office as Chairman of the Jersey Consumer Council in May 2001.

The Industries Committee is currently reviewing a "Consumer Protection Strategy" as outlined in R.C.17 of 2001 presented to the States on 8th May 2001.

Within that Report at paragraph 7 -

"7. T h e Consumer Council as presently constituted has been in existence now for six years under the leadership of

Deputy Breckon. His second three-year term of office comes to an end this month. The Industries Committee wishes to place on record its appreciation of the work Deputy Breckon has done and sought to do in his capacity as Chairman to promote and advance consumers' interests in Jersey. But the Committee judges that given the review now in train, it would be opportune shortly to make a new appointment to the chairmanship, of an independent person who should not be a member of the States, with a view to implementing new arrangements for strengthening the role of the Council in the light of Mr.  Boleat's review and the establishment of the JCRA. In the meantime, the Committee has asked the Council to nominate one of its members whom the Committee would appoint as acting chairman."

The members of the Jersey Consumer Council, including representatives from -

Je r s e y le gal profession;

Je r s e y H ospitality Association;

  T ra n s p o rt and General Workers' Union;

  Sta  n d in  g Conference of Women's Organisations;

  C iti  ze n s ' Advice Bureau; and

  tw  o m e mbers of the public not representing any particular organisation -

do not agree with the opinion of the Industries Committee that the Chairman should be "an independent person who should not be a member of the States" and have expressed this in writing to the President and members of the Industries Committee and met with the President and Senator Ann Bailhache to express the opinion that the Chairman of the Jersey Consumer Council should be for the foreseeable future a member of the States as they believed the move as suggested by the Industries Committee was a backward step and would reduce the standing and profile of the Consumer Council and remove important links and lines of communication established with the States "system" and also the general public.

The Jersey Consumer Council will have been in operation for over six years and operates as a point of contact for many members of the general public, and they see the Council as their way of communication and expressing views and opinions on goods and services. The regular Newsletters receive positive and informative responses - the people see this as their voice.

Consumer Council members believe that it is important to continue to have a States member as Chairman. They do not believe there is any benefit whatsoever in retaining any political (and interference) links with the Industries Committee and I will seek to review the terms of reference on the Jersey Consumer Council and establish secure funding from the Industries Committee budget for the Consumer Council to operate in an appropriate and independent manner.

This proposition has no implications for the financial or manpower resources of the States.