Education and Home Affairs - Approved Panel Minutes - 31 March 2008

Present

Deputy D.W. Mezbourian , Chairman Deputy J. Gallichan, Vice-Chairman Connétable G.F. Butcher

Deputy S. Pitman [Items 1,3, 6-12]

Apologies

Absent

In attendance

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

Ref Back

Agenda matter

Action

1. Records of Previous Meetings

Subsequent to minor typographical amendments, the Panel approved and signed the following records of meetings:

• 25th February 2008
• 3rd March 2008
• 4th March 2008
• 10th March 2008

[10/03/08, Item 13]

2. Customs and Immigration

The Panel was advised that the Terms of Reference for its review had been discussed by the Chairmen's Committee at its meeting of 28th March 2008.

The Panel discussed the progress of the review, noting that it was awaiting responses to the Call for Evidence. The Panel agreed that the Minister for Home Affairs would be requested to attend a Public Hearing and provisionally scheduled a date between 14th and 17th April 2008. The Connétable of St John advised the Panel that he would not be available  for  the  hearing  on  18th  April  2008  should  that  date  be required.

TO

[10/03/08, Item 12]

3. Early Years

The Panel agreed that its draft report would be circulated immediately for  comment  on  its  factual  accuracy.  The  report  would  not  include findings  and  recommendations  at  this  stage. The  Minister  for Education, Sport and Culture would be requested to respond by 5pm on Thursday 5th April 2008.

The  Panel  requested  the  officer  to  follow  up  the  progress  of  the Parenting Review and report back to the Panel in due course.

The  Panel  agreed  to  give  further  consideration  to  its  findings  and recommendations and meet to discuss them on Friday 4th April 2008.

TO

4. Social Inclusion – Mont-à-l'Abbé

The Panel considered its initial lines of enquiry for the review and agreed that the officer would undertake background research and report back in due course.

WM

[10/03/08, Item 8]

5. Annual Business Plan

The Panel considered the briefing paper on the potential way forward for its work on the Annual Business Plan. It noted that the Minister for Education, Sport and Culture would be attending a Public Hearing with the Panel on 21st April 2008, and agreed that Social Inclusion – Mont- à-l'Abbé would not be discussed at this Hearing as it was subject to a separate review by the Panel. The Panel agreed that the Minister for Home Affairs would also be invited to a Public Hearing and would be contacted as to her availability.

The Panel agreed to separate out the identified funding pressure areas to be discussed at the Public Hearings and that each Member would subsequently work with the officers on their allocated areas to identify the lines of enquiry.

The Panel recalled that the Corporate Services Finance Sub-Panel had been established and noted its remit. The Panel was advised that the Sub-Panel would be meeting the Chairmen's Committee on Friday 4th April 2008 to discuss its work.

The Panel noted that the Council of Ministers would be considering the response of Scrutiny to the funding pressures on 8th May 2008. The Panel  would  therefore  aim  to  submit  its  report  to  the  Chairmen's Committee by the end of April 2008.

WM

Panel

[10/03/08, Item 14]

6. Marriage and Civil Status

The Panel noted that the draft Law had not been lodged at this stage and agreed that it would postpone further work on the matter until the lodging period had commenced. The Panel further agreed that it would contact the Minister for Home Affairs to request when the draft Law may be lodged. The Panel would also write to the Minister for Economic Development regarding his intention to lodge an amendment to the draft Law.

WM/TO

[25/02/08, Item 7]

7. HMP La Moye

The Panel noted receipt of correspondence from Mr R Pittman dated 17th March 2008 relating to the Prison Board of Visitors. It was advised that Deputy R Le Hérissier would be asking questions about this matter at the States sitting of 1st April 2008.

8. Forthcoming Propositions

The Panel noted that the following proposition had been lodged by the Minister for Home Affairs and was due to be debated by the States on 1st April 2008:

• Draft Export Control (Jersey) Law 200- (P.21/2008)

The Panel noted that the following propositions had been lodged and were due to be debated by the States on 29th April 2008:

• Draft  Civil  Aviation  (Jersey)  Law  200-  (P.18/2008)  Minister  for Home Affairs

 Draft Centeniers (Terms of Office) (Amendment) (Jersey) Law 200- (P.44/2008) Comité des Connétable s

[10/03/08, Item 15]

9. Action Updates and Matters Arising

The Panel noted the actions undertaken in response to requests made at its previous meetings.

The Panel requested that the matter of Discrimination Law should be included on the agenda of the Panel's next meeting.

The Panel was advised that the media response to the release of the Pane's report User Pays: Policing of Events had been discussed by the Chairmen's  Committee  at  its  meeting  of  28th  March  2008.  The Chairman had spoken to the Jersey Evening Post about its coverage of the report.

WM/TO

[10/03/08, Item 7]

10. Newsletter

The Panel agreed that the Chairman would liaise with the officers to progress the Panel's page for the forthcoming edition of the Scrutiny Newsletter.

DM/TO

11. Ministerial Decisions

The Panel noted that no decisions had recently been made by the Minister for Education, Sport and Culture.

The Panel noted that the following decision had recently been made by the Minister for Home Affairs:

 Statement as to the number of births, marriages and deaths registered in the twelve parishes of the Island during 2007 (MD- HA-2008-0017)

12. Future Meetings

The Panel noted that its next scheduled meeting would occur at 9:30am on 28th April 2008.

The Panel also noted that a briefing on Draft Civil Aviation (Jersey) Law 200- (P.18/2008) would be delivered by the Assistant Minister for Home Affairs during the lunchtime adjournment of the States sitting on 2nd April 2008.