Economic Affairs - Approved Panel Minutes - 10 May 2007

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Agenda matter

Action

1. Records of Previous Meetings

The Panel approved and signed the records of its meetings of 21st March, 28th March and 25th April 2007. The Panel also approved the notes of the Dairy Review meeting with the Chief Minister on 11th April 2007 and the Airport briefing on 19th April 2007.

2. Dairy Review

The  Panel  received  an  oral  report  from   Deputy  A.  Breckon regarding work that could potentially be undertaken in following up  the  recommendations  made  within  Review  of  the  Dairy Industry (SR4/2007). It was noted that the Dairy Review Sub- Panel no longer existed and that responsibility for ensuring that recommendations were followed up therefore lay with the Panel.

The Panel agreed to delegate responsibility to Deputy Breckon for following up the recommendations that had been made. It was noted that Deputy Breckon intended to send a letter to the Chief Minister, Senator F.H. Walker , to ask what actions had been taken.

AB NF

[28/03/07, Item 1]

3. Jersey Airport

The  Panel  considered  matters  arising  from  the  confidential briefing  it  had  received  on  19th  April  2007  regarding  Jersey Airport.

During its consideration, the Panel recalled that written questions had  been  put  in  the  States  Assembly  to  the  Minister  for Economic Development, Senator P.C.F Ozouf . The Panel was advised that the Chairman would possibly make a statement to the Assembly on the use of question time by Scrutiny Panels.

[25/04/07, Item 1]

4. Retail Strategy Review

The Panel noted that only one comment had been received in relation to Retail Strategy (Interim) Review (SR9/2007).

The Panel discussed the history of the Retail Strategy and also

considered  the  action  it  would  subsequently  wish  to  take  in relation to the Strategy. It agreed to lodge a proposition  au Greffe in which the Minister for Economic Development would be asked to cease work on this issue pending the production of further  evidence. The  Panel  would  set  out  in  the  report accompanying the proposition the nature of the evidence that it would wish the Minister to produce.

Panel / NF

5. Matters Arising

The Panel noted the actions undertaken on requests made at its previous meetings. It was noted that some Panel Members had not received the Experian Terms of Reference.

The Panel noted receipt of the briefing notes of the Chairmen's Committee meeting of 13th April 2007. Particular reference was made to the following:

• An  interim  review  of  the  service  provided  by  Orchid Communications would be conducted.
• Deputies R.G. Le Hérissier and J.G. Reed would look at Scrutiny working practices.
• The Committee had agreed to the recruitment of a junior administrative assistant on a one-year contract.
• A Sub-Panel had been established to consider the Annual Business Plan from the perspective of the Department of Social Security.
• Expenditure  for  the  provision  of  a  media  feed  in  the Scrutiny rooms had been approved.

It was further noted that the Chairmen's Committee would next meet on 18th May 2007.

6. Enterprise and Business Development Strategy

The  Panel  noted  receipt  of  Enterprise  and  Business Development Strategy. It further noted an offer, dated 16th April 2007, from the Department of Economic Development to provide the Panel with a briefing on the Strategy. The Panel agreed to invite the Minister for Economic Development to a meeting on 25th  May  2007  in  order  to  consider  the  Strategy  within  the context of the Annual Business Plan 2008. The Scrutiny Officer was requested to take the appropriate action.

WM

7. Questions to Ministers

The Panel noted that the Minister for Treasury and Resources and the Chief Minister would answer questions without notice at the States sitting of 15th May 2007.

8. Confidentiality

The Panel considered correspondence, dated 20th April, from the Chairman to the Chief Minister regarding a recent breach of confidence at a Public Hearing held on 30th March 2007 for the Income Support Review. The Panel was advised that a further breach had apparently subsequently occurred in relation to this Review. However,  it  was  noted  that  this  information  had previously been made public by Officers of the Department of Social Security at the Public Hearing on 30th March 2007.

9. Fulfilment

The Panel noted receipt of correspondence, dated 28th March 2007, from Mr. S. Graham, Managing Director of dvd.co.uk Ltd, regarding the implementation and impact of the fulfilment policy. It was agreed to forward the correspondence to the Minister for Economic Development and to ask him to comment upon the content of the correspondence.

NF

10. Funding for Jersey Royals

The Panel considered a media release of 12th April 2007 that comprised  a  statement  by  the  Minister  for  Economic Development on funding for Jersey Royals. The Panel noted that a sum of £250,000 had been provided in 2007 for that year's Jersey Royals campaign. It was further noted that the release did not indicate the amount of funding that had been given in previous years.

The Panel considered that it would be difficult to assess the efficacy of the Jersey Royals campaign (and the impact of the funding) until the potato season had finished. It was noted that the Panel could return to this matter at that time.

[07/03/07, Item 4]

11. Strategic Plan

The Panel noted receipt of correspondence, dated 23rd April 2007, from the Minister for Economic Development regarding progress against Strategic Plan initiatives. It was noted that questions relating to this matter could be raised at the meeting with the Minister to be held on 25th May 2007.

12. Future Meetings

The  Panel  agreed  to  meet  at  9:30am  on  23rd  May  2007. Apologies for this meeting were received from Deputy A. Breckon and Connétable M.K. Jackson .

[21/03/07, Item 4]

13. Jersey Telecom

The  Panel  was  advised  that  the  Chairman  had  undertaken correspondence with Mr. B. Ogley, Chief Executive, regarding the Chairman's dissatisfaction with the Terms of Reference for Dr. D. Parker.

The Panel noted that it would need to consider at some juncture the  question  of  when  to  lodge  a  proposition  in  relation  to Recommendation  2  of  Jersey  Telecoms  –  Privatisation (SR5/2007).