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Corporate Services Scrutiny Panel
Record of Meeting
Date: 25th April 2012 Meeting No: 23
Present | Senator S.C. Ferguson, Chairman Deputy J.G. Reed, Vice-Chairman Deputy S. Power Deputy R.J. Rondel |
Apologies | Connétable D.J. Murphy |
Absent |
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In attendance | Mr. W. Millow , Scrutiny Officer Miss S. McKee , Scrutiny Officer |
Ref Back | Agenda matter | Action |
| 1. Records of Meetings The Panel approved the records of its meeting held on 4th April 2012 and the public records of the meetings held on 2nd and 11th April 2012. The records were signed accordingly. Consideration was given to the private records of the meetings held on 2nd and 11th April 2012. The Panel identified three matters on which clarification was required in order to determine whether the records were accurate. The Scrutiny Officer was requested to confirm the accuracy of the records and further consideration of them was therefore deferred. | WM |
29/02/12 Item 5 513/1(40) | 2. Executive Information The Panel recalled that, at the briefing it had received on 11th April 2012, it had requested that for any future briefing provided by the Department of Treasury and Resources, it would be grateful to receive any documents provided in advance of the briefing itself. The Panel agreed that any documents provided should be received at least two days in advance of the briefing or (hearing). The Scrutiny Officers were requested to ensure that the relevant Departments were advised to that effect. It was noted that this matter had been raised with the Chairmen's Committee. | WM / SM |
513/1(40) | 3. Office Strategy The Panel recalled that, at the briefings it had received on 2nd April 2012, it had been advised on the matter of departmental office relocations. It was agreed that questions on this matter would be put to Senator P.F.C. Ozouf , Minister for Treasury and Resources, at the next Quarterly Public Hearing he attended. It was noted that a draft of the Office Strategy, as it stood at the time, had been provided to the previous Corporate Services Scrutiny Panel. The Scrutiny Officers were requested to circulate a copy of that draft for the Panel's information. | WM / SM WM / SM |
20/04/12 Item 1 | 4. Population and Migration |
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513/32 | The Panel noted that its report had been presented to the States on 24th April 2012 as Population and Migration Review – Part 1 (SR1/2012). The Panel recalled its agreement that a statement should be made to the States Assembly on the report. Consideration was given to whether it would be beneficial to make a statement, given that Draft Strategic Plan 2012 (P.28/2012) was due to be debated at the next sitting and that the Panel's report related to that debate. It was agreed, however, that it would indeed be beneficial for a statement to be made. Consideration was given to a draft statement. The Panel identified amendments to the draft and requested the Scrutiny Officer to enact them and to circulate a revised draft for subsequent consideration. It was noted that, in accordance with Standing Orders, the statement would need to be provided to the States Greffe by the required deadline on 30th April 2012. It was agreed that additional copies of SR1/2012 would be made available for States Members at the time of the statement. It was further agreed that the Vice-Chairman would e-mail all Members to encourage them to read the Panel's report and to draw attention to its relevance to the debate on P.28/2012. The Panel considered the process of the Population and Migration Review to date, noting that Paragraph 11.21 of the Code of Practice for Scrutiny Panels and the Public Accounts Committee stated that Panels would, at the end of a review, evaluate the effectiveness of that review. It was agreed to defer consideration of the matter to the subsequent meeting. The Panel requested the Scrutiny Officers to provide any comments they themselves might have to assist the Panel's consideration of the matter. The Panel considered the subsequent course of work during Part 2 of the review. A number of potential lines of enquiry were identified which the Scrutiny Officers were requested to collate in one list and circulate for subsequent Panel discussion. The Panel considered whether there would be sufficient resources for all the potential work identified and it was therefore agreed that advice from the Scrutiny Manager would be sought on whether the Panel could employ someone to undertake research for the review. It was noted that information during the review would be required from the Population Office and it was therefore agreed to write to Senator I.J. Gorst , Chief Minister, and Deputy A.K.F. Green MBE, Minister for Housing, to advise them of that fact. The Panel agreed to meet during the lunchtime adjournment of the States sitting on 2nd May 2012 to consider the review further. It was noted that consideration might need to be given to the Terms of Reference as they stood, to ensure they remained appropriate, and that it might ultimately become necessary to extend the review to a Part 3' to cover all the lines of enquiry identified. Consideration was given to the timescale for work to be undertaken on Part 2 of the review. The Panel noted that implementation of Control of Housing and Work (Jersey) Law was currently due to take place in July 2012 and that, as a result, the Panel would need to complete Part 2 of the review by the end of June 2012. It was agreed to request an update on the timetable for implementation of the Law. The Panel further agreed that a copy of Draft Control of Housing and Work (Jersey) Law 201- (P.37/2011) be circulated, as it contained copies of draft | SM SM JR SM / WM SM SM SM SM SM SM |
