Corporate Services - Approved Panel Minutes - 16 March 2006

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Agenda matter

Action

1.

The Panel approved the Minutes of the meeting held on 3rd March 2006.

2.

Chairman's report - The Panel received notes of the regular weekly meetings between the Chairman and officers, dated 8th and 15th March 2006 and noted the following matters -

1. Briefing with Chief Minister's department - It was agreed to cancel  this  briefing.  Instead  the  various  heads  of  department would be invited to future Panel meetings in order to discuss the operation of their sections with the Panel. The Scrutiny Officer was requested to draw up a schedule of dates.

2. Briefing on GST proposals - 24th March - It was noted that this briefing coincided with a meeting of the Chairmen's Committee. The Vice Chairman agreed to take the chair until such time as the Chairman could attend

3. Schedule of meetings - It was agreed to use Thursdays as the normal meeting day wherever possible.

4. Financial Planning Cycle - It was noted that the Panel would receive a paper from Treasury and Resources on 17th March once the paper had been circulated to the Council of Ministers. In the  meantime  the  Panel  received  an  outline  of  the  timetable showing key dates. The Panel agreed to meet on 23rd March commencing at 11am to consider this paper. It was also agreed to  forward  this  paper  to  other  Panels  and  the  Chairmen's Committee for consideration.
5. Date of next quarterly meeting with Treasury and Resources Minister- 22nd June
6. Consultation process on impôts duty on fuel used by marine pleasure craft - The Panel noted an e-mail, dated 13th March, from the Treasury and Resources Minister. The Panel had no comment to make at this stage.

7. Mr.  B.   Curtis - It  was  noted  that  a  joint  meeting  with  the Chairman of the Economic Affairs Panel had been arranged on 29th March (time to be confirmed).

8. Officer resources - the Panel noted the intention to split the Social Affairs Panel, possibly in the near future. Mindful that this might  lead  to  a  reorganisation  of  officer  support,  the  Panel affirmed the need for its current officer support to be maintained in view of the workload on the Panel in scrutinising the Fiscal Strategy,  the  States  Strategic  Plan  and  the  States  Business

MH

Senator Perchard

MH MH

MH

Planning Cycle. The officers were requested to prepare a report on

the future work programme and the resource requirements for the Chairmen's Committee's meeting in April.

3.

Item 3 03.03.06

Fiscal Strategy

The Panel considered the following issues -

1. Lead roles - The Panel agreed that it would be an efficient way of working to assign lead roles to each member. The following were proposed -

• GST - Chairman and Connétable Gallichan
• 20  means  20  and  look through  arrangements - Senator Perchard and Connétable Murphy

• Environmental taxes - Chairman.

Deputy Gallichan agreed to take the lead role in monitoring the Chief Minister.

It was also agreed to approach Senator Shenton with regard to involving him in the work of the Panel with regard to scrutiny of the Fiscal Strategy.

2. Expert Adviser - The Panel received an update report on the search for an adviser and noted that four expressions of interest had been received, comprising three university professors and one tax consultancy firm. Further details were awaited. It was agreed that once these details had been received the Chairman should draw up a shortlist of candidates who would be invited to meet the Panel prior to appointment to discuss the role of adviser. The Panel noted a draft agreement prepared by the Scrutiny office setting out the expectations of an adviser.

3. Conversations with local contacts - The Panel agreed that, in preparation for scrutinising the Fiscal Strategy, it would begin conversations  with  relevant  organisations  and  individuals  who might give a considered view on the tax proposals. The Panel considered an initial list which had been compiled by its officers and agreed to write to these accordingly. It also requested that a list of consultation addresses be included on the next agenda in order that it might consider additional contacts.

Senator Perchard

Chairman

MH

4.

Chief Minister - first quarterly meeting

The Panel agreed to take the following issues into consideration -

• Relationship of Council of Ministers and States Assembly;
• Draft  Strategic  Plan,  particularly  the  question  of  re- investment of savings into services and infrastructure rather than meeting the black hole'

• Departmental Business Plan 2006
• Senator   Walker 's  manifesto  statement  in  the  States Assembly as candidate for election as Chief Minister.

Deputy Gallichan agreed to prepare a question plan for this meeting. It was intended that this would be available at its meeting on 23rd March in order for

1. Panel members to be able to prepare their own questions
2. The  Chief  Minister  to  be  informed  of  the  areas  of questioning;

Deputy Gallichan

c. The media and public to be given good notice of the meeting.

The issue of holding future meetings in the evenings or lunchtimes and alternative venues in order to allow greater public access was discussed. It was agreed to raise this matter with the Chief Minister. It was noted that the officers were committed to supporting the Panel in reaching out to the public and were fully prepared to attend meetings outside normal working hours.

5

Draft Strategic Plan

The Panel agreed that it was essential to undertake a thorough scrutiny of the draft Strategic Plan in so far as it related to its own remit. This would include -

The balance of the stated Top Ten priorities

The validity of the overall financial framework

The completeness of the stated success indicators

The completeness of the stated strategic initiatives

The Panel received copies of a draft paper prepared by the Scrutiny officer in this respect and agreed to consider this matter on 30th March following its meeting with the Chief Minister.

The  Chairman  was  requested  to  liaise  with  the  Chairmen's Committee with regard to the overall scrutiny of the draft Plan and the possible  production  of  a  joint  comprehensive  report  with  other Panels.

Chairman

6

Item 4 03.03.06

Age of consent review

The Panel -

1. noted  that  the  date  of  debate  on  the  draft  Sexual  Offences (Jersey) Law 200- had now been moved to 25th April and that the Minister  hoped  to  be  able  to  lodge  draft  Sexual  Offenders legislation by that date.

2. considered the draft report in detail and approved the following recommendations -

that the States was obliged to meet its obligations under the ECHR by approving the draft Sexual Offences (Jersey) Law 200-

that the debate on the draft Sexual Offences (Jersey) Law 200- be  delayed  until  such  time  as  the  draft  Sexual  offenders (Jersey) Law 200- could be debated jointly.

3. noted  the  views  of  the  Solicitor  General,  Mr.  L.  Small  and Advocate Lakeman on the suggestion that the debate on the draft Sexual Offences (Jersey) Law 200- be further delayed in order to consider the two pieces of legislation together. The Panel agreed notwithstanding these views to make this recommendation. It was for the Minister to inform the Panel and the States whether in her view, there were overriding considerations in favour of settling the perceived breach of the European Convention on Human rights immediately and in advance of the protective legislation.

4. decided  against  proposing  an  amendment  to  the  draft  Law requesting the States to delay bringing the Law into force by means of an Appointed Day Act.
5. decided against making any recommendation that the Social Affairs Panel should carry out a review of the proposals in the draft protective legislation at this stage.
6. requested its officers to research the position regarding any other items  of  legislation  that  might  have  been inherited' from  the legislation Committee or other such Committees prior to making

SP SP