Education and Home Affairs - Approved Panel Minutes - 22 August 2006

Ref Back

Agenda matter

Action

1. Minutes of Previous Meetings

1. Closed minutes of the meeting of 10th July 2006

The Panel approved the minutes of its meeting of 10th July 2006 with one amendment.

2. Minutes of the meeting of 24th July 2006

The Panel approved the minutes of its meeting of 24th July 2006.

3. Minutes of the meeting of 2nd August 2006

The Panel approved the minutes of its meeting of 2nd August 2006.

4. Notes from the meetings held on 2nd August 2006

The  Panel  agreed  to  defer  consideration  of  the  notes  until  the meeting of the 4th September 2006.

2. Matters Arising

1. The Panel noted the action updates with further consideration given to the following actions:

3. Deputy Pryke informed the Panel that she had contacted the secretary of the GP in question and was awaiting a response.

4. The Panel were informed that no copy of the Philips Report had yet been obtained

2. The  Chairman  informed  the  Panel  that  the  Privileges  and Procedures Committee (PPC) had drafted an amendment to the States Business Plan requesting funding for a fifth Scrutiny Panel. He further informed the Panel that the President of PPC had asked to attend and observe a future Social Affairs Panel meeting.

The  Chairman  informed  the  Panel  that  he  had  agreed  to  be interviewed  by  Radio  Jersey  in  respect  of  the  Criminal  Justice Policy.

The  Panel  agreed  to  write  to  the  Chief  Minister  requesting  an update on progress to date by the Social Policy Framework for Jersey.

The  Panel  discussed  progress  with  the  Prison  Report  and  the Chairman agreed to circulate the first draft of the report to the Panel and Officers.

Deputy Pryke informed the Panel that a Prison Chaplain had now been appointed.

CA/WM BH

3. Rôle of the Centenier in the Magistrate's Court

The Chairman informed the Panel that the visit to Southampton Crown Prosecution Service had been organised for Thursday 30th

August and Friday 1st September. The Panel agreed to circulate the itinerary for consideration.

The Panel considered the Public Hearings scheduled for the 19th and 21st September. It was agreed to invite the following witnesses to attend:

19th September:

The Attorney General and Mr. Lawrence O'Donnell The Magistrate, Mr. I. Le Marquand

Centeniers Mr. G. Cornwall and Mr. M. Lamy

21st September:

The Magistrate, Mr. I. Christmas

An experienced Centenier from St. Helier The most recently appointed new Centenier

The Panel agreed to contact Mr. G. Cornwall in order to ascertain the correct procedure for inviting Centeniers to appear as witnesses at Public Hearings.

CA/WM CA/WM

CA/WM

4. Income Support

Deputy Martin informed the Panel that an interim report would be produced concentrating upon the delivery of the proposed system and the administration of the Citizens Fund. It was also intended to highlight the Sub-Panel's concerns.

The Panel was further informed that Dr. Martin Evans would be visiting Jersey again in order to discuss a number of issues with both the Department of Social Security and the Sub-Panel.

CA/WM

5. GP Out-of-Hours

Deputy Pryke informed the Panel that she had not yet received the

JCRA report on the GP Out-of-Hours proposals though she had been informed that it was imminent.

It was agreed that the Public Hearings should be held on Friday 29th September.

CA/WM

6. Overdale

Deputy Pryke confirmed that the Panel had been informed about the composition of the Sub-Panel and its terms of reference. She went on to inform the Panel that a visit to Overdale had been made but that there had been insufficient time and a further visit had been proposed.

Deputy Pryke further informed the Panel that a call for evidence advert would shortly be placed in the JEP. The Panel agreed to delegate authority to Deputy Pryke for authorising payment of the JEP advert.

7. Criminal Justice Policy

the Panel agreed that the new Criminal Justice Policy had changed very little from the earlier document and expressed their concern about the time taken to produce this revised version. It was agreed to write to the Minister for Home Affairs offering their support in principle  for  the  Criminal  Justice  Policy  but  expressing  their concerns  in  respect  of  the  time  taken  and  the  lack  of  any substantial change.

CA/WM

8. Draft Sexual Health Strategy

The Panel noted the Strategy and agreed to write to the Minister for Health & Social Services expressing their view that it would have been more helpful for the Strategy to have been submitted prior to the debate on the Sexual Offences (Jersey) Law 200- rather than so soon after the debate was completed.

9. Evaluation of Reviews

The Panel noted the paper relating to the evaluation of reviews and agreed  to  consider  this  in  more  detail  upon  the  completion  of current reviews.

10. Future Meetings

The Panel noted it would next meet Monday 4th September 2006 at 9:30am in the Le Capelain Room, States Building.