Which of the 6 recommendations in Chapman Report are still to be implemented and which of these are likely to be implemented

2.6   Deputy M. Tadier of the Chief Minister regarding the implementation of the Chapman report recommendations:

Will the Chief Minister advise Members which of the 6 recommendations in the

Chapman report are still to be implemented and will he inform Members which of

these are likely to be implemented?

Senator T.A. Le Sueur (The Chief Minister):

Yes, all 6 of the recommendations are at varying stages of progress and completion. Recommendation 1 concerning the ongoing monitoring of the blog in question and of employees named is as well progressed as possible. An up-to-date record is being maintained and we will continue to do so. Recommendation 2 concerning engaging with employees as and when they are named is in place and ongoing. Employees are sensitively contacted by my department, informed of their rights and offered counselling. Recommendation 3 - redrafting the Bullying and Harassment Policy - is well advanced and will be put out to consultation with the trade unions and staff associations. Recommendation 4 - reviewing and developing the Health and Safety Policy - is outstanding but is being addressed with a target of March 2010. Recommendation 5 - a briefing document on employees' rights under the 2008 Harassment Law - has been drafted by the Law Officers' Department and is expected to be distributed to staff soon. Recommendation 6 - the States Employment Board dealing with this issue collectively rather than departmentally - has been agreed, and the recommendations of the Health and Safety Inspectorate will be addressed in their entirety as and when the Chapman recommendations continue to be implemented.

1. Deputy M. Tadier :

Just to follow up, I thank the Minister for his response. Part of recommendation 6 was not simply that the allegations be refuted, and these were allegations which I quote from the reports that range from accusations ...

The Deputy Bailiff :

I am sorry we are going to have to stop. We are no longer quorate. Can I invite

Members in the precincts to return to the Chamber in order that we can become

quorate again.  Well, Greffier, perhaps you would call the roll. [10:45]

The roll was called

Deputy P.V.F. Le Claire:

Sir, may I make an observation, please, and ask for your consideration and also that of the Chairman of P.P.C. (Privileges and Procedures Committee)? During the roll call a number of Members entered the Chamber and gave their names as present after a much longer extended period of time than other Members who had entered the Chamber whose names had already been called. I relate particularly to Senator Ozouf 's defence; he entered the Chamber just after his name had been called and subsequently has not been recognised as being here, which he certainly is. I think really a review is needed and perhaps looking at the instant voting ability with the buttons that we have now to show who is in the room, so that it does not favour those Members that are further down the list.

The Deputy Bailiff :

Well, the Chairman of P.P.C. will no doubt take that on board, Deputy , thank you. That exercise has taken approximately 4 minutes which normally would come out of Question Time allocation. I shall add 2 minutes back to the Question Time allocation, and it really is a serious request to Members to ensure that they remain in the Chamber where possible for the conduct of the Assembly's business. Now, Deputy Tadier .

Deputy M. Tadier :

There is nothing quite like a quorum call to focus the mind on the issue. So, back to

the issue of the Chapman report. The question I really want to ask next is

obviously all the recommendations are important, but perhaps in some ways the last one is the most important. Allegations were made - a variety of allegations - and the recommendation was not simply that the S.E.B. (States Employment Board) refutes the allegations publicly but that it be done and be posted on Senator Syvret's blog site. So, will the Minister confirm whether he is going to undertake to refute the allegations publicly and to do it on Senator Syvret's blog site?

Senator T.A. Le Sueur :

While I take note of what the Deputy says, my judgment is, at this stage, to post the recommendations on the Senator's blog site would not be in the interests of helping the people who have been suffering from bullying and harassment over the previous months.

2. Deputy M. Tadier :

Just, if I may, a supplementary: the Minister did before say that he has endorsed all 6 recommendations and that recommendation 6 is that the refutation should be done publicly and posted on the Senator's blog site. So, if the Minister and the S.E.B. are not willing to do this, in fact they are not endorsing recommendation 6, only 1 to 5 which is not what the Minister had originally said.

Senator T.A. Le Sueur :

I would accept what Deputy Tadier says when endorsing recommendation 6 in full because it is a matter of judgment as to how it is implemented, but the spirit of the recommendation certainly is being adhered to and will be followed.