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Economic Affairs - Telecoms Privatisation - Approved Sub-Panel Minutes - 4 October 2006

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Economic Affairs Sub Panel (Telecoms Privatisation) Meeting No. 5

4th October 2006

1st Floor Meeting Room, Morier House

Present Deputy G. P. Southern , Chairman

Senator B. Shenton

Deputy J. A. Martin

Deputy J. Reed

Apologies Deputy G. Baudains

In attendance I. Clarkson, Scrutiny Officer

 

Ref Back

Agenda matter

Action

1.

Minutes

The Sub Panel approved the minutes of the meeting dated 20th September 2006.

 

2.

Matters Arising

Item 4, 20th September 2006 The Chairman reported that at its meeting on 4th October 2006 the Panel had formally agreed to set aside £25,000 of its budget for 2006 to facilitate the work of the Sub Panel.

 

3.

Submissions

The  Sub-Panel  received  additional  written  submissions  and research papers. It was reported that copies of all documentation presented to either the Minister for Treasury and Resources / former Finance and Economics Committee or to the Council of Ministers  that  lead  to  the  publication  in  July  2006  of  the consultation document were expected to arrive at the Scrutiny Office during the week beginning 9th October 2006. A further submission from Jersey Telecom was also anticipated. This was to include a copy of a letter sent to Senator P.F.C. Ozouf on 10th March 2006.

IC IC

4.

Appointment of consultants

The Sub-Panel noted that, following receipt of correspondence from several prospective advisers, a Mr. D. Parker, Research Professor in Privatisation and Regulation, Cranfield School of Management, Cranfield University, had been identified as the only suitable candidate with sufficient time available to assist.

The  Sub-Panel,  having  agreed  that  it  wished  to  engage  the services of the adviser and having noted that the Panel had allocated  a  sum  of  up  to £25,000  to  facilitate  the  telecoms privatisation  review,  delegated  authority  to  the  Chairman  to finalize terms of engagement with Mr. D. Parker.

GS / IC

5.

Additional lines of enquiry

The Sub-Panel agreed that it wished to invite both Senator T.A. Le  Sueur, Minister  for  Treasury and  Resources  and  Senator P.F.C.   Ozouf ,  Minister  for  Economic  Development,  to future public hearings; however, it was not minded to proceed with either  hearing  until  such  time  as  it  had  appointed,  and  had

 

consulted with, its own adviser.

The  Sub-Panel  was  advised  that  a  particular  witness  was prepared to give evidence to the Panel on a confidential basis. The Sub-Panel agreed that it should meet with the witness at IC

3.30 pm on the afternoon of Thursday 12th October 2006 in the Blampied Room, States Building.

The Scrutiny Officer was instructed

  1. to write to Mr. R. Amy, OBE, Chairman of the Committee of Management of PECRS, requesting clarification on the matter of how or whether the PECRS rules could be modified to allow both IC for Jersey Telecom employees to remain within the scheme and whether it might be possible for new employees to join;
  2. to establish whether landline services offered in Jersey by Cable  and  Wireless  and  Newtel  Solutions  were  provided IC independently of any line rental agreement with Jersey Telecom;
  3. to establish provisional dates for a public hearing with the IC Minister of Economic Development;
  4. to  confirm  with  the  Executive  Director,  JCRA,  which IC jurisdictions required telecoms companies to make contributions to a central universal service fund, and
  5. to clarify the manner in which the JCRA had interpreted Article IC 7 (1) and (2) of the Telecommunications (Jersey) Law 2002.

6. Date of next scheduled meeting

2.00  pm  on  Wednesday  18th  October  2006  in  the  Blampied IC Room, States Building.

Signed

_____________ ______________ Chairman Date