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STATES OF JERSEY
r
SHADOW PUBLIC ACCOUNTS COMMITTEE: REVISED MEMBERSHIP
Lodged au Greffe on 15th June 2004
by the Privileges and Procedures Committee
STATES GREFFE
PROPOSITION
THE STATES are asked to decide whether they are of opinion
to r e fer to their Act dated 27th January 2004 in which they agreed that the Shadow Public Accounts
Committee should be established from 1st February 2004, and agreed the terms of reference and constitution of the Committee, and –
to a g re e th a t the composition of the Shadow Public Accounts Committee should be amended with
immediate effect to include 2 additional States members, not being Presidents of Committees or members of the Finance and Economics Committee or Privileges and Procedures Committee, with the additional members being appointed by the States on the nomination of the Shadow Chairman of the Committee.
PRIVILEGES AND PROCEDURES COMMITTEE
REPORT
The composition of the Shadow Public Accounts Committee (PAC) was agreed by the States on 27th January 2004 as follows –
M r . Timothy Dunningham, the independent Chairman, re-appointed by the States at its meeting on 10th
June 2003, for a further period of 3 years.
4 i n d ependent members, appointed by the Finance and Economics Committee, after discussion with the
Privileges and Procedures Committee.*
A S t a tes member who will be the Shadow Chairman, appointed by the States.
T h e C hairmen of the 2 Shadow Scrutiny Panels.
A S t a tes Member nominated by the Shadow Chairman and appointed by the States.
Deputy S.C. Ferguson of St. Brelade was appointed by the States as Shadow Chairman of the PAC and the Deputy of St. Ouen was appointed as a member on the nomination of Deputy Ferguson. The 2 Scrutiny Panel Chairmen, Senator E.P. Vibert and Deputy J.L. Dorey of St. Helier both serve as members of the Committee in accordance with the above terms of reference.
The Shadow PAC is only quorate if 2 States members are present and the attention of the Privileges and Procedures Committee has been drawn to the fact that the 2 Chairmen of the Shadow Scrutiny Panels are finding it difficult to attend all meetings of the PAC because of the heavy commitments they have with their work on scrutiny and other States' responsibilities. On 3rd June 2004 the Privileges and Procedures Committee received Mr. Dunningham and Deputy Ferguson, who expressed real concern that public hearings that are being arranged might have to be cancelled at short notice if 2 States members are not available to attend. If the 2 Scrutiny Panel Chairmen are unable to attend it is, of course, necessary for both Deputy Ferguson and Deputy Reed to attend every meeting to ensure that the PAC is quorate.
The Privileges and Procedures Committee is concerned that it has become necessary to propose that the composition of the PAC be amended as it believes that, when the States appointed Senator E.P. Vibert and Deputy Dorey as Chairmen of the Shadow Scrutiny Panels, members hoped that they would be able to devote sufficient time to their work on scrutiny and the PAC and, if necessary, divest themselves of some of their other responsibilities. Nevertheless the Committee accepts the real concerns of Mr. Dunningham and Deputy Ferguson about the potential embarrassment of having to cancel public hearings and it is therefore willing to propose that 2 additional members of the States should be appointed to serve on the PAC during this transitional stage. The 2 Scrutiny Panel Chairmen would remain as members and hopefully be able to attend meetings as often as possible. The suggested restrictions on membership shown in this proposition are identical to those already agreed by the States for membership of the PAC.
Members will be aware that the shadow trials of scrutiny and the PAC are intended to inform subsequent decisions about the operation of these functions under the ministerial system. The Privileges and Procedures Committee will be reviewing the future composition of the PAC in due course in the light of experience during the shadow period. The current decision of the States is that the future PAC should consist of a Chairman appointed by the States and the Chairmen of the Scrutiny Panels. The PPC, in consultation with the shadow PAC, intends to assess whether this composition will be appropriate and, if not, will recommend changes to the States.
There are no financial or manpower implications arising out of this proposition.