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Corporate Services Scrutiny Panel
Record of Meeting
Date: 27th February 2013 Meeting No: 74
Present | Senator S.C. Ferguson, Chairman Deputy J.G. Reed, Vice-Chairman Connétable D.J. Murphy Deputy S. Power Deputy R.J. Rondel |
Apologies |
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Absent |
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In attendance | Ms. L. Rowley, Treasurer of the States [Item 7] Ms. M. Byron, Project Director – Pensions [Item 7] Mr. K. Hemmings, Head of Decision Support [Items 7 and 10] Mr. L. Henry, Managing Director of States of Jersey Development Company [Item 10] 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 meetings held on 31st January and 6th, 12th and 13th February 2013. The records were signed accordingly. |
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15/02/13 Item 1 513/36 | 2. Population and Migration The Panel received an update from the Chairman of the Sub-Panel regarding the current status of Population and Migration – Part 2. The Panel was advised that the Chairman and Vice Chairman of the Sub- Panel had met Senator P.F. Routier MBE, Assistant Chief Minister, Senator I.J. Gorst , Chief Minister, Deputy S.J. Pinel, Assistant Minister for Social Security and Mr. P. Bradbury, Director of Corporate Policy, on 26th February 2013 to discuss the Recommendations from the Sub-Panel's Population and Migration report. The Panel was further advised that the report had been positively received by the Chief Minister's Department and, as a result, the majority of Recommendations were likely to be accepted. Furthermore, the Chairman of the Sub-Panel informed the Panel that the Department had agreed to complete the Ministerial Response in advance of the Regulations debate that was to be held on 5th March 2013. It was noted that a draft timetable for development of the Population Policy had been received from the Chief Minister's Department. The Panel was advised that the draft timetable was yet to receive political approval and had therefore been provided under a confidentiality agreement. The Panel noted that the Council of Ministers was due to meet on 27th March 2013 to discuss the Population Policy timetable. The Panel was advised that, following its agreement to undertake a |
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| Population and Migration – Part 3 review, a request had been made to the Chief Minister's Department to factor in Scrutiny into the draft timetable that was to be reviewed by the Council of Ministers. |
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25/02/13 Item 1 513/37(2) | 3. Deposit Loan Scheme The Panel received an update in respect of its review of Starter Home Deposit Loan Scheme (P.131/2012). It was noted that a request had been made for the business case underlying the proposed Scheme but that the advice received by the Scrutiny Office was that the material already sent to the Panel provided the business case and no further documentation had therefore been received in response to the request. It was further noted that other material was due to be received from the Executive. The Panel agreed to request a Risk Assessment of the Scheme. The Panel received an update on the work that had been undertaken by the Scrutiny Office in regards to the appointment of an expert advisor. It was noted that the Chartered Institute of Housing had been contacted and had expressed interest in assisting the Panel with its review. Subsequently, the Panel agreed to appoint the Chartered Institute of Housing as its advisor. The Scrutiny Officer was requested to provide the expert advisor with all the background information that had been received from the Chief Minister's Department to date. The Scrutiny Office was further requested to undertake the necessary actions for the appointment of the advisor. It was noted that the work could be undertaken within the budget initially agreed by the Panel for the eventual appointment of an advisor. The Panel considered the draft Heads of Report which had been circulated to Members in advance of the meeting. It was agreed by the Panel that information regarding the Risk Assessment of the Scheme should be included within the Heads of Report. It was also agreed by the Panel that the report should include an overview of the development of the proposals for a Deposit Loan Scheme and the rationale underlying that development. Having considered these points the Heads of Report was subsequently approved by the Panel. | WM WM WM |
06/02/13 Item 6 513/37(3) | 4. External Relations The Panel noted that a letter had been received from the Chief Minister in which a change to the wording of one of the Terms of Reference had been suggested. After some consideration the Panel agreed to retain the original wording of the Terms of Reference and the Scrutiny Officer was requested to respond to the Chief Minister accordingly. It was noted by the Panel that a Public Hearing with Senator I.J. Gorst , Chief Minister and Senator Sir P.M. Bailhache , Assistant Chief Minister, was to be held on 15th April 2013. The Panel was advised that, as of yet, no other Public Hearings had been arranged for this review. The Panel recalled its decision to request written submissions from the Chief Minister and other stakeholders such as the Privileges and Procedures Committee. During this meeting, however, the Panel also agreed to request written submissions from the Minister for Treasury and Resources, the Minister for Economic Development, the Bailiff of Jersey, HM Attorney General and His Excellency the Lieutenant | WM WM |
| Governor. The Scrutiny Officer was requested to draft letters to those identified above and to circulate them to the Chairman, the Vice- Chairman and Deputy S. Power for approval. The Panel agreed that, during the review, consideration should be given to the manner in which External Relations is currently undertaken. In this regard the Scrutiny Officer was asked to request information from the Chief Minister's Department to affirm who was currently responsible for External Relations matters. | WM |
06/02/13 Item 7 513/1(43) | 5. Public Finances Law The Panel was advised that the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) had agreed not to undertake any work on the proposed amendments to the Public Finances (Jersey) Law 2005 as it was believed that the subject fell outside of its remit. It was agreed by the Panel, however, that it would seek an opinion from the PAC in regards to the proposed amendments to help inform its decision as to whether or not to undertake a review of this subject. Subsequently, the Scrutiny Officer was requested to contact PAC regarding this matter. The Panel also agreed that it would be beneficial to confer with the Comptroller and Auditor General if the decision was made to review the amendments to the Public Finances Law. It was noted that the Panel was due to receive a briefing on Amendments to the Public Finance Law on 18th April 2013. | SM |
06/02/13 Item 2 513/1(41) | 6. Modernisation Programme The Panel noted that a briefing on the Modernisation Programme was due to take place on 7th March 2013, subject to the States sitting having finished. After a lengthy discussion however, the Panel agreed to defer the briefing until later in the year due to its busy work programme. It was further agreed that a meeting should be arranged at officer level so the Panel could still receive an update regarding this subject. The Panel also agreed that, in respect of its 2013 Work Programme, topics such as Human Resources, Information Technology and Information Management should be considered within the context of the Modernisation Programme rather than individually. | SM |
06/02/13 Item 9 513/1(40) | 7. Pensions The Panel received a briefing from officers of the Department of Treasury and Resources on work being undertaken in relation to pensions. The briefing involved the dissemination of information deemed confidential under Paragraph 3.2.1(a)(xiv) of Code of Practice on Public Access to Official Information and a private record was taken. |
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06/02/13 Item 8 513/1(41) | 8. Work Programme The Panel noted receipt of correspondence and information arising from its recent meeting with the Minister for Treasury and Resources. Consideration was given to the list of upcoming major States debates and it was agreed by the Panel that it would be useful to circulate the document to the Chairmen's Committee for its information. The Panel noted that the following briefings had been arranged in | WM |
| respect of potential future review topics: - Briefing on capital financing of major projects: 22nd May 2013 - Briefing on 2014 Budget: 19th July 2013 - Briefings on capital financing of major projects and 2014 budget: 18th September 2013 With regard to capital financing of major projects, the Scrutiny Officer was asked to request a timetable from the Department of Treasury and Resources for the work being undertaken on the new hospital. The Panel noted the status of its Work Programme for 2013. | SM |
09/01/13 Item 6 513/1(46) | 9. GST De Minimis The Panel was advised that a decision had not yet been made in regards to the topic proposal that had been received from the President of the Chamber of Commerce on GST De Minimis levels. The Panel recalled its decision to review the 2014 Budget and discussed whether consideration of the GST de Minimis levels could be included within that work. The Panel agreed that it would be beneficial to meet with the President of the Chamber of Commerce to discuss his proposal. The Scrutiny Officer was therefore requested to make the necessarily arrangements. | SM |
23/01/13 Item 11 513/1(40) | 10. States of Jersey Development Company The Panel received a briefing from the Managing Director of the States of Jersey Development Company in which the Panel was updated regarding current and future projects of the company. The briefing involved the dissemination of information deemed confidential under Paragraph 3.2.1(a)(xiv) of Code of Practice on Public Access to Official Information and a private record was taken. |
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| 11. Future Meetings The Panel noted that its next scheduled meeting would take place on 13th March 2013. The Panel also noted that it was due to receive the Chief Minister for a Quarterly Public Hearing on 21st March 2013. |
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