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Economic Affairs - Approved Panel Minutes - 23 May 2007

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Economic Affairs Scrutiny Panel Meeting No. 41

11.00am, 23rd May 2007 Interview Room, States Building

Present Deputy G. P. Southern , Chairman

Deputy J. A. Martin

Deputy K. C. Lewis

Apologies Deputy A. Breckon

Connétable M. K. Jackson

Absent

In attendance Nathan Fox, Scrutiny Officer

 

Ref Back

Agenda matter

Action

1.

Minutes of previous meetings

The Minutes of the meeting held on 10th May 2007 were signed and approved.

 

2.

Scrutiny general meeting 22nd May 2007

The Panel recalled that it had attended a meeting of all Scrutiny members and officers at Maritime House on 22nd May 2007.

The  Panel  further  recalled  that  the  draft  Code  of  Practice  for Scrutiny had been discussed, with particular reference being made to the provision for the availability of legal advice to Scrutiny from the Attorney General and the Executive Departments.

The  Chairmen's  Committee  had  at  the  aforementioned  meeting agreed to bring forward the draft Code of Practice to be lodged and debated in the States without altering the section relating to legal advice. This section stated that Scrutiny had the right to access legal advice provided to the Executive.

The Panel did not anticipate that this would meet with a positive response  from  the  Attorney  General,  but  was  hopeful  that  the States would be supportive.

The  Panel  expressed  concerns  that  the  projet  might  eventually reach the States in a modified form after compromises had been made. The Panel considered that compromise at this stage would not be in the interests of Scrutiny.

The Panel also noted that-

the Scrutiny function should meet more often as a whole; the Panel should meet more often;

inter-Panel communication should be improved; and

 

 

a standardised format should be introduced for Ministers to report back to Panels on the action taken following Scrutiny reports.

After a discussion of the means by which Scrutiny might improve its public profile, the Panel directed officers to forward copies of its meeting agendas to all local media organisations prior to all future meetings.

NJF

3.

Questions to Ministers

The Panel noted that the Economic Development Minister was to answer question without notice in the States on 5th June 2007.

 

4.

Item 6 10th May 2007

Enterprise and Business Development Strategy

The Panel recalled that it was to meet the Minister and officers of the Economic  Development  Department  on  25th  May  2007  in respect of the Department's Enterprise and Business Development Strategy.

The Panel noted that the information in the, literature provided in respect of this meeting did not deal with the specific use of funds allocated to the Strategy, and it intended to question the Minister on this subject.

The  Panel  also  intended  to  question  the  Minister  on  the Department's  overall  future  expenditure  plans.  In  particular,  the Panel was interested in the flow of funds away from tourism and agriculture expenditure towards finance industry support.

The Panel agreed to meet at 8.30am in the Le Capelain Room of the States Building to prepare questions for the Minister prior to the meeting.

Officers were directed to take the appropriate action.

NJF

5.

Item 4 10th May 2007

Retail Strategy Review

The Panel noted that the recent strategy for St. Helier produced by EDAW consultants contained plans for a significant revision of the current arrangement of retail space.

The Panel therefore considered that this would be an integral part of any further review of the Economic Development Department's Retail Strategy, not least because the Experian market size figures that the Panel had challenged in its recent report had been carried over into the EDAW report.

The Panel decided that it would be appropriate to comment on this strategy. It was agreed that the Chairman and officers would be delegated to produce a draft comment and to return it to the Panel for approval.

Officers were directed to take the appropriate action.

NJF

6.

Item 13 10th May 2007

Telecoms Privatisation cost/benefit analysis

The Panel  was  informed  that  the Economic  Affairs  Sub-Panel (Telecoms Privatisation) had received amended terms of reference

 

from the forthcoming cost/benefit analysis on the privatisation of Jersey Telecom from the Treasury and Resources Department.

The Sub-Panel had initially indicated that it was dissatisfied with the terms of reference as drafted as it noted that several areas of consideration raised by the Chairman had not been included. The Chief Minister's Department had then provided written assurances that the analysis would cover these areas.

The  review  was  therefore  ongoing,  although  concerns  were expressed over the intended completion date of July 2007, which the Panel conceded was beginning to appear overly optimistic.

  1. Possible finance industry review topic

The Chairman recommended to the Panel that it should at some point consider the draft Money Laundering (Jersey) Order 200-, which  was  intended  to  replace  the  Money  Laundering  (Jersey) Order 1999.

The Chairman was aware of concerns regarding the risk-based approach that companies were encouraged to take under the draft Order. It had been suggested that were companies to classify a given risk as low' as  opposed  to medium' or high', then less precautions would have to be taken than was currently the case.

Concerns had also been raised that addresses would no longer have to be provided by some parties, which would complicate the implementation of the European Union savings tax directives and the application of the 0/10 tax structure.

The  Panel  discussed  the  possibility  of  forming  a  Sub-Panel  to consider the subject. It was agreed that a decision on this matter would be taken at a later date.

  1. Future meetings

The Panel noted a list of future meeting prepared by the officers.

The Panel directed officers to amend the list to remove extraneous meetings on 17th July and 22nd August. The  scheduled Panel meetings for the remained of 2007 were therefore as follows-

13th June 27th June 11th July 8th August 5th September 19th September 3rd October 17th October 31st October 14th November 28th November 12th December

Signed

. Chairman Deputy G. P. Southern Economic Affairs Panel


Date .