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STATEMENT TO BE MADE BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE PRIVILEGES AND PROCEDURES COMMITTEE ON 18th JANUARY 2005
In recent months several propositions relating to the composition and election of the States Assembly have been referred to the Privileges and Procedures Committee for comment. At the end of the last session, for example, the proposition of Deputy Troy on the 2005 Senatorial elections (P.221/2004) and the proposition of Deputy Breckon on Senators and Deputies' elections (P.227/2004) were referred to the Committee and there are now other propositions on these issues that members may wish to refer to the PPC.
The Committee considered this matter at its meeting last week. It recalled that issues relating to the composition of the Assembly had originally been dealt with by the Policy and Resources Committee until the establishment of the first Special Committee in March 2002. Having examined our terms of reference, the PPC concluded last week that it is not at all clear that issues relating to the composition and election of the States fall within our remit. Members will also appreciate that it is difficult for the current members of PPC to comment on these issues following the wholesale rejection by the States of the proposition of the last Special Committee which, until the resignation of Senator Le Claire just before the debate, had the same membership as PPC.
The PPC reached the conclusion that it does not, from now on, intend to comment on any propositions relating to the composition and election of the Assembly. The Committee believes that it would be a more appropriate and worthwhile use of its time to address the significant agenda on other matters that it faces in the coming months, particularly on the new Standing Orders where the Committee is making good progress and will be able to publish initial proposals next month.
The Committee also considered whether it should bring forward a proposition to ask the States to establish a new Special Committee to take forward issues on composition as, although there are a number of options that have been proposed by private members, the PPC does not think it is realistic to deal with such significant constitutional issues on this ad hoc basis.
Having discussed the advantages and disadvantages of the establishment of a new Special Committee the PPC decided not to bring forward a proposition at this stage. The Committee concluded that, with elections only some 9 months away, it is unlikely that the necessary work on these complex areas could be undertaken and approved by the States this year and, in addition, it is now too late to make any significant changes for the 2005 elections. I would stress that the members of PPC are disappointed, on an individual basis, about the lack of progress on these important matters, particularly as there are outstanding issues, such as the rôle of the unelected members, a general election and a standard term of office, that may not be addressed for some time.
It does, of course, remain open to any private member to bring forward a proposition on the establishment of a Special Committee if any member disagrees with our Committee's conclusion.