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STATES OF JERSEY
STANDING ORDERS: ADDITIONAL SIGNATORIES ON PROPOSITIONS
Lodged au Greffe on 19th November 2010 by Senator P.F. Routier
STATES GREFFE
2010 Price code: A P.174
PROPOSITION
THE STATES are asked to decide whether they are of opinion
to request the Privileges and Procedures Committee to bring forward an amendment to Standing Orders to require a proposition for debate lodged by a member of the States in his or her own right to be endorsed and countersigned by 7 other members.
SENATOR P.F. ROUTIER
REPORT
Firstly I must point out that this proposition is intended to help all members to achieve a successful outcome to any proposition that they wish to bring forward. There will obviously be a useful oversight from colleagues that would help the proposer to gain some support prior to any debate.
During recent months there have been a number of propositions which have been lodged for debate which have either been withdrawn on the day of debate and even during debates for various reasons. Some have been because of a lack of information, some have been because there has not been enough understanding of the existing legislation and services provided by various departments.
This proposition is brought because there is a real sense of frustration emerging from amongst members regarding the waste of members' preparation and debating time. There are also the very real opportunities being lost by officers within various departments who need to use the very limited resources that they have in preparing responses and comments to the propositions. In these times of making sure that all our resources are used carefully in a positive way we must ensure that departmental resources are focused on providing and improving services rather than having to spend time on researching and advising on propositions which are unlikely to be successful.
I do not propose that the same requirement is needed for amendments to substantive propositions.
The requirement for 7 members to endorse a proposition before it is debated is a reflection of the number that is required by members of the States of Guernsey to progress a proposition or in their terms a requête'. I have attached as an Appendix the relevant section of the Guernsey Rules of Procedure.
I hope members will accept this proposition in the way it is intended so that we can use our time effectively for the benefit of the people we are elected to serve.
This proposition has the endorsement of the following members –
Senator B.E. Shenton
Senator S.C. Ferguson
Connétable K.P. Vibert of St. Ouen Connétable J.M. Réfault of St. Peter Deputy R.C. Duhamel of St. Saviour Deputy E.J. Noel of St. Lawrence Deputy A.T. Dupré of St. Clement
Financial and manpower statement
There will not be any additional financial or manpower implications from this proposition however in the short-term there will be an opportunity to utilise existing resources within departments to provide services in a timelier manner. In the longer term there may be an opportunity to make some savings.
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P.174/2010
APPENDIX
Extract from the Rules of Procedure of the States of Deliberation of Guernsey
Requêtes.
17. (1) If any 7 or more Members desire that a requête be laid before a Meeting they shall first submit the same to the Policy Council, for that Council's opinion on the matters referred to therein, within the time specified in Rule 2 (1).
- Upon submission to it of a requête the Policy Council shall
- consult any Departments or Committees appearing to that Council to have a particular interest in the subject matter of the requête; and
- set out its opinion in a report, appending thereto the views of all Departments and Committees so consulted, for inclusion in a Billet
d'État with the requête.
- When a requête is laid before the States, the Chief Minister and the Minister or Chairman of each of the Departments or Committees referred to in the preceding paragraph shall be entitled to speak
- immediately after the mover of the requête has opened the debate, and
- immediately before the mover of the requête replies to the debate.
- Where a requête asking that the report of a Department or Committee which has been published as an Appendix to a Billet d'État shall be debated is laid before the States, the Minister or Chairman of the said
Department or Committee shall be entitled to speak immediately before the mover of the requête replies to the debate.