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Letter - Chief Minister to Corporate Services Scrutiny Panel - Chief Executive New River Communicati

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19-21 Broad Street | St Helier Jersey | JE2 4WE

Senator Kristina Moore

Chair, Corporate Services Scrutiny Board

BY EMAIL

11 May 2021

Dear Chair,

Thank you for your letter dated 20April 2021.

As Chief Minister, I confirmed that a review would be undertaken of the sequence of events related to the release of a statement on the former Chief Executive's non-Executive Directorship. That review has now been published, in the form of timelines covering the initial media queries, and a general context timeline, as per the following link:

https://www.gov.je/government/freedomofinformation/pages/foi.aspx?ReportID=4223

As a result of this review, we have made some practical changes. We now require all media statements and press releases to have approval by an individual Minister, which is a tightening of government  communication  practices.  The  Press  Office  and  Ministerial  Office  support  this controlled process, and I am considering whether to also include it as an update in the ministerial code to make this process clearer. There are no other completed or official reports or reviews of which I am aware on this matter. However, we will be keeping this matter under review.

I hope the above is welcome confirmation, and for myself, while it can absorb a reasonable amount of ministerial time, I do feel it absolutely proper that elected Ministers approve all media statements and press releases.

If you have any questions, please let me know. Yours sincerely,

Senator John Le Fondré Chief Minister