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WQ.161/2020
WRITTEN QUESTION TO THE CHIEF MINISTER BY DEPUTY R.J. WARD OF ST. HELIER
ANSWER TO BE TABLED ON TUESDAY 12th MAY 2020
Question
"Will the Chief Minister provide a list of the groups, boards or think-tanks established to address Covid-19 recovery planning and actions, including the following details in each case –
- the name of the group;
- a brief summary of remit;
- the names of the members;
- the criteria for inclusion in the group; and
- the process for reporting the group's findings / advice to States Members?"
Answer
As the government progresses work on the Safe Exit strategy we have continued to build upon and utilise the existing structures put in place to deal with the Covid-19 pandemic. The structure and groups in place remain and are focused on the next phase of recovery planning. The Strategic Command Group, the Competent Authorities Meeting and Emergencies Council will continue to lead us through the pandemic and into recovery. Across this, the Council of Minister remains the collective decision-making body for government in Jersey, and individual Ministers, as before, continue to exercise their statutory and non- statutory powers and to be held accountable to the Assembly for doing so.
Meeting Title | Terms of Reference | Key Members | Rationale for attendance | Mechanism of Groups Findings |
Emergencies Council | The Emergencies Council sits to coordinate and support any work to prepare for, or respond to an emergency, including needing to agree the exercising of Competent Authority powers. | Chair - Chief Minister. Competent Authority Ministers (Minister for External Relations; Minister for Economic Development, Tourism, Sport and Culture; Minister for Infrastructure; Minster for Home Affairs; and Minister for Health and Social Services). Connetable Mezbourian , as a nominee of the Comite. | Ministerial powers and key officers to provide guidance to support decision making – and in line with the relevant legislation | Individual Ministers are responsible under the "ministerial code" for ensuring the Assembly is informed of developments in their areas of responsibility, including the Chief Minister as chair of the Council, and are accountable to the Assembly in the normal way. This is in addition to new and enhanced mechanisms to support Members engagement, such as Questions without notice to any Minister, and a weekly States Members briefing. In addition, agenda and papers are provided to Scrutiny Panels. |
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| The Bailiff , H.E. Lt Governor, and the Attorney General as invitees. The Minister for Treasury and Resources and the Minister for Education as invitees. In addition, supporting officers attend, including the Chief Executive Officer |
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Competent Authorities | The CA Ministers act in their areas of competency, for example, the Minster for Home Affairs has powers as a CA Minister over Gas and Postal Services, with the agreement of Emergencies Council. CA Ministers cannot make collective decisions, as their powers are individual, narrow and executed by making orders, but they can confer and advise each other, and they do largely hold the core powers, whether as Ministers, or a CAs, that are needed in the | Chair - Chief Minister. Competent Authority Ministers. The Minister for Treasury and Resources, and the Minister for Education. In addition, supporting officers attend, including the Chief Executive Officer | The Competent Authority Ministers have individual responsibilities under the emergency planning legislation, and in any event, largely hold the core powers, whether as Ministers, or a Competent Authorities, that are needed in the event of an emergency. The TRM and MED are included in invite to CA meetings and circulations given th importance of their portfolios to events around CV-19, including the impact schools and public finances. | As above. U s e on |
| event of an emergency. |
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Strategic Command Group | The purpose of the group is to ensure all senior government officials (Director General's) are aware of key issues relating to the effective management of Covid-19 across the Island. To allow for quick resolution and decision making action for the organisation and in support of Ministers. | Chaired by the Chief Executive Officer; Members of the GoJ Executive Leadership Group | Key roles in organisation that have regular engagement with Ministers, key external and internal stakeholders | Papers into COM, Competent Authorities and Emergencies Council |
Strategic Coordinating Group | Overall responsibility for the multi-agency management of an emergency and to establish the policy and strategic framework within which lower tier command and coordinating groups will work. This includes organisation recovery. | Chair – JHA Director General. Members of the GoJ Executive Leadership Group Emergency Service Heads of Service Senior Leaders across key agencies and organisations e.g. Ports of Jersey, Jersey Water. | Key roles in organisation that have influence to prioritise activity and make decisions internally | COM, Competent Authorities and Emergencies Council |
Tactical Coordinating Group | Purpose : Delivery the overall multi- agency management of the incident and ensure that operational commanders have the means, direction and co- ordination required to | Chair Chief Fire Officer. Members of the GoJ Senior Leadership Team. Senior emergency service leaders. Senior Leaders across key organisations / critical national infrastructure | Key roles in organisation that have influence to take action as directed by SCG | COM, Competent Authorities and Emergencies Council through escalation via Strategic Coordinating Group |
| deliver successful outcomes within the policy and resource framework allocated. |
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Within the Strategic Coordination Group structure we have established a number of safe exit workstreams covering areas such as retail, hospitality and business engagement, education, external relations, travel and borders. The Community Taskforce will continue to provide support and advisory services, and the Helpline will remain in place, again all in support of the recovery plans and effort.
Ministers, with support from the relevant officers are regularly providing a briefing to States Members to keep them informed and to enable members to ask questions.
Ministers and officers are also attending a variety of Scrutiny Panels briefing specifically on Covid-19 related matters.
Economic Recovery-
The Chief Minister is in the process of establishing a governance structure for planning and delivery of our economic recovery. This work will be overseen by a newly established Political Oversight Group (POG) sitting above a senior officials group and a newly-formed economic recovery council. A series of delivery groups will examine key thematic issues e.g. living wage, productivity, digitisation and progress of this work will be reported back through the senior officials group and onwards to the POG.
The economic council will comprise a broad range of economic, community and societal interests in line with the Chief Ministers wish to see a broad-based and sustainable recovery that benefits all islanders.
The Council of Ministers will continue to coordinate government policy, supporting the allocation of resource and expenditure, and the prioritising executive and legislative proposals, further to the deliberation of the POG. Material issues such as legislative change will be brought to the States Assembly in the usual way, and Scrutiny will be kept updated with progress in line with the requirements of the States approved "engagement code".