The official version of this document can be found via the PDF button.
The below content has been automatically generated from the original PDF and some formatting may have been lost, therefore it should not be relied upon to extract citations or propose amendments.
Corporate Services Scrutiny Panel
Date 5th March 2008 Meeting Number 60
Present | Deputy P J D Ryan, Chairman Connétable J L S Gallichan (Items 1-5 and 8 only) Connétable D Murphy Deputy R Le Hérissier Deputy C Egré |
In attendance | M. Haden, Miss S Power, Scrutiny Officers |
Ref Back | Agenda matter | Action |
1 | Minutes th February 2008 The Panel approved the Minutes of meeting of 8 |
|
2 Item 7 08.02.08 | Matters Arising The Panel noted the Action update from the meeting on 8th February 2008, and further noted the following: Sale of Jersey College for Girls – The Sub-Panel had received a letter from Mr David Flowers, Director, Property Holdings Department, setting out the current situation regarding the sale of the former Jersey College for Girls site. It was noted that the Sub-Panel was satisfied with the content of the letter, and it was believed that no further action was required by the Sub-Panel. |
|
3. Item 5 08.02.08 | Public Meeting with the Chief Minister The Panel recalled that as a result of current events, the public meeting with the Chief Minister to discuss the Department Business Plan and the Strategic Initiatives Report had been postponed. The Panel requested for an alternative date to be arranged as soon as possible. The Panel agreed that it had concerns regarding the effectiveness of the Communications Unit, given recent media coverage of the Haut de la Garenne investigation. It was agreed that, whilst it might wish to review this issue in the future, it would not be appropriate to do so at this stage, given the current situation. It was noted that Deputy Egré had arranged to visit Channel Television and would independently be reviewing the video press coverage of the investigation. The Panel discussed its question plan for its public meeting with the Chief Minister. It noted information supplied by the Treasury Finance Director on the internal reallocation of resources and agreed to revise its question plan accordingly. | MH |
4. Item 5 08.02.08 | Minister for Treasury and Resources Business Plan The Panel considered a briefing paper outlining potential areas to cover in its public meeting with the Minister for Treasury and Resources, scheduled for the 9th April 2008. It agreed to raise the | MH |
| following issues with the Minister for Treasury and Resources:
|
|
5. Item 5 08.02.08 | Scrutinising Departmental Business Plans The Panel noted an officer paper outlining the process involved in scrutiny of Departmental Business Plans. It was agreed that this document should be passed onto the Finance Sub-Panel for consideration. |
|
6. Item 12 08.02.08 | Stamp Duty for Share Transfer Property Transactions The Panel reaffirmed its decision to call in the draft legislation during the States Debate on the 11th March 2008. It was noted that the revised briefing notes on the draft legislation had not yet been received from the Panel's adviser, and given the tight timescale involved in lodging the Panel's comments on the draft legislation before the debate, the Panel delegated responsibility to the Chairman to approve the final version of these comments. | MH/PR |
7 | Corporate Management Board The Panel noted that following the States approval of P.11/2008 on the 12th February, it was now possible to request access to minutes from meetings of the Corporate Management Board. The Panel discussed Senator Syvret's speech during this debate, and the allegations that the Corporate Management Board had engineered his dismissal. The Panel recalled that the role of the Corporate Management Board had caused it concern in the past, and discussed the transcript from its discussion with the Chief Minister at its public meeting on the 25th October 2007. It was agreed that the extract from the Machinery of Government: proposed reforms (P.122/2001), which established the Corporate Management Board was not sufficient, and meant that the role of the board was insufficiently defined. It was agreed that this issue rightly fell within the remit of the Privileges and Procedures Committee (PPC), and therefore agreed that a public letter should be sent to PPC outlining the Panel's concerns that the remit and the general role of the Corporate Management Board should be formalised and standardised. The Panel agreed to take no further action until a response had been received from PPC. | MH/SP |
8. | International Conventions and Agreements The Panel discussed the progress reports for the period 1st October 2006 to 30th September 2007, in addition to the draft Council of Ministers paper recommending the ratification of Council of Europe Convention on Laundering, Search, Seizure and Confiscation of the Proceeds of Crime, and the UN Convention on the Suppression of Terrorist Bombings, which had been forwarded to the Panel for comment by Mr Mike Entwistle, International Relations Officer. The Panel agreed that it would be |
|
| beneficial to invite Mike Entwistle to attend a Panel Meeting to discuss and explain the implications of each of the agreements in more detail, and requested for this meeting to be arranged during the States lunch break of the 11th March 2008. | MH |
9. Item 12 08.02.08 Item 6 08.02.08 | Current Reviews The Panel noted an update summary as at 28th February 2008. GST Sub-Panel The Panel agreed that in order to ensure the GST Sub-Panel's comments on the Regulations for the Financial Services Industry were lodged in time for the debate on the 11th March; responsibility should be delegated to the Chairman to approve the final version before lodging. Level Playing Field The Panel noted that a call for evidence letter had been sent to representatives of the Financial Services Industry requesting for submissions for this review, however it was further agreed that a call for evidence advert should be drafted and placed in the Jersey Evening Post and the Business Brief as soon as possible. | MH/PR SP |
10. | Citizenship programme The Panel noted the timetable for the Citizenship Programme, which outlined opportunities for members to participate in this Programme. |
|
11. | Chairmen's Committee The Panel noted briefing notes from the Chairmen's Committee meeting on the 22nd February 2008, in addition to the Economic Affairs Panel Minute. It was agreed that Panel minutes were not an appropriate place to record personal political views, and the Panel agreed it did not wish to discuss this matter further. |
|
13. | Forthcoming Legislation The Panel noted items of draft legislation within its remit lodged for debate by the States within the next month. |
|
14. | Future Meetings 7th March 2008 (11.30 – 13.30, Societe Jersiaise) – Scrutiny Briefing 2009 Business Plan 9th April 2008 – 9.30 am – Panel Meeting 10.00 am – meeting with the Minister for Treasury and Resources to discuss Departmental Business Plan and the Strategic Initiatives Report |
|
15. | AOB Ministerial Decisions The Panel noted Ministerial Decisions from both the Chief Minister and the Minister for Treasury and Resources that had been taken during January and February of 2008. Payment of Income Tax within same sex relationships The Panel noted a letter regarding discrimination in terms of the |
|
| payment of Income Tax within same sex relationships. The Panel requested for the letter to be forwarded to the Legislation Advisory Committee, and for a response to be sent to the author explaining the Panel's action. | MH |
Signed Date . ..
Chairman, Corporate Services Panel