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WQ.305/2021
WRITTEN QUESTION TO THE MINISTER FOR HEALTH AND SOCIAL SERVICES
BY THE CONNÉTABLE OF ST. JOHN
QUESTION SUBMITTED ON MONDAY 21st JUNE 2021
ANSWER TO BE TABLED ON MONDAY 28th JUNE 2021
Question
Will the Minister advise –
- how long after a meeting of the Scientific and Technical Advisory Cell (S.T.A.C.) is held, each member of the Emergencies Council, the Competent Authorities, and the Council of Ministers receives a copy of the minutes of the meeting;
- why S.T.A.C. minutes have not been published since the meeting on 29th March 2021;
- what action, if any, he is taking to expedite the publication of all outstanding S.T.A.C. minutes and to ensure the S.T.A.C. minutes are published in a timely manner going forward; and
- whether it his assessment that the support given by the States Greffe in the production and publication of the minutes is satisfactory?
Answer
As explained in the answers to W.Q.175/2021 (tabled 4 May) and W.Q.203/2021 (tabled 11 May), once STAC minutes are cleared by the Chair, they are able to progress straight to publication, rather than first being circulated to members of the bodies referred to in the question. The advice from STAC is generally conveyed to Ministers in person by the Chair and Vice Chairs as part of considering live issues, supporting good-quality and timely decision-making. Draft minutes are circulated as soon as possible after each meeting to the members and standing invitees of STAC, copied to the Director General for Strategic Policy, Performance and Planning, the Head of Ministerial Support and me.
As noted in the Chief Minister's response (S.R.7 Res) to the Corporate Services Scrutiny Panel's interim report on the Covid-19 Response and Recovery (S.R.7 2021) (presented 24 May), STAC minutes are published as soon as practical, whilst upholding the safe space to debate live issues. Most members of STAC have significant mainstream responsibilities, including clinical duties to patients and the provision of medical services for Islanders. Timing of publication reflects these commitments. Within that context, I understand that the Chair will be seeking to clear further sets of minutes for publication as soon as possible, while continuing to balance competing priorities as we move through the pandemic. I continue to monitor and seek publication as soon as practicable.
I am not aware that the States Greffe has any significant resource constraints affecting the professional service provided in the production of STAC minutes.