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Education & Home Affairs Scrutiny Panel
PUBLIC MEETING Record of Meeting
Date: 15th March 2007 Meeting 17
Present Deputy F J Hill BEM Chairman
Deputy D W Mezbourian , Vice-Chairman Deputy S Pitman
Deputy J Gallichan
Apologies
Absent
In Attendance Mr W Millow , Scrutiny Officer
Mr T Oldham , Scrutiny Officer
Mr C Ahier , Scrutiny Officer [Item 3]
Ref Back | Agenda matter | Action |
[05/03/07, Item 4] | 1. Visit to Westminster The Panel noted the itinerary that had been established for its visit to Lambeth Council and Westminster. It was noted that a request had been made for short biographies of Panel Members undertaking the visit; Members who had not yet forwarded a biography were requested to do so. | DM/SP |
[05/03/07, Item 8] | 2. Higher Education Funding Subject to confirmation of the procedure regarding statements on matters of official responsibility, the Panel agreed that the Chairman would make a statement at the States sitting on 27th March 2007 regarding the preliminary work undertaken by the Panel in relation to Higher Education Funding and its reasons for not undertaking a Scrutiny Review. The Panel considered and approved a draft statement. It agreed that a copy of the statement would be sent to Senator M.E. Vibert , Minister for Education, Sport and Culture, in order to advise him of the Panel's intended course of action and to request comments on the statement. | WM/TO WM/TO |
[05/03/07, Item 12] | 3. Centenier's Role in the Magistrate's Court The Panel considered and amended the draft report. It requested that appropriate arrangements be made for the report, as amended, to be distributed for comment to witnesses and contributors. | CA |
[05/03/07, Item 10] | 4. Youth Service The Panel noted that Deputy S. Pitman had met the Scrutiny Officers and scoped a Scrutiny Review in relation to the Youth Service. Consideration was given to the consequent Scoping Document and Project Outline and amendments suggested accordingly. The Panel noted that, based on previous experience and if possible, it would be beneficial for consideration to be given to drafting the Scrutiny Report at an |
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earlier stage of the Review. It was agreed that Deputy Pitman SP/WM/TO would meet the Officers to amend the Scoping Document as
necessary.
The Panel noted the potential risk involved with a Scrutiny Review of this topic of a perceived conflict of interest of Deputy Pitman. The Panel was advised that Deputy Pitman had previously sought guidance regarding this issue and had been advised that she was able to ask questions on this matter in
the States Assembly. It was agreed that Deputy Pitman would seek further guidance and clarification on the perceived risk SP and inform the Panel of the guidance received in order that the implications for the Review could be assessed fully.
[05/03/07, 5. Early Years
Item 9] The Panel noted that, on 3rd November 2006, correspondence had been despatched to the Panel by Deputy P.J.D. Ryan,
Chairman of the Corporate Services Scrutiny Panel, in which
the Panel had been made aware of the following recommendation from Goods and Services Tax Review – Interim Report (SR6/2006):
"The Sub Panel recommends that the Social Affairs Scrutiny Panel prioritise a review of the development of the Early Years Strategy in its work programme."
The Panel considered a paper that outlined the work previously undertaken on this topic. It noted that the topic of Early Years had been identified in 2006 (by the former Social Affairs Scrutiny Panel) as one for review. However, the review had been deferred due to the impact of other changes in the Panel's overall 2006 Work Programme and also due to the decision by the Council of Ministers that the Department of Education. Sport and Culture's work on Early Years would be broadened in scope.
The Panel recalled that eighteen Topic Proposal Forms
relating to this topic had been sent to the Panel in 2006. It WM/TO was noted that Deputy J. Gallichan had not seen these Forms:
the Officers were requested to distribute copies to the Deputy .
The Panel noted receipt of documentation from the
Department of Education, Sport and Culture that amounted to
the key strategic documents relating to Early Years Education
and Care in Jersey produced since 2004. Amongst this documentation was Investing in Our Future: A Vision for Early
Childhood Education and Care for Children in Jersey (RC54/2005), a public consultation paper for which the closure
date had been 30th September 2005. The Panel noted that,
amongst the documentation it had received, there did not WM/TO appear to be a record of the responses received to this public
consultation. The Officers were requested to clarify this
situation.
6. 2007 Work Programme
Subsequent to its consideration of specific topics, the Panel
agreed that it would undertake a Scrutiny Review relating to
Early Years Education and Care, upon which work would
begin immediately. It was agreed that Deputy Gallichan would JG/WM/TO meet the Officers to scope the Review.
The Panel noted that it had resources available to undertake
two Scrutiny Reviews concurrently. It agreed that its second
Review would relate either to the Youth Service or to the establishment of a police authority. It recalled the earlier agreement that re-scoping would occur regarding the Youth
Service. In order that the Panel could make an informed WM/TO decision on whether to undertake a Review regarding the
Police Authority, the Panel agreed to write to Senator W.
Kinnard, Minister for Home Affairs, to request relevant background documentation. Once re-scoping in relation to the
Youth Service had occurred and documentation relating to the
Police Authority had been received, the Panel would be in a
position to choose its second Review. It was noted that opting
for a Review regarding the Youth Service would lead to concurrent Reviews of two areas for which the Department of Education, Sport and Culture had responsibility.
The Panel agreed that correspondence would be sent to
Senator M.E. Vibert , Minister for Education, Sport and Culture, WM/TO with advice on the Panel's agreed course of action.
[05/03/07, 7. Criminal Justice Policy
Item 6] The Panel considered Pillar 9 of the revised Criminal Justice
Policy, as received from the Department of Home Affairs. The
Panel identified comments and questions relating to the
document that it would wish to put to the Minister for Home
Affairs. The Scrutiny Officers were requested to collate the comments and questions into a document ahead of WM/TO subsequent distribution to the Minister.
Signed Date: ..
Chairman
Education & Home Affairs Panel