Public Accounts Committee - Approved Panel Minutes - 14 July 2008

NG/JAC/205 115

PUBLIC ACCOUNTS COMMITTEE (33rd Meeting)

14th July 2008

PART A

All members were present. Mr. T. Grimes was present for item A5

Deputy S.C. Ferguson, Chairman Senator L. Norman

Connétable D.J. Murphy

Deputy A. Breckon

Deputy J.G. Reed

Deputy R.G. Le Hérissier R. Bignell C. Evans M. Magee T. Grimes Advocate A. Ohlsson

In attendance -

N. Guillou, Clerk to the Public Accounts Committee

Note: The Minutes of this meeting comprise Part A only.

Comptroller and A1. The Committee noted that Mr. C. Swinson, O.B.E, Comptroller and Auditor Auditor General: General, was regrettably unable to attend the Committee's meeting.

unable to attend

Minutes. A2. The Minutes of the Meeting held on 16th June 2008 (Part A only), having

been previously circulated, were taken as read and were confirmed.

Appointment of A3. The Committee, with reference to its Minute No. A2 of 16th June 2008, Deputy R.G. Le welcomed   Deputy  R.G.  Le  Hérissier,  who  had  been  appointed  to  the  Public Hérissier. Accounts Committee in place of Connétable T.J. du Feu.

States of Jersey A4. The Committee, with reference to its Minute No. A3 of 16th June 2008, 2007 Financial considered  the  allocation  of  individual  members  to  responsibility  for  certain Report and accounts for the upcoming hearings regarding the States of Jersey 2007 Financial Accounts - Report and Accounts.

Individual

members' It was noted that the previous allocations decided at the Meeting held on 16th June responsibilities 2008 would  remain, except  that   Deputy R.G. Le Hérissier  had  been allocated 512/2(13). responsibility for the accounts of the Housing and Social Security Departments.

Matters for A5. The Committee noted the following matters for information -

information.

1. correspondence  dated  11th  July  2008  from  Advocate  C.G.P.  Lakeman, Chairman of the  Jersey  Opera House, addressed to the  Comptroller  and Auditor General, regarding the response of the directors of the Jersey Opera House to the Comptroller and Auditor General's Report on States' spending, entitled "Emerging  Issues". In  this  regard,  the  Committee  noted  e-mail correspondence received from the Comptroller and Auditor General, who had stated that -

"The point made in my report concerned all of the performance spaces supported financially by the States: not any single one of them. The question that was raised was whether in supporting all of the spaces, the States are supporting  a  wise  policy.  The  points  mentioned  by  Advocate  Lakeman should of course be taken into account in considering any reaction to that point."

2. correspondence dated 11th July 2008 from Senator T.A. Le Sueur , Minister for Treasury and Resources, addressed to the Committee Clerk, regarding the rationale behind Ministerial Decision TR-2008-035, regarding delegation of approval  of  budgetary  transfers  within  the  Treasury  and  Resources Department. The Committee gave reference to its Minute No. A6 of 14th April 2008, and recalled that it had requested that a rationale be given at this point in time, due to concerns that Financial Direction 5.26, the requirement for a Ministerial Decision as supporting documentation for internal budget transfers, was to be undermined. In this regard, the Committee noted e-mail correspondence received from the Comptroller and Auditor General, who had expressed his opinion that -

"the Minister's response of course avoids the principal consequence of his decision which is that there will be no public report that there has been a transfer of budgets within a department. If the transfer had been approved by Ministerial decision, there necessarily would have been."

States of Jersey A6. The Committee noted that immediately following this meeting, a private 2007 Financial hearing would be held at which Messrs E. Sallis, Principal of Highlands College, P. Reports and Robinson, Finance Director of Education, Sport and Culture, M. Lundy, Director of Accounts: Private Education, Sport and Culture, and R. Bell, Chief Officer of Social Security, would hearing on 14th be interviewed regarding the States of Jersey Accounts for 2007.

July 2008 -

representatives Deputy R.G. Le Hérissier wished it noted that whilst he was not an employee of of Education, Highlands College, he had been teaching at Highlands College as an employee of Sport and Culture the University of Plymouth. Consequently, the Deputy declared an interest and and Social noted that he would withdraw from the hearing involving Mr E. Sallis, Principal of Security. Highlands College.

512/2(13)