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WRITTEN QUESTION TO THE MINISTER FOR HEALTH AND SOCIAL SERVICES BY DEPUTY S. PITMAN OF ST. HELIER
ANSWER TO BE TABLED ON TUESDAY 20th OCTOBER 2009
Question
Would the Minister inform States Members what qualifications and experience her Assistant Ministers possess, which led to her decision to choose them for this role?
Answer
I am delighted to have this opportunity to publicly express the confidence that I have in both of my Assistant Ministers. One of my first tasks, upon being elected as Minister for Health and Social Services, was to ensure that I secured a broad and balanced Ministerial team that could work with me on a number of important tasks.
I was delighted that Deputy Judy Martin was prepared to continue the excellent work that she had already begun, under my immediate predecessor, in bringing strong and effective Political leadership to Social Services and the Children's' services in particular. Deputy Martin is an experienced and well respected member of this House and I continue to be impressed with her grasp of the often complex issues that are involved in leading this important element of our business in a time of change and transition. Furthermore she has real rapport with this important client group and an understanding of many of the challenges that they can face and her ability to represent them is a real asset to my Ministerial team.
In choosing Deputy Edward Noel as my other Assistant Minister I was keen to exploit his business skills and experience gained before he was elected to the House last autumn. He has a professional background ideally suited to meeting some of the very considerable challenges that my team face in securing and effectively managing the resources that will continue to be required to deliver the services that Islanders have come to expect and often require.
Deputy Noel also serves as Assistant Minister, Treasury and Resources, and the importance of the link that this provides between the largest spending department and the centre cannot be over-emphasized. Deputy Noel, notwithstanding his business acumen, also has a real understanding of the issues that many ordinary people face. His commitment to caring can best be exemplified by the first hand involvement that he and his wife have maintained in the local fostering service.