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Chairmen's Committee - Approved Committee Minutes - 9 March 2006

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CHAIRMEN'S COMMITTEE

Supplementary Meeting of Chairmen held on 9th March 2006

[Held subsequent to meeting with Council of Ministers of this day] Relevant briefing notes from CoM attached

Present Deputy R C Duhamel, President

Deputy J.A. Martin, Vice-Chairman, Social Affairs Panel Deputy G P Southern

Deputy P J D Ryan

Deputy S C Ferguson

Deputy J G Reed

Apologies

Absent

In attendance K. Tremellen-Frost, Scrutiny Manager

Mr. M. Haden, Scrutiny Officer (Item 1)

 

Ref Back

Agenda matter

Action

1.

17.02.06 item 5

Legal advice Protocol

The Panel considered the above matter in respect of its meeting with  the  Council  of  Ministers  and  it  was  encouraged  by  the positive  response  of  the  Ministers  to  the  draft  protocol.  The Committee, however, was less encouraged by comments made by H.M Attorney General in particular that Scrutiny Panels were not  part  of  government  and  that  if  the  protocol  were  to  be included in the draft Scrutiny Code of Practice, the quality of advice from the Law Officer's Department would be less positive and more conservative. The Committee noted the Council's view that the quality of advice should be equally good for all parties.

It was agreed that a letter should be sent to the Chief Minister encouraging  the  Council  of  Ministers  to  progress  the  matter urgently so that the Scrutiny Code of Conduct could be "lodged au Greffe" and reviews could be progressed.

KTF/RD

2.

27.01.06 item 8

Communications Unit

The Committee noted the Council of Minister's view that the basis for costing and staffing the Communications Unit was on the Executive's work programme. Should Scrutiny require the service  of  this  unit  it  would  be  necessary  for  Scrutiny  to contribute to the resourcing of the unit. Whilst no conflict could be  identified  for  the  Unit  serving  both  purposes  and  an occasional small amount of time could be dedicated to Scrutiny to offer advice, the Unit was already stretched in undertaking its current workload.

The Committee decided that the Communications Unit was in effect  the "voice  of  the  Executive" and  that  it  would  be inappropriate for it to have any involvement in scrutiny issues.

 

3.

Media

The  Committee  expressed  its  concern  about  the  poor  press

 

coverage  through  the  Jersey  Evening  Post  and  noted  that Deputy Duhamel had arranged to meet Mr C. Bright, JEP Editor to discuss this and to discuss the possibility of having a full page regular slot in the paper dedicated to Scrutiny.

Deputy Duhamel would report back at the next meeting. RD Signed Date:

.. President, Chairmen's Committee