Environment - Approved Panel Minutes - 8 January 2013

Present

Deputy J. Young, Chairman Connétable P. Rondel

Deputy S. Luce (Vice chairman)

Apologies

Absent

In attendance

Mr. M. Orbell, Scrutiny Officer

Ref Back

Agenda matter

Action

1. Records of meetings

The Minutes of the meetings held on 13th November, 3rd December and 10th December were approved and signed.

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2. Machinery of Government Review

The Panel welcomed Deputies J. Le Fondré and G. Baudains to the meeting. The Chairman explained the background to the report of the Sub-Committee of the Privileges and Procedures Committee; the Deputies then outlined the findings of the report. This was followed by discussion of the proposals for reform. It was noted that Scrutiny was not seen as a problem, and that the report itself did not address details of how the proposals would work in practice, but focused on the principles.

Owing to lack of time it was agreed that a further meeting to discuss this matter would be held on 10th January.

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3. Green Street Police HQ: Parking and Traffic

The Panel considered and agreed a draft scoping document for the proposed review. It was decided to remove references to alternative sites so that the review would focus purely on potential issues to do with parking and traffic. The Scrutiny Officer was asked to draft suitable  terms  of  reference  for  early  circulation  and  approval  by Panel members. It was agreed that the aim would be to conduct the review rapidly to avoid delaying the debate on P.92/2012 if possible.

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4. Le Masurier Ltd. Parkside Village Scheme

The  Panel  considered  a  draft  scoping  document  for  a  possible review of this matter. Members agreed to hold a pre-meeting at 9.00am on Thursday 10th January prior to the planned meeting with representatives  of  Le  Masurier  Ltd.  It  was  noted  that  terms  of reference  would  be  needed  for  approval  by  the  Chairmen's Committee if this matter was to go forward as a review, however at this point it was unclear whether Le Masurier would be content for their evidence to be placed in the public domain. It was noted that the executive summary provided in advance of the meeting referred extensively to individual officers' names, and therefore should be treated as confidential.

Item 4 13.11.12

514/16

5. Energy Policy

The  Panel  considered  a  draft  scoping  document  for  a  possible review of this matter. Members agreed that this could be conducted as a high level strategic review, which would help to identify specific areas of the policy that might require further work. It was decided that the Scrutiny Officer should contact the adviser commissioned by the former Environment Panel to carry out a review of the previous draft  Energy  Policy  in  2011  before  this  was  taken  back  by  the department, to see if he would be interested in completing the task now that the new White Paper had been issued.

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Item 5 13.11.12

514/20

6. Radon

It was noted that the Scrutiny Officer would be meeting with the Director  of  Environment  and  Head  of  Health  Protection  on  15th January to discuss the radon review. The aim would then be to confirm a meeting for the Panel with the Minister for Planning and Environment and the Director of Building Control.

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7. Taxi Regulation

Members discussed recent media coverage of the taxi service which appeared to suggest that no changes to taxi regulation would take place until 2015. The Panel felt that this was unacceptable and it was agreed  that  the  subject  should  be  raised  with  the  Minister  for Transport  and  Technical  Services  at  the  next  quarterly  public hearing. The Scrutiny Officer was asked to check possible dates for a hearing towards the end of January.

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8. Forthcoming meetings

Private meeting with representatives of Le Masurier Ltd.: 9.30am on 10th January 2013, Blampied Room, States Building (Panel pre- meeting at 9.00am)

Next  scheduled  Panel  meeting:  2.00pm  on  22nd  January  2013, Blampied Room, States Building

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