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WRITTEN QUESTION TO THE CHIEF MINISTER BY DEPUTY R.G. LE HÉRISSIER OF ST. SAVIOUR
ANSWER TO BE TABLED ON TUESDAY 11th MARCH 2008
Question
Would the Chief Minister state the date by which he intends to bring proposals to the States to put in place an independent person or agency to receive approaches from persons raising serious concerns ("whistleblowers")? Will the development of the proposal be undertaken by person(s) independent of the Chief Minister's Department?
Answer
My Department's Business Plan for 2008 includes, as one of its key objectives, an assessment of "the need for an independent person or agency to receive approaches from persons raising serious concerns".
The planned activity associated with this assessment of need is contained within the Business Plan for 2008 for the Director of Human Resources and his team. He has a target date of July 2008 for the completion of this work.
The assessment will undoubtedly examine those arrangements currently in place (e.g. the existing "Policy on Reporting Serous Concerns" and the ability for members of the public to raise concerns, as "whistleblowers" with the Comptroller and Auditor General). Additionally, I expect his work to consider best practice from elsewhere.
I cannot, therefore, give a specific answer to the question as to the date I will bring proposals to the States as that presupposes that the outcome of the assessment will be that such proposals are necessary.