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Medium Term Financial Plan: minimum lodging period.

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STATES OF JERSEY

MEDIUM TERM FINANCIAL PLAN: MINIMUM LODGING PERIOD

Lodged au Greffe on 28th June 2011 by Deputy G.P. Southern of St. Helier

STATES GREFFE

2011   Price code: A  P.120

PROPOSITION

THE STATES are asked to decide whether they are of opinion

  1. to agree that the revisions to Standing Orders that will be required following  the  adoption  of  the  draft  Public  Finances  (Amendment No. 3) (Jersey) Law 201- should provide that the future Medium Term Financial Plan should have a minimum lodging period of 12 weeks;
  2. to request the Minister for Treasury and Resources, in consultation with the Privileges and Procedures Committee, to take the necessary steps to give effect to the decision.

DEPUTY G.P. SOUTHERN OF ST. HELIER

REPORT

The  report  accompanying  P.97/2011 –  Draft  Public  Finances  (Amendment  No. 3) Jersey  Law  201-  contains  the  following  statement  concerning  the  lodging  of  the Medium Term Financial Plan (MTFP) which is to replace the Annual Business Plan from next year.

"The  opportunity  has  also  been  taken  to  remove  the  States  procedures associated with the lodging and debate of the Medium Term Financial Plan and  the  annual  Budget.  These  will  be  brought  back  to  the  States  to  be incorporated into States Standing Orders alongside other States procedures."

Current procedures provide that the Annual Business Plan (ABP) shall not be debated unless  it  has  been  lodged  for  at  least  6 weeks.  The  Minister  for  Treasury  and Resources takes pride that he will be lodging the ABP this year on 13th July to enable debate on 13th September, allowing over 8 weeks' lodging. But this remains far from satisfactory. As many members will be aware, this gives precious little time for proper detailed scrutiny of the Plan.

The July/September cycle is particularly unsatisfactory in that it contains the August holiday period when it is extremely difficult to ensure proper contact between States members, Ministers and departments. This year's schedule, for example, means that amendments have to be with the States Greffe by Friday 25th August to meet the 2 week lodging deadline. The difficulties of co-ordination through the August holiday period effectively means that there are only 13 working days in July to formulate and lodge amendments.

The process of lodging the MTFP is described in the report to P.97/2011 below. Members will note some further confusion around the timing of the MTFP lodging and  debate  by  comparing  the  July/September  cycle  with  the  September/October schedule in the diagram overleaf.

"Medium Term Financial Plan (Articles 7–9)

In November 2011, the new Council of Ministers will begin preparation of the new  Medium  Term  Financial  Plan  alongside  a  new  Strategic  Plan.  The Strategic Plan will be consulted on early in the process and will provide States  members  with  the  opportunity  to  consider  and  shape  the  strategic objectives, which will then influence the Medium Term Financial Plan prior to lodging.

The diagram at the Appendix (over) to this report provides an overview of the proposed Medium Term Financial Planning Framework over the term of the States Assembly or Council of Ministers.

The proposals are for a Medium Term Financial Plan, for the period 2013 to 2015, to be prepared and lodged in July 2012 and debated in September 2012."

Page - 3

P.120/2011

Neither of the proposed schedules allows sufficient time for proper scrutiny or tabling of amendments. Given that the MTFP will fix spending targets and associated tax raising measures for a period of 3 years, it is even more important, indeed in my opinion  essential,  that  members  have  the  maximum  time  and  opportunity  to understand and amend the plan where needed. However, the only requirement in terms of a timetable is as follows –

"The Law amendments also propose that the Medium Term Financial Plan should be debated at least 2 months before the start of the first year to which it relates. In the first year of the process, this would enable the annual Budget to be debated alongside the Medium Term Financial Plan."

There will be very little scope for any member of the States, apart from the Minister for Treasury and Resources, to make any change to the spending envelopes adopted by the States in the 4 year periods between one Plan and the next. A 12 week lodging period, based on this year's schedule, would give a lodging date for the MTFP of 21st June for debate on 13th September. This would obviously cause some pressure on departmental staff, but I believe such a schedule is achievable.

Financial and manpower implications

There are no additional financial or manpower implications for the States arising from the adoption of this proposition.