Environment - Approved Panel Minutes - 10 January 2006

Item No

Agenda matter

Action

1.

The minutes of the meeting of 23rd December 2005 were approved and signed by the Chairman.

2.

Pre-meeting briefing

The Panel held a preliminary discussion to confirm possible lines of questioning.

3.

Attendance of Senator F.E. Cohen, Planning and Environment Minister, Mr. J. Richardson, Chief Executive Officer, Planning and Public Services Department, Mr. P. Thorne , Director of Planning, Mr. C. Newton, Director of Environment.

The Chairman welcomed the above to the meeting and invited Senator Cohen to advise the Panel on the work programme for the forthcoming twelve months.

The Panel noted Senator Cohen's intention that the relationship between the Planning and Environment Department and the Panel would be a partnership and that of all information would be communicated to the Panel as appropriate. In the event that difficulties arose, these should be discussed between them and the Panel should be involved in the decision-making process.

The Panel received oral information in respect of a number of

initiatives that the Minister would be undertaking during the next twelve months. (See Attached) The Panel also took the opportunity of asking a number of questions of the Minister in respect of the 2006 work programme.

The Panel accepted the offer from Senator Cohen to receive a presentation from the Senior Officers in their particular responsibilities.

The Director of Planning advised the Panel of the initiatives of the Planning Department for the next twelve months. (See attached)

The Director of Environment advised the Panel of the initiatives of the Environment Department for the next twelve months. (See attached)

The Panel thanked Senator Cohen and Officers for their assistance who withdrew from the meeting.

4.

Attendance of Deputy G.W.J. de Faye, Minister for Transport

and Technical Services and Mr. J. Richardson, Chief Executive Officer, Planning and Public Services Department.

The Chairman welcomed the above to the meeting and invited Senator Cohen to advise the Panel on the work programme for the forthcoming twelve months.

Deputy de Faye informed the Panel that he was supportive of Scrutiny and that he intended to promote an atmosphere of co- operation and healthy, open exchange of information. He envisaged full access being possible to his own experts by the Panel in most cases. The Chief Executive Officer drew the Panel's attention to the fact that some information held by the department was highly confidential and that any decision to release confidential information would need to be subject to strict controls.

Deputy de Faye informed the Panel that there was a counter- balance to this in that there was a primary responsibility to ensure the efficient running of the department and requested that overload was to be avoided by means of an understanding balance. It was requested that common sense and reasonableness should prevail having regard to the limited staff available at the level required to assist the Panel.

The Panel received oral information in respect of a number of initiatives that the Minister would be undertaking during the next twelve months. (See Attached) The Panel also took the opportunity of asking a number of questions of the Minister in respect of the 2006 work programme.

The Panel thanked Deputy De Faye and the Chief Executive Officer for their assistance and they withdrew from the meeting.

5.

Panel consideration of matters arising from Minster's attendance.

The Panel gave the following considerations to the discussions -

The Panel discussed the Waste Management Strategy and concluded that, in view of ongoing work this was an area which might merit further consideration.

The Panel noted that the Department was finalizing the content of an environmental resource pack for schools and requested that it be provided with an advance copy of the pack for review.

Current planning issues were given consideration and the Panel considered a review in the above matters would be merit consideration.

The Panel was minded to run some reviews concurrently and there was agreement that initially the Chairman should chair any reviews but that individual Panel members might take a lead rôle on particular subjects.

The Panel noted that two Scrutiny Officers were allocated to the Panel to support it in its work. In light of this, it was important that the Panel's work programme for the forthcoming year took this into account and was manageable.

IC/MR

6. 23.12.05 item7

Training: Frances Taylor [Work programming]

The Panel noted the training day on 20th January 2006, which would focus on work programming.

7.

23.12.05

Future meetings

The Panel confirmed that future meeting days would be alternate Tuesday mornings and Thursday afternoons commencing at 1.00pm Public meetings at the Parish Hall s would commence

IC/MR

item 3

once the Panel had decided on the subjects to be undertaken for review. (Dates of meetings to be circulated.)

The Panel agreed that all members would prepare four subjects for consideration of review to present to the next meeting.

All Members,

8. 23.12.05 item 3 (ii)

Website development

The Panel requested that the development of the Scrutiny Website be placed on the agenda for the next meeting. It was agreed that each member of the Panel would research other Websites to establish preferences and report to the Panel at its next meeting.

All Panel Members

9.

Date of the next meeting: Thursday 19th January 2006. 1st Floor Meeting Room, Morier House.