Education and Home Affairs - Approved Panel Minutes - 25 January 2008

Present

Deputy D.W. Mezbourian , Chairman Deputy J. Gallichan, Vice-Chairman Deputy S. Pitman

Apologies

Absent

In attendance

Senator W. Kinnard, Minister for Home Affairs [Item 1]

Deputy A.D. Lewis , Assistant Minister for Home Affairs [Item 1]

Mr. S. Austin-Vautier, Chief Executive Officer – Home Affairs [Item 1]

Senator M.E. Vibert , Minister for Education, Sport and Culture [Item 2]

Mr. M. Lundy, Director – Education, Sport and Culture [Item 2]

Mr. D. Greenwood, Assistant Director – Culture and Lifelong Learning [Item 2]

Mr. W. Millow , Scrutiny Officer Mr. T. Oldham , Scrutiny Officer

Ref Back

Agenda matter

Action

1. Meeting with the Minister for Home Affairs

The Panel received Senator W. Kinnard, Minister for Home Affairs, accompanied  by   Deputy  A.D.   Lewis ,  Assistant  Minister  for  Home Affairs,  and  Mr.  S.  Austin-Vautier,  Chief  Executive  Officer  –  Home Affairs.   The  meeting  was  held  in  private  session  under  Items 3.2.1(a)(xiv) and 3.2.1(b) of the Code of Practice on Public Access to Official Information.

The  Panel  was  advised  by  the  Minister  of  her  priorities  for  2008, including  items  of  legislation  that  were  due  to  be  progressed. Consideration was given to the work that the Panel could potentially undertake on these areas. It was recalled that the Panel had advised the Minister on 14th January 2008 of questions regarding the 2008 Home Affairs Departmental Business Plan that the Panel had identified. The Minister advised the Panel on these matters.

The  Panel  was  further  advised  of  the  funding  pressures  on  the Department of Home Affairs identified by the Minister for the 2009 Annual Business Plan. It was noted that the Council of Ministers had requested  that  Scrutiny  Panels  be  asked  to  comment  on  funding pressures and it was therefore agreed that the Panel would provide the Minister with comments by the end of February 2008.

Panel

2. Meeting with the Minister for Education, Sport and Culture

The Panel received Senator M.E. Vibert , Minister for Education, Sport and Culture, accompanied by Mr. M. Lundy, Director – Education, Sport and Culture, and Mr. D. Greenwood, Assistant Director – Culture and Lifelong Learning.

The  Panel  was  advised  by  the  Minister  of  his  priorities  for  2008. Consideration was given to the work that the Panel could potentially undertake on these areas. It was recalled that the Panel had advised the Minister on 14th January 2008 of questions regarding the 2008 Education,  Sport  and  Culture  Departmental  Business  Plan  that  the Panel had identified. The Minister advised the Panel on these matters.

The Panel advised the Minister of its understanding that the Council of Ministers had requested that Scrutiny Panels be asked to comment on ministerial funding pressures for the 2009 Annual Business Plan. It was agreed  that  the  Panel  would  receive  documentation  detailing  the Minister's funding pressures.

ESC

3. Future Meeting Dates

The Panel considered a revised schedule of meeting dates for 2008 that had been developed on the understanding that Connétable G.F. Butcher,  if  appointed  to  the  Panel,  would  be  unable  to  meet  the previously agreed schedule. The revised schedule was agreed. The Officers were requested to forward the schedule to the Connétable and ask whether he would be able to attend on the dates identified. It was noted that were he unable to make a majority of the new dates, it might not be feasible to proceed with seeking his appointment to the Panel.

The Panel agreed to meet at 9:30am on 31st January 2008. It was noted that the Chairman would meet the Officers at 10:00am on 28th January  2008  to  consider  her  thoughts  on  the  Work  Programme consequent to the meetings with the two Ministers.