Corporate Services - Approved Panel Minutes - 14 November 2012

Present

Senator S.C. Ferguson, Chairman Deputy J.G. Reed, Vice-Chairman Deputy S. Power [Item 1]

Deputy R.J. Rondel

Apologies

Connétable D.J. Murphy

Absent

In attendance

Senator P.F.C. Ozouf , Minister for Treasury and Resources [Item 1] Deputy E.J. Noel, Assistant Minister for Treasury and Resources [Item 1] Ms. L. Rowley, Treasurer of the States [Item 1]

Mr. S. Le Marquand, Director of Legal Status and Revenue – Customs and Immigration [Item 1]

Mr. W Millow , Scrutiny Officer Miss. S McKee , Scrutiny Officer

Ref Back

Agenda matter

Action

09/11/12 Item 1

513/37(1)

1. 2013 Budget

The Panel received Senator P.F.C. Ozouf , Minister for Treasury and Resources, for a public hearing in respect of Draft Budget Statement 2013 (P.102/2012). The Minister was accompanied by Deputy E.J. Noel, Assistant Minister for Treasury and Resources, Ms. L. Rowley, Treasurer of the States, and Mr. S. Le Marquand, Director of Legal Status and Revenue – Customs and Immigration. The hearing was recorded in order that the proceedings might be transcribed.

Subsequent to the public hearing, the Panel noted that aspects of the proceedings  would  be  relevant  to  the  remit  of  the  Health,  Social Security and Housing Scrutiny Panel and it was agreed to advise that Panel  accordingly. The  Panel  also  noted  that  the  Minister  had undertaken to provide a number of documents relating to the budget proposals which would be received in due course and which could be used by the Panel in drafting comments on P.102/2012.

WM T&R

2. Records of Meetings

The records of the meetings held on 31st October and 6th November 2012 were approved.

31/10/12 Item 3

513/36

3. Population and Migration

The Panel recalled its consideration of whether the Corporate Services (Population and Migration) Sub-Panel would be able to access the material which the Privy Council had used in reaching its decision to approve the Control of Housing and Work (Jersey) Law. It was noted that advice had been sought from the Greffier of the States and it was apparent that the Privy Council did not itself produce reports on the matters it considered. It was further noted that the Sub-Panel could

potentially request a copy of the documentation provided to the Privy Council by HM Attorney General. The Panel therefore agreed that the Sub-Panel  should  request  the  documentation  from  HM  Attorney General and enquire of HM Attorney General why it had taken so long for the Law to receive approval from the Privy Council. The Panel was advised  that  the  relevant  provisions  of  the  Code  of  Practice  for Scrutiny Panels and the Public Accounts Committee might apply to any such request made to HM Attorney General.

The Panel received an update regarding the current Public Hearings and Briefings scheduled for this review. Members were advised that four Public Hearings and two Private Briefings had been arranged to take place before the end of December 2012. Furthermore, the Panel received an update on the arrangements for the fact-finding visit to the Isle of Man. Members were advised that the Sub-Panel had been invited to attend a Work Permit Appeal Tribunal on the afternoon of 28th November 2012. The Panel agreed that it would be beneficial for the Sub-Panel to learn about the work permit appeals process for its review.

The Chairman informed the Panel that she would no longer be able to attend the Sub-Panel's fact-finding visit to the Isle of Man due to other work commitments. The Officers were requested, therefore, to cancel any bookings that had already been made.

SM

SM

31/10/12 Item 6

513/1(41)

4. Work Programme

The Panel recalled its agreement that research would be undertaken on the possibility of reviewing the legislative process. It was noted that the matter was in hand. The Panel also recalled its agreement that requests would be made to the Chief Minister's Department and the Department of Treasury and Resources for copies of the Departments' work programmes and updates on the delivery of their 2012 Business Plans. It was noted that copies of the 2012 Business Plans had been received but that no further documentation had yet been forthcoming. The  Scrutiny  Officers  were  requested  to  continue  gathering information  about  the  Departments'  work  programmes  (to  include information on time-tabling) for subsequent Panel consideration of its own work programme.

The Panel discussed what consideration it could potentially give to recommendations made in reports by other bodies such as former Scrutiny  Panels.   The  Panel  was  advised  that  the  Chairmen's Committee  had  considered,  and  would  continue  to  consider,  how recommendations arising from reviews might best be followed up. The Panel was further advised that the background research undertaken at the beginning of a Scrutiny Review would include consideration of previous reviews of the same subject and any recommendations that might have arisen from such reviews in order that the Panel was fully informed about the subject in question.

Consideration  was  given  to  the  Panel's  work  programme  for  the remainder of 2012 and the beginning of 2013. Although it was agreed that the Panel would discuss further potential subjects once it had received the Departments' work programmes, a number of topic areas were suggested. These included Jersey Telecoms Preference Shares; Human Resources; Information Technology; the Legislative Process; Data Security and the Public Records Law and Social Policy.

WM / SM

It was recalled that, prior to the meeting, the Chairman had circulated "A Social Policy Framework for Jersey" to the Panel for its review. The Officers  were  requested  to  ascertain  whether  the  Social  Policy Framework had been updated since its publication on 29th October 2007 or if the Chief Minister's Department had plans to update it in the near future.

SM/ WM

31/10/12 Item 6

513/1(41)

5. Procurement

The Panel recalled that it was minded to undertake a review relating to procurement. The  Panel  was  advised  that  the  Public  Accounts Committee had commenced a review in respect of procurement with particular  regard  to  the  print  contract.  The  Chairman  therefore suggested that, for now, the Panel delayed undertaking work on this subject.

06/11/12 Item 1

513/35

6. Medium Term Financial Plan  

The Panel noted that the debate on the Medium Term Financial Plan (MTFP) had been completed and that amendments lodged by the Panel to the Plan had been approved, albeit one had been approved with an amendment from the Council of Ministers.

The  Panel  agreed  that  the  Corporate  Services  (MTFP)  Sub-Panel should meet, in part to undertake a review evaluation in accordance with Paragraph 11.21 of the Code of Practice for Scrutiny Panels and the Public Accounts Committee and in part to consider what follow-up work, if any, should be undertaken.

The Panel noted that, ahead of the debate on the MTFP, the Minister for Treasury and Resources had circulated a response to Review of the Medium Term Financial Plan (SR18/2012). Consideration was given to whether this had constituted a formal Ministerial Response. The  Panel  was  advised  of  correspondence  between  the  Scrutiny Office and the Department of Treasury and Resources and it was noted that the formal Ministerial Response to SR18/2012 would be presented in due course to the States. It was further noted that the deadline  for  presentation  of  the  Ministerial  Response  was  3rd December 2012.

The Panel considered the expert advice received by the MTFP Sub- Panel and it was agreed that the advice tendered by the Chartered Institute  of  Public  Finance  and  Accountancy  (CIPFA)  had  been beneficial and that, if follow-up work were undertaken in respect of SR18/2012,  the  Panel  should  consider  engaging  CIPFA  again  to assist with that work.

The Panel was advised that some invoices remained to be received for the MTFP Scrutiny Review and that, as a consequence, it had not yet been possible to establish final expenditure on the review. It was noted that, as of 8th November 2012, expenditure had amounted to £19,451.87  against  the  full  budgeted  amount  for  the  review  of £28,300.

WM

7. Future Meetings

The Panel noted that its next scheduled meeting would take place at 8:30am on 28th November 2012. The Panel further noted that, ahead of that meeting, it would receive Senator I.J. Gorst , Chief Minister, for a Quarterly Public Hearing on 19th November 2012.