Chairmen's Committee - Approved Committee Minutes - 15 October 2013

Present

Deputy T.A. Vallois, President Deputy S.G. Luce , Vice-President Senator S.C. Ferguson

Deputy K.L. Moore

Deputy J.H. Young

Apologies

Deputy J.M. Maçon

Absent

In attendance

Mr. W. Millow , Scrutiny Officer

Ref Back

Agenda matter

Action

17.09.13 Item 3

465/1(4)

1. Privileges and Procedures Representative

The Committee agreed that an update from the Privileges and Procedures Committee would be made a regular item on future agendas.

WM

17.09.13 Item 2

516/1(1)

2. Chairmanship of Education and Home Affairs Scrutiny Panel

The Committee recalled that the Chairman of the Education and Home Affairs Scrutiny Panel had previously indicated that, notwithstanding his appointment as Chairman of the Privileges and Procedures Committee, he would continue as Chairman of the Education and Home Affairs Panel until the review into CCTV had been completed. It was agreed to seek clarification from the Chairman of the Education and Home Affairs Panel as to when the review was likely to be completed.

WM

3. Minutes of previous meetings

The records of the meetings held on 17th and 25th September 2013 were approved and signed accordingly.

09.07.13 Item 8

1443(1)

4. Comptroller and Auditor General

The  Committee  was  advised  that  the  President  would  discuss  with Senator I.J. Gorst , Chief Minister, proposed legislative changes arising from Public Audit in Jersey (R.77/2013) when the President and the Chief Minister met that afternoon.  

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5. Quarterly Finance Reports

The Committee, having discussed matters in respect of the legislation programme and Draft Budget Statement 2014 (P.122/2013) and noting that copies of Quarterly Corporate Reports were provided to the Public Accounts Committee and the Corporate Services Scrutiny Panel, agreed that it would be beneficial for copies of such reports should be provided for the attention of all Panels. It was agreed that the President would raise the matter with the Chief Minister.

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6. Ministerial Decisions

The  Committee  agreed  that  the  President  would  raise  with  the  Chief Minister the question of whether the presentation of Ministerial Decisions

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on www.gov.je could be altered in order to make it easier to search them by reference number.

7. Panel Activity Reports

The Committee noted the Scrutiny Panels' Activity Reports. During its deliberations,  particular  consideration  was  given  to  the  Health,  Social Security and Housing Scrutiny Panels' review in respect of long-term care proposals.

8. Witnesses Attending on Panels

The Committee, following a request from the Vice-President, considered the principle of the remuneration of witnesses at public hearings. It was noted that Paragraph 10.5 of the Code of Practice for Scrutiny Panels and the Public Accounts Committee stated that Scrutiny Panels would not, in principle, remunerate witnesses for travel expenses or for loss of earnings due  to  attendance  at  oral  hearings  but  that  Panels  could,  however, consider at their discretion reasonable claims for expenses. It was further noted that, during a review undertaken by the Education and Home Affairs Scrutiny Panel, one third of the travel expenses for a visiting speaker had been paid by the Panel as the speaker had also appeared before the Panel as a witness at a public hearing.

The Committee, noting that there was a general presumption against the payment of witnesses, agreed that Chairmen and Panels would, before agreeing  the  payment  of  expenses  in  such  circumstances,  consider whether  evidence  could  be  obtained  from  the  witness  in  question  by another means such as a written submission. It was further agreed that for future instances in which a Panel considered that payment of expenses for a witness was required, explicit provision for such a payment would be included in the relevant Scoping Document and thereby placed before the Committee for consideration.  

WM

9. Financial Report

The Committee noted the financial report on Scrutiny expenditure for the third quarter of 2013.

10. Future meetings

The Committee noted that it would next meet at 9:30am on 12th November 2013.

09.07.13 Item 3

510/1(77)

11. Ministerial Information Prior to Debates in States Assembly

The Committee, noting that the Ministerial Response to  Review of the Draft Amendments to the Public Finances (Jersey) Law 2005 (SR10/2013) had been presented to the States four weeks after the debate on the Draft Amendments,  agreed  that  the  President  would  discuss  with  the  Chief Minister the timescales for material to be made available by Ministers prior to debates.

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