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Corporate Services - Approved Panel Minutes - 7 June 2007

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Corporate Services Scrutiny Panel

Record of Meeting

Date: 7th June 2007

Meeting No 40

Present Deputy P J D Ryan, Chairman

Senator J Perchard, Vice Chairman Connétable J L S Gallichan

Deputy C Egré

Apologies Connétable D Murphy

In attendance Miss S Power, Scrutiny Officer

M. Haden, Scrutiny Officer

 

Ref Back

Agenda matter

Action

1

Chairman's  report:  The  Panel  received  briefing  notes  on  the Chairman's meeting with officers dated 30th May 2007

 

2.

Freedom of Information The Panel considered a letter dated 24th May 2007 from the Chairman of the Privileges and Procedures Committee requesting the Panel to indicate when it might be in a position to review the draft law. It was agreed that it would be in the public interest to undertake a focussed review of the resource implications with a view to informing the States decision on this matter. The Panel agreed to advise Privileges and Procedures Committee that this matter would be covered in the first quarter of 2008.

 

3.

Jersey Finance Fiscal Strategy Group: The Chairman said that an  invitation  had  been  made  by  Jersey  Finance  for  a  Panel member to join this group as an observer. It was agreed that the Chairman should accept this invitation on the basis that it would be useful  for  the  Panel  to  be  kept  informed  of  Jersey  Finance's thinking on developments in fiscal strategy, provided it was clearly understood that the Panel retained its political integrity.

 

4.

Scrutiny of the proposals for (i) development of Waterfront - Esplanade  Square  and  Jardins  de  la  Mer;  (ii)  Jersey Enterprise Board

The Chairman informed the Panel that an exploratory meeting had been arranged with the Chief Executive of the States to consider possible scrutiny of the above issues.

 

5.

Item 10 17.05.07

Scrutiny of Annual Business Plan:

(a)  Cash  Limits  for  Chief  Minister  and  Treasury  and Resources Departments - The Panel considered a briefing paper outlining  the  following  issues  arising  from  Senator  Perchard's discussions  with  the  Chief  Minister  and  the  Treasury  and Resources Minister:

Corporate Projects (Chief Minister)

Census (Chief Minister)

Property  Division - decrease  in  car  parking  income (Treasury and Resources)

Procurement (Treasury and Resources)

Waterfront swimming pool (Treasury and Resources)

 

 

The Panel confirmed that it would keep a watching brief on these issues and requested that the Ministers be advised that it wished to receive periodic progress reports.

The  Chairman  informed  the  Panel  of  a  potential  commercial interest in the Waterfront.

(b) Scrutiny  of  Social  Security  Business  Plan - The Chairman  informed  the  Panel  that  he  had  participated  in  an experimental  exercise  with  the  assistance  of  Alex  Picot Accountants.  This  had  revealed  a  fundamental  difficulty  in scrutinising  departmental  business  plans  as  they  were  not connected to the previous year actuals. Consequently the review panel  could  only  examine  the  plans  and  aspirations  of  the departments rather than their performance.

It was suggested that the Comptroller and Auditor General should be invited to discuss the process of Finance Scrutiny.

SP

MH

6.

Review of Overseas Aid - The Sub Panel Chairman informed the Panel that he intended to hold a public meeting to discuss the Review's findings and recommendations. The Overseas Aid Commission would be invited to participate.

SP

7.

Corporate Management Board - Deputy Egré requested information on the composition of the Board and access to its minutes.

MH

Signed Date . ..

Chairman, Corporate Services Panel