Corporate Services - Approved Panel Minutes - 29 January 2014

Present

Senator S.C. Ferguson, Chairman [Absent for Item 15] Connétable D.W. Mezbourian

Deputy R.J. Rondel  

Apologies

Absent

Deputy J.G. Reed, Vice-Chairman

In attendance

Deputy S. Power [Co-opted for Item 1 under Standing Order 138(5A)] Ms. P. Staley, Law Draftsman [Item 15]

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

Ref Back

Agenda matter

Action

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1. Population and Migration / Long-Term Plan

The Panel considered the areas it would cover during its review of the Interim  Population  Policy. It  was  noted  that  the  Policy  would  be lodged on 30th January 2014 for debate on 29th April 2014.

The Panel noted that questions had been put on 28th January 2014 during the briefing for all States Members about whether the Policy would relate to the number of people or the number of heads of households. The Panel recalled that this matter had been discussed by the Chairman and Vice-Chairman with the Chief Statistician at a briefing provided on 17th January 2014. It was agreed to request confirmation from the Chief Statistician as to how many people would be contained, statistically speaking, in 150 households.

Consideration was given to a draft Scoping Document and Terms of Reference. It  was  noted  that  the  review  would  focus  upon  the provisions  of  the  Interim  Population  Policy  and  that  other  matters relating to the Control of Housing and Work (Jersey) Law 2012 could be covered at a later time, when the Panel undertook follow-up work to its previous reviews of population and migration matters and after the Executive had undertaken a post-implementation review of the Law. The Scoping Document and Terms of Reference were approved.

Consideration  was  given  to  whether  a  Sub-Panel  should  be established to undertake the review. The Panel, recalling the Deputy

S.  Power  had  been  co-opted  to  the  Panel  for  the  review  under Standing Order 138(5A), agreed that the review would be undertaken by the Panel itself.

The Panel considered public hearings for the review and agreed that public  hearings  should  be  held  with  Senator  P.F.  Routier  MBE, Assistant Chief Minister, and the Chief Statistician.

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The Panel noted that the Long-Term Planning Framework had been published that day. The Panel considered whether the Long-Term Planning Framework took into account the findings of the McKinsey Report and the Scrutiny Officers were therefore requested to look into whether any of the McKinsey Report could be made available to the Panel.

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2. Records of Meetings

The Panel approved the records of its meetings held on 7th, 13th, 15th,  16th  and  17th  January  2014.   The  records  were  signed accordingly.

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3. 2014 Budget

The  Panel  recalled  that  its  comments  on  Draft  Public  Finances (Amendment of Law No.1) (Jersey) Regulations 201- (P.133/2013) had been presented to the States on 20th January 2014. It was noted that the draft Regulations had subsequently been approved by the States Assembly on 21st January 2014. The Panel was advised that the only expenditure incurred for the review, the cost of the public hearing which had been held, had yet to be established.

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4. States of Jersey Development Company

The Panel was advised that the Chairman had been contacted by interested individuals in respect of the Esplanade Quarter and that she had been provided with estimated valuations for the returns expected from that development. Copies of the valuations were provided for the Scrutiny Office.

The Panel received a report back from the Scrutiny Officers on the meeting which had been held with the Managing Director of the States of Jersey Development Company (SoJDC) and the Treasurer of the States. It  was  agreed  that  this  was  a  sensitive  matter,  albeit  a significant  one,  which  would  need  to  be  dealt  with  appropriately. Consideration was given to whether the Panel would itself meet the Managing Director and it was agreed not to do so for the time being. It was agreed that a meeting would be held once the Panel had received and had an opportunity to consider the Trowers and Hamlins report, which  the  Scrutiny  Officers  were  asked  to  request  from  the Department of Treasury and Resources.

Consideration was given to the work that the Panel could undertake on this subject and it was agreed that an independent expert advisor would be required for any work undertaken. The Scrutiny Officers were therefore requested to undertake research on potential advisors.

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15/01/14 Item 5

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5. Medium Term Financial Plan

The  Panel  noted  that  Annual  Update  to  the  MTFP  Departmental Annex for 2014 (R.8/2014) had been presented to the States. The Panel  further  noted that,  in  a  statement  released  on  his  personal website, Senator P.F.C. Ozouf , Minister for Treasury and Resources, had  stated  that  alongside  the  Draft  2015  Budget  Statement  there would be published the Long-Term Revenue Plan. It was therefore considered  that  the  Panel's  end-of-term  review  in  respect  of  the Medium Term Financial Plan (MTFP) could potentially be incorporated in its review of the Draft 2015 Budget. It was agreed that a Scoping Document and Terms of Reference would be drafted on that basis for

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consideration at the next meeting.

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6. Starter Home Deposit Loan Scheme

The Panel noted receipt of an update prepared by the Scrutiny Office on  the  basis  of  information  received  from  the  Chief  Minister's Department in respect of the Starter Home Deposit Loan Scheme which included information on the number of loans and amount of money allocated as of 10th January 2014. The Panel was advised that, further to that information, the Scrutiny Office had been informed that £2.7 million had currently been allocated and that the six-month trial period was due to finish at the end of January 2014. The Panel agreed to request in due course the results of any review undertaken by the Executive and statistics in respect of the results of the scheme. The Panel noted that the Minister for Treasury and Resources had indicated that the Scheme might potentially be extended.

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15/01/14 Item 7

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7. States Employment Board

The Panel received a report back in respect of a meeting held by the Scrutiny Officers with the Chief Executive. It was noted that legislative changes in respect of the States Employment Board (SEB) were likely to be proposed later in the year. The Panel asked that a copy of the relevant law-drafting instructions be requested.

The Panel was informed that an invitation had been extended to the Panel to attend the next meeting of the SEB. The Panel noted that it would be unable to attend on that date and therefore agreed to ask whether it could attend the SEB's subsequent meeting on 13th March 2014.

It was agreed to include questions on the States Employment Board at the Quarterly Public Hearing with Senator I.J. Gorst , Chief Minister, on 30th January 2014.

The Panel considered whether the SEB appropriately fell within the remit of the Corporate Services Scrutiny Panel. It was noted that as the matter in hand referred to legislation and as it was the Chairman of the Corporate Services Panel who would most likely be asked whether the legislation should be referred to the Panel under Standing Order 72 (once the principles had been adopted by the Assembly), it was indeed a matter within the Panel's remit.

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15/01/14 Item 9

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8. Work Programme

The Panel considered its work programme for 2014. Consideration was given to the deliverability of the work programme. The Panel was advised that, with the approval of a Scoping Document and Terms of Reference for  a review  of the Interim  Population  Policy,  only  one review  was  currently  ongoing  and  the  work  programme  overall therefore appeared deliverable.

The  Panel  was  informed  that  an  officer  meeting  in  respect  of Independent Taxation would take place on 6th February 2014. It was noted  that  consideration  of  this  subject  would  most  likely  be incorporated in the Panel's review of the Draft 2015 Budget Statement.

The Panel considered the statement which the Minister for Treasury and Resources had recently published on his personal website in

respect of his priorities and plans for 2014 and the implications thereof for the Panel's own work programme.

The Panel was advised that 2014 Departmental Business Plans had been  requested  