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Corporate Services - Approved Panel Minutes - 28 May 2014

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Corporate Services Scrutiny Panel

Record of Meeting

Date:   28th May 2014 Meeting No:  168

 

Present

Deputy J.G. Reed, Vice-Chairman Deputy R.J. Rondel

Apologies

Senator S.C. Ferguson, Chairman Connétable D.W. Mezbourian

Absent

 

In attendance

Mr. W. Millow , Scrutiny Officer Miss. S. McKee , Scrutiny Officer

 

Ref Back

Agenda matter

Action

26/02/14 Item 7

513/35

1. Medium Term Financial Plan  

The Panel recalled that the States Assembly had agreed to reduce the lodging period for Housing Transformation Programme: Amendment to the Medium Term Financial Plan 2013 – 2015 (P.59/2014) in order that it could be debated at the sitting due to begin on 3rd June 2014. It was noted that it had been necessary to postpone the Panel's briefing on the proposition which had previously been arranged with the Department of Treasury and Resources. The Panel requested that the briefing be re- arranged for 30th May 2014. The Panel further requested that its questions  regarding  the  need  for  the  proposition  to  be  debated  so urgently be forwarded to the Department ahead of the briefing.

WM WM

 

2. Records of Meetings

The Panel approved the records of its meetings held on 7th and 8th May 2014. The records were signed accordingly.

 

23/04/14 Item 6

513/1(41)

3. States of Jersey Development Company

The Panel recalled its agreement to request a copy of the Trowers and Hamlin report from the Department of Treasury and Resources. The Panel  was  informed  that  the  request  had  been  made  but  that  the document had yet to be received. The Panel noted the recent decision of the Royal Court not to strike out the claims of Harcourt against the former  Waterfront  Enterprise  Board  (WEB)  and  the  Minister  for Treasury and Resources. The Panel was advised that Paragraph 7.11 of the Code of Practice for Scrutiny Panels and the Public Accounts Committee stated that review topics would be rejected if they were sub judice.

 

07/05/14 Item 6

513/41

4. Interim Population Policy

The Panel was advised that H.M. Solicitor-General had not yet been contacted  in  respect  of  the  advice  he  had  provided  to  the  States Assembly during the debate on Interim Population Policy: 2014 - 2015 (P.10/2014).

 

07/05/14 Item 3

5. Draft Charities Law

The  Panel  noted  that  public  hearings  had  been  arranged  with  the

 

513/43

Chairman of the Jersey Voluntary and Community Sector on 30th May 2014 and with the Chairman of the Association of Jersey Charities on 3rd June 2014. Consideration was given to the draft question plan for the first public hearing. Amendments were agreed, which the Scrutiny Officer was requested to enact. It was noted that a draft question plan for the latter hearing would be circulated in due course.

It was noted that the summary report on the consultation undertaken by the Chief Minister's Department in respect of the Draft Charities Law had been received and would be circulated for the Panel's attention.

The Panel was advised that a public hearing with the Chief Minister had been arranged for 2:45pm on 9th June 2014.

SM

513/1(40)

6.  Quarterly  Public  Hearing  with  Minister  for  Treasury  and Resources

The Panel noted that its next Quarterly Public Hearing with the Minister for Treasury and Resources, scheduled for 1:30pm on 9th June 2014, could not take place as the Minister would be unavailable. Taking into account arrangements already made in respect of the Draft Charities Law Review, the Panel agreed to enquire whether the Quarterly Public Hearing could instead take place on either 11th or 13th June 2014.

WM

08/05/14 Item 1

513/42

7. Public Sector Pensions

The Panel noted that Draft Public Employees (Pensions) (Jersey) Law 201-  (P.28/2014)  had  been  debated  and  approved  by  the  States Assembly on 21st May 2014. It was further noted that the States Employment Board had presented a formal response to the Panel's report on 27th May 2014 although it effectively amounted to an interim response and a full response to the Panel's recommendations was therefore expected by 23rd June 2014.

The  Panel  recalled  the  advice  it  had  previously  received  that Regulations arising from the Law would be debated at the sitting of the Assembly due to take place on 14th July 2014. It was noted that, in order for a debate to take place during that sitting, the Regulations would need to be lodged during the week beginning 2nd June 2014. The  Panel  further  noted  that  the  unions  had  yet  to  ballot  on  the proposed reforms to public sector provision and that the Law would need to receive Royal Assent and be registered in the Royal Court before the Regulations could be debated by the Assembly. Taking into account that these actions needed to occur within a limited timeframe, the Panel agreed to seek confirmation of the timetable for development and debate of the Regulations.

The Panel recalled that its review had been divided into two phases, with Phase 1 to last until the debate on the Law and Phase 2 to run from  that  point  until  the  debate  on  the  Regulations.   The  Panel confirmed that it would continue with Phase 2 of the review and agreed that it would seek to engage the same expert advisor which had been engaged for Phase 1. The Scrutiny Officer was requested to make the necessary arrangements. The Panel agreed that, at its next meeting, it would consider the Scoping Document and Terms of Reference for the review in order to determine whether amendments might be required. In that regard, the Panel agreed that public hearings with the witnesses who appeared during Phase 1 of the review would be beneficial.

WM

WM

07/05/14

8. Draft 2015 Budget

 

Item 4 513/44

The Panel noted that it would be briefed by the Minister for Treasury and Resources and his Department on draft Budget proposals on 13th June 2014. The Panel was advised that work on a draft Scoping Document  and  draft  Terms  of  Reference  would  be  undertaken subsequent to the briefing. The Panel agreed that it would need to receive paperwork relating to the briefing sufficiently far in advance of the briefing itself.

The Panel noted that a public hearing with the Minister for Treasury and Resources had been arranged for 31st July 2014. The Panel was advised that this was currently the earliest date on which a hearing could be arranged due to the sittings of the States Assembly and the subsequent  absence  from  the  Island  of  both  the  Minister  and  his Assistant Minister during the week beginning 21st July 2014. The Panel agreed to request that an initial public hearing with the Minister therefore be arranged for one of the lunchtime adjournments of the Assembly during the week beginning 14th July 2014. The Panel also requested that the  Scrutiny  Officers  undertake  discussions  with  the relevant officers of the Department of Treasury and Resources in order to assist the provision of information to the Panel.

WM

WM

 

9. Future Meetings

The Panel noted that its next scheduled meeting would take place on 11th June 2014.

 

513/36

10. Population and Migration

The Panel recalled that a post-implementation review of the Control of Housing and Work (Jersey) Law 2012 was due to be undertaken by July 2014. It was agreed to request an update on the status of the review. It was also agreed to request information in respect of the granting and removal of licences.

SM