| Regulations and Orders that were due to be brought forward later in 2012. It was also agreed to request that the Ministerial Response to SR1/2012 be received as soon as possible, in order that it could inform the Panel's subsequent work, notwithstanding that the Code of Practice for Scrutiny Panels and the Public Accounts Committee afforded the Chief Minister six weeks in which to respond to the report. The Panel considered whether to establish a Sub-Panel to undertake work on Part 2 of the review. It was agreed not to establish a Sub- Panel and that the Panel would undertake the work. It was further agreed that Deputy S. Power would lead on the work to be undertaken during Part 2. | SM |
513/33 | 5. Housing Transformation Programme The Panel was advised that Deputy Power had requested the Chairmen's Committee consider the establishment of a Sub-Panel to undertake a review relating to the Housing Transformation Programme. It was noted that such a review would relate to the remits of the Corporate Services; Environment; and Health, Social Security and Housing Scrutiny Panels. |
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18/04/12 Item 3 513/1(45) | 6. Medium Term Financial Plan The Panel was advised that the Chairman, accompanied by a Scrutiny Officer, was due to attend a meeting that day between the Chief Minister and Deputy T.A. Vallois, President of the Chairmen's Committee, at which the Medium Term Financial Plan (MTFP) would be discussed. It was noted that this would facilitate the subsequent development of Terms of Reference. It was further noted that the Scrutiny Office had been unable to hold an officer-meeting on the subject, as initially foreseen, but that the presence of the Treasurer of the States at the meeting between Chief Minister and President would negate the need for a meeting at officer level. |
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18/04/12 Item 4 513/33 | 7. Housing Capital Projects The Panel, recalling the briefing that it had received on 11th April 2012 from the Minister for Treasury and Resources and Minister for Housing, considered whether to undertake any work in relation to Social Housing Schemes: Funding (P.40/2012). It was agreed that the Panel would present comments on the proposition and a number of matters were identified for potential inclusion in the comments. It was noted that the work of the Panel would need to be scoped and that, given the debate was due to take place on 29th May 2012, there would be the opportunity for some research on the matter to be undertaken. The Panel agreed that clarification should be requested regarding the nature of the projects towards which the use of £27.1 million from the Consolidated Fund would be directed. | WM WM |
11/04/12 Item 4 513/1(40) | 8. Gigabit Jersey The Panel was advised that no documentation had been received in response to its requests for information relating to Gigabit Jersey and the Scrutiny Officers were therefore requested to follow up the matter. It was noted that correspondence on this subject had been received by the Chairman and subsequently circulated for Panel consideration. The Panel considered what work, if any, it would undertake on the matter and it was agreed that, in the first instance, questions on the subject would be put to the Minister for Treasury and Resources at the next | WM WM |
| Quarterly Public Hearing he attended. |
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28/03/12 Item 9 513/1(41) | 9. Work Programme The Panel considered information received from the Executive on the legislative programme for the Chief Minister's Department and the Department of Treasury and Resources and the resultant implications for its own work programme. This matter was considered under Paragraph 3.2.1(b) of the Code of Practice on Public Access to Official Information and a separate record was therefore taken. |
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28/03/12 Item 5 513/1(43) | 10. Public Finances Law The Panel recalled that the Public Accounts Committee was due to consider amendments to the Public Finances (Jersey) Law 2005 that were due to be lodged for debate later in 2012. The Panel was advised that the Committee had requested a copy of the law-drafting brief relating to those amendments and it was agreed that a copy of the brief would also be requested for the Panel, in order that the Panel could consider what work, if any, it would undertake on the matter. | WM / SM |
513/1(40) | 11. International Relations The Panel recalled that, at its meeting with the Chief Minister on 20th January 2012, an offer had been made by Senator P.M. Bailhache , Assistant Chief Minister with responsibility for external relations, to brief the Panel on the work being undertaken on international relations matters. It was agreed to accept the offer and the Scrutiny Officers were therefore requested to make the necessary arrangements | WM / SM |
11/04/12 Item 3 513/1(40) | 12. Quarterly Public Hearing with the Minister for Treasury and Resources The Panel noted that it was due to receive the Minister for Treasury and Resources for a Quarterly Public Hearing at 10:00am on 17th May 2012. The Panel agreed to meet during the afternoon of 11th May 2012 in order to prepare for the hearing. | WM / SM |
| 13. Future Meetings The Panel noted that its next scheduled meeting would take place on 23rd May 2012. |
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