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Education and Home Affairs - Approved Panel Minutes - 30 September 2013

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Education and Home Affairs Scrutiny Panel

Record of Meeting

Date:   30 September 2013 Meeting No:  39

 

Present

Deputy J. M. Maçon, Chairman

Connétable M. P. S. Le Troquer, Vice Chairman Deputy M. Tadier

Deputy G. Southern

In attendance

M. Haden, Scrutiny Officer

 

Ref Back

Agenda matter

Action

 

1. Minutes

The Minutes of the meetings held on 9th and 16th September 2013 were approved and signed.

 

Item 1 16.09.13

516/1(44)

2. Higher Education: tax allowances

The Panel noted that the Chairman's Committee had agreed to collect and submit a consolidated report on the Budget 2014.

The Panel agreed that the issue of tax allowances was part of a broader picture of States support for students in Higher Education and recalled  that  it  was  intended  to  undertake  a  review  of  Higher Education funding as preparation for the next Medium Term Financial Plan. In the meantime the matter of thresholds would be raised with the Minister at the next Quarterly Hearing on 21st October 2013.

 

Item 2 08.07.13

516/37

3. Control of Public Entertainment

The  Panel  noted  the   Bailiff 's  submission  for  this  review  and correspondence  from  the  Gambling  Commission.  Correspondence was awaited from the Comité des Connétable s. It was also noted that contact had been made with the Department of Culture and Leisure in Guernsey.

The Scrutiny Officer said that a project plan including hearings for this review would be prepared for the next meeting.

 

Item 3 09.09.13

516/32

4. Introduction of Tasers

The Panel considered a draft letter to the Minister for Home Affairs commenting  on  his  revised  draft  report  and  proposition  on  the introduction of Tasers.

The  Panel  agreed  to  maintain  its  proposed  amendment  to  the Minister's proposition stipulating that Tasers would only be used in situations where the Command Officer was satisfied, on reasonable grounds, that

  1. no lesser force option had been, or will be, effective in eliminating the risk of bodily harm; and
  2. de-escalation and/or crisis intervention techniques had not been or would not be effective in eliminating the risk of bodily harm. The Panel

 

 

agreed that it was important that these conditions should be stated explicitly in then proposition.

The Panel agreed further detailed comments on the draft report and requested that the letter be forwarded to the Minister accordingly.

 

516/1(51)

5. Education, Sport and Culture: quarterly hearing

The  Panel  identified  the  following  matters  from  the  Department's Workstream template for discussion with the Minister at the quarterly hearing on 21st October 2013:

  • The outcome of the first core curriculum review on Maths
  • Progress report on the primary demographics review
  • Review of Primary School Funding formula
  • Review  of  options  to  provide  additional  capacity  in  Town Primary Schools
  • Higher Education: review of funding options

The  Panel  noted  that  the  Minister  had  agreed  to  provide  a presentation on the apprenticeship scheme at this meeting.

The Panel requested that briefing papers on these issues should be provided in advance of the hearing. The Panel requested a briefing on the proposals for the future development of Les Quennevais School.

The  Panel  agreed  to  combine  the  next  Panel  meeting  with  the Quarterly hearing.

 

516/1(51)

6. Wheel clamping

The Panel received a briefing paper from the Minister for Home Affairs on  consultation  carried  out  to  date  on  proposals  to  introduce  an alternative to wheel clamping.

The Panel noted that the Department's policy paper was currently with the Law Officers' Department. It was hoped that consultation on a draft law would be undertaken with a view to lodging the draft law before the elections in 2014.

 

516/1(44)

7. Topic proposal: Cycle helmets

The Panel received a proposal from Mr. D. Wimberley that it should scrutinise the issue of cycle helmet compulsion. The Panel, however, noted  that  this  was  an  issue  for  the  Minister  for  Transport  and Technical Services and forwarded the letter to the Environment Panel accordingly.

 

516/1(51)

8. Draft Sports Strategy

The Panel received the Assistant Minister for Education, Sport and Culture and Assistant Director, Sport and Leisure, for a briefing on the draft  Sports  Strategy.  The  Panel  also  received  copies  of  the consultation responses on the Sports Strategy Green Paper.