Chairmen's Committee - Approved Committee Minutes - 11 March 2014

Present

Deputy T.A. Vallois, President

Deputy S.G. Luce , Vice-President

Senator S.C. Ferguson

Connétable S. W. Pallett

Deputy J.A. Hilton, Acting Chairman, HSSH Deputy J.H. Young

Apologies

Deputy K.L. Moore

Absent

In attendance

Mrs. K. Tremellen-Frost, Scrutiny Manager

Ref Back

Agenda matter

Action

1. Minutes of previous meetings

The records of the meetings held on the 11th and 13th February and 5th March 2014 were approved and signed accordingly.

11.02.14 Item 7

510/1(5)

2. Code of Practice for Scrutiny Panels and the Public Accounts Committee: legal advice

The  Committee  welcomed  H.M.  Attorney  General  to  the  meeting  to consider Section 9 [legal advice] of the Code of Practice for Scrutiny Panels and the PAC.

The Committee noted the rationale behind this section of the Code and agreed that H.M. Attorney General should be asked if the section could be redrafted  to  make  it  clearer.  It  was  also  agreed  to  include  in  the Committee's legacy report that H.M. Attorney General should be invited to attend on the next Committee early in the next term of office.

11.02.14 Item 3

510/1(74)

3.  Remit  of  Scrutiny  Panels:  transfer  of  Housing  to  Environment Scrutiny Panel

The Committee received an update and noted that this amendment had been drafted and was contained within the package of amendments to Standing Orders in respect of the Machinery of Government.

11.02.14 Item 3

510/3(5)

4. Newsletter

The Committee welcomed a delegation from Jersey Post in respect of a possible survey with/in the next Scrutiny Matters newsletter.

Following withdrawal from the meeting of the delegation, the Committee considered alternative methods of undertaking a survey and agreed to await written costs from Jersey Post and to reconsider the matter at its next scheduled meeting.

KTF

03.07.12 Item 3

5. Filming of Scrutiny Hearings

The  Committee  noted  that  the  President  had  been  approached  by  a

510/1(42)

member of the public who wished to attend on the Committee to explain why members of the public should be permitted to film scrutiny hearings under the same conditions as the media. He also wished to urge the Committee to amend the protocol to permit this. The Committee agreed that 20minutes should be afforded to the person in question to hear his views at its next meeting but that no Committee opinion would be given at that time. Consideration of revision of the protocol would be considered once the member of the public had withdrawn from the meeting.

513/42

6. PECRS Review; Corporate Services Scrutiny Panel

The Committee noted a scoping document and terms of reference for a review into the above matter

516/39

7. Draft Explosives Law: Education and Home Affairs Scrutiny Panel

The Committee noted a scoping document and terms of reference for a review into the above matter

11.02.14 Item 7

510/1(5)

8. Code of Practice: amendments

The Committee considered the amendments it had made to some areas of the Code of Practice at its last scheduled meeting and made some further amendments to these.

The President agreed to discuss the way forward with a revised Code with the Chief Minister.

Pres

9. Panel Activity Reports These were taken as read.

11.02.14 Item 9

465/1(182)

10. Machinery of Government [MoGR]

The Committee noted that the Privileges and Procedures Committee had not been minded to lodge amendments to the States of Jersey Law and the Standing Orders in respect of the Machinery of Government based on the recommendations made by the Steering Group. In consequence, the Chief Minister had decided that he would lodge these in his own name.

11. Future meetings

The Committee noted that its next scheduled meeting was 8th April 2014, 9.30am-11.30am, Le Capelain Room, States Building.