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Public Accounts Committee
Record of Meeting
Date: 12th August 2013 Meeting No: 29
Present | Deputy T. Vallois, Chairman Senator S. C. Ferguson, Deputy R. Rondel Mr. I. Ridgway (from item 3 onwards) Mr. J. Mills Mr. R. Parker |
Apologies |
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Absent | Deputy G. Baudains |
In attendance | Mrs K. McConnell, Comptroller and Auditor General Mrs K. Tremellen-Frost, Scrutiny Manager. Ms. P. Brown, Scrutiny Officer Mrs J. Hales , Scrutiny Officer (item 4 only) |
Ref Back | Agenda matter | Action |
| 1. Records of Meetings The record of the meetings held on 2nd and 8th July 2013, the latter with minor amendments, were approved and signed. |
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512/1(44) | 2. Conflicts of Interest The Committee noted that there were no conflicts of interest further to those already declared at previous meetings. |
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Item 5 08.07.13 512/20 | 3. Integrated Care Records The Committee noted the current situation in respect of the above matter and also noted that a substantial amount of information had been received by the Chairman. Given that consideration of this material by the Chairman had led to further questions being asked, the Committee considered whether it was appropriate to initiate a review into the matter. The Committee agreed that it needed to fully consider its objectives and decide what it wished to achieve from such a review. It was noted that there might be a link to matters pertaining to the Health Consultants issue and it was agreed that it was appropriate for a scoping document to be prepared. As it was likely that a review into this would incorporate matters relating to Information Technology, it was noted that a review of this was already included in the Comptroller and Auditor General's programme of work and that care should be taken not to duplicate matters. | TV/KTF |
Item 3 08.07.13 512/21 | 4. Car Park Trading Fund The Committee noted ongoing work and received an oral update from the officer supporting the Committee in this review. It was noted that a hearing had originally been planned for 21st August 2013 with the Chief Officer, Transport and Technical Services to which the Chief Officer had agreed. However, the Chief Officer had subsequently advised that he had become unavailable on that date and had volunteered two alternative dates and times. This was of serious concern to the Committee and a number of differing ways forward were explored. It was agreed that correspondence would be sent to the Chief Officer in question expressing the grave concerns of the Committee and that the correspondence would be copied to the Chief Executive and to the Chief Minister. It was also agreed that the Chairman would raise the matter with both the Chief Minister and the Chief Executive at one of their regular meetings which was held with her in her capacity as President of the Chairmen's Committee. The Committee agreed to the hearing taking place on 6th September 2013 at 2pm and not at 3pm as requested by the Chief Officer. Due to the issues which had arisen with the above, it was agreed that in the first instance the Committee itself needed to address its own working practices prior to considering legislation under which it was bound. The Committee considered a draft question plan for the hearing to be held on 14th August 2013 with the Treasurer of the States and noted that the Chairman would be introducing the subject area and would then be following up on answers received by the Treasurer rather than taking a specific topic area. Broad topic areas per individual Members were agreed. It was also agreed that following the hearing, the transcript would be used to prepare questions by the Chairman and the Scrutiny Officer for the hearing with the Chief Officer, Transport and Technical Services. | TV |
Item 8 08.07.13 512/22 | 5. Health Consultants The Committee considered a draft scoping document to determine whether a review into the balance between public and private practice by health consultants should be undertaken. The Committee agreed that they would not currently undertake a review until the Integrated Care Records review had been undertaken which might, in turn, identify whether a review into Health Consultants was necessary. |
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Item 7 08.07.13 512/18 | 6. Canbedone Productions Limited Grant The Committee noted correspondence that had been sent to the Chief Officer, Economic Development Department to request when documentation in respect of "Expenditure June 2011 to December 2011" had been sent to the Committee. It was also noted that the Chief Officer had advised of his certainty that it had been sent to the Committee within the initial documentation |
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| received. The Committee agreed that it still required a detailed response to its questions in the letter of 31st July 2013 and that this should be received by 20th August 2013 at the latest. It also agreed that it would maintain its hearing for 2nd September with the Chief Officer at 11.30am. The Chief Officer's availability would be ascertained. It was further agreed to hold a brief private session at the end of the public hearing with the Treasurer of the States on 14th August to discuss this matter. | KTF |
Item 6 10.06.13 512/19 | 7. Grants and Subsidies The Committee noted that responses from Accounting Officers in respect of the above review were being received. Following the deadline date for responses it was anticipated that further work would be undertaken. |
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1443/10 (57) | 8. R.77/2013 "The Office of Comptroller & Auditor General [C&AG] and Public Audit in Jersey" The Committee noted the Public Audit report received from the C&AG. It was noted that it was within the remit of the Committee to follow up on recommendations made in reports of the C&AG. The Committee noted that the recommendations made in R.77/2013 referred to legislative changes. The Committee therefore considered whether implementation of these changes should be progressed by the Minister for Treasury and Resources, given that they were changes to the Public Finances Law or by the Committee itself through the Privileges and Procedures Committee. It was agreed that, in order to progress these matters so that they were in statute prior to the elections in 2014, the availability of Law Drafting time needed to be sought. The Committee also considered amendments to this legislation prior to finalisation of the work being undertaken on the Machinery of Government Review and that legislative changes would need to be brought subsequent to the outcome of that review. It was acknowledged that a clear route for the Committee was required in order to be able to proceed and notwithstanding the fact that the Treasurer of the States had started to consider the legislation, it was agreed that the Chairman would discuss the matter with the Chief Minister and Chief Executive. | KTF TV |
512/1(8) | 9. Audit Plan of the Comptroller and Auditor General dated 24th July 2013 The Committee received and noted the Audit Plan and was referred specifically to "Exhibit 6" of the Plan. It was noted that specifications were being drawn up to start work on Internal Audit, Financial Directions, Governance of Jersey Telecom, HR Compliance and Procurement. The outline of the specifications would subsequently be available for Committee consideration. |
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Item 4 13.05.13 512/1(46) | 10. Financial Report and Accounts 2012: Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General [C&AG] to the States Assembly. The Committee, recalling that the C&AG had presented a report to the States Assembly in respect of the Financial Report and Accounts 2012, agreed that it should follow up on the recommendations made. It was agreed that correspondence would be sent to the Treasurer of the States requesting an update on progress being made in light of the recommendations. | KTF/TV |
| 11. HM Treasury: Central government annual reports and accounts The Committee noted a consultation on simplifying and streamlining the presentation of annual reports and accounts by the United Kingdom HM Treasury. It was noted that the Comptroller and Auditor General was aware of this and agreed that it raised some interesting questions. |
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| 12. Future Meetings 14th August 2013: public hearing with the Treasurer of the States in respect of the Car Park Trading Fund, meeting time 12.00; 2nd September 2013: public hearing with the Chief Officer, Economic Development Department 11.30am – to be confirmed or otherwise; 6th September 2013: public hearing with the Chief Officer, Transport and Technical Services 2pm |
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