Chairmen's Committee - Approved Committee Minutes - 12 November 2014

Present

Connétable A.S. Crowcroft , Chairman, Environment, Housing and Technical Services Scrutiny Panel

Connétable J.E. Le Maistre, Chairman, Economic Affairs Scrutiny Panel Deputy J.A.N. Le Fondré, Chairman, Corporate Services Scrutiny Panel Deputy A.D. Lewis , Chairman, Public Accounts Committee

Deputy R.J. Renouf , Chairman, Health and Social Security Scrutiny Panel Deputy L.M.C. Doublet , Chairman, Education and Home Affairs Scrutiny Panel

Apologies

Absent

In attendance

Mrs. K. Tremellen-Frost, Scrutiny Manager

Ref Back

Agenda matter

Action

511/1(1)

1.  President of the Chairmen's Committee: nomination

The Committee noted that at the next meeting of the States Assembly it  would  be  necessary  to  elect  a  President  of  the  Chairmen's Committee. The Committee agreed that it wished to nominate Deputy J.A.N. Le Fondré and the nomination would be made to the States by the Connétable of Grouville and seconded by Deputy L.M.C. Doublet .

JLM LD

511/1(49)

2. Representative of the Chairmen's Committee on the Privileges and Procedures Committee (PPC): nomination

The  Committee  noted  that  once  the  President  of  the  Chairmen's Committee had been appointed, the Members of the Privileges and Procedures Committee (PPC) would be appointed. Standing Order 122(9)  invited  the  Chairman  of  PPC,  after  consultation  with  the President of the Chairmen's Committee, to nominate a member of that Committee as a candidate for membership of PPC. The Chairmen's Committee  member  would  act  as  a  liaison  between  the  two Committees. The  Committee  agreed  that  it  would  recommend  the Connétable  of   Grouville  to  the  Chairman  of  the  Privileges  and Procedures Committee.

JLF

3. Committee meeting dates 2015

The  Committee  noted  the  proposed  Committee  meeting  dates  for 2015 which avoided meetings during the weeks of States sittings, school holidays and avoided clashes with other Scrutiny Panel and Public  Accounts  Committee  meetings.  It  was  noted  that  these meetings would be held on a monthly basis on a Tuesday in Le Capelain Room between 9.30am and 11.30am.

510/1(3)

4. Training for Scrutiny and Public Accounts Committee (PAC) elected Members

The  Committee  noted  that  training  in  principles  and  processes  of scrutiny  was  scheduled  for  2nd  and  3rd  December  2014.  The Committee  was  advised  that  this  was  the  first  opportunity  for  all

Scrutiny and PAC Members to meet together to consider the way forward for the term of office. It would also give Panels the opportunity to work together with the Scrutiny/PAC Officers and consider future work programmes. The Chairmen were requested to encourage all Panel and Committee Members to attend.

Chairmen

511/1/(9)

5. Records of Committee meetings

The Committee was advised that impartial and objective minutes of all Panel and Committee meetings which were quorate were taken. This provided  an  audit  trail  of  all  decisions  taken and  minutes,  unless confidential under exemption clauses of the Freedom of Information (Jersey) Law 2011, once signed, would be published on the scrutiny website.

It was noted that individuals were rarely named unless their dissent to a Panel/Committee decision had been made and that all minutes were written  in  the  passive  and  the  past  tense  in  accordance  with procedures of the States Greffe.

511/1(46)

6. Legacy Report

The Committee noted receipt of the Legacy Report from the Scrutiny Panels and the Public Accounts Committee during the previous term of office and noted the main overarching matters for consideration by the Committee early during 2015.

512/1(1)

7. Public Accounts Committee Membership

The Committee considered the constitution of the above Committee given  that  it  had  independent  members  appointed  to  it.  The Committee considered previous means of identifying such members and  the  process  used  during  the  last  term  of  office  of  an  open advertisement and interviews through the Appointments Commission. Being cognisant that the PAC needed to be established in the short term,  the  Chairman  considered  whether  to  re-appoint  existing independent  members  on  condition  that  the  positions  would  be advertised.

PAC Chairman

8. Next meeting

The Committee agreed that it would hold a meeting following the training on 8th December 2014, between 3.00pm and 4.00pm and noted that the subsequent meeting was scheduled for 13th January 2015.