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WQ.345/2020
WRITTEN QUESTION TO THE CHIEF MINISTER
BY DEPUTY L.M.C. DOUBLET OF ST. SAVIOUR ANSWER TO BE TABLED ON TUESDAY 6th OCTOBER 2020
Question
Will the Chief Minister state, in respect of Child Right's Impact Assessments (C.R.I.A.s) –
- how many C.R.I.A.s have been trialled to date, including any related specifically to policy decisions regarding Covid-19;
- which Departments have trialled C.R.I.A.s in terms of policy development to date; and
- when he intends to publish any C.R.I.A.s undertaken for Covid-related policies, in line with the commitment made during Questions without notice on 22nd September 2020?
Answer
We are expecting to introduce a Jersey Children's Rights Impact Assessment (CRIA) process in 2021, as part of the indirect incorporation law which will require Ministers, Assembly Members and named public authorities to have due regard' to the United Nations Convention of the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) in 2021. CRIA will become mandatory for Ministers and States Members when developing policy, legislation and propositions or amendments for debate in the Assembly but will otherwise be considered the best- practice option for demonstrating due regard.
Jersey's CRIA process will commence with an initial screening' step to quickly establish if the policy area in question has any potential positive or negative impacts on children. If the likelihood of impacts is identified, this step will be followed by detailed assessment and prediction of the way in which the identified policy options are expected to impact children and children's rights; thus allowing potential enhancements or mitigations to be devised. A full CRIA process should include consultation with children and other stakeholders including the Children's Commissioner.
The template and guidance for the Jersey CRIA process is currently under development, with plans for a pilot programme to run within the Government of Jersey and States Assembly ahead of the legislation's expected enactment next year. Details of the pilot programme will be published shortly.
(a) & (b) To date, we are aware of two CRIA Initial Assessments' that have been trialled. The first of these was undertaken by CYPES in relation to the reopening of schools during the summer term. This can be found on the "Guidance for education and childcare: coronavirus (COVID-19)" page of Gov.je.
A second CRIA was started by officers from IHE in conjunction with the draft Public Health and Safety (rented Dwellings) (Licensing) (Jersey) Regulations.
(c) The publication of the CRIA undertaken by CYPES is a matter for the Education Minister to determine. The partial CRIA undertaken by IHE is not a Covid-related policy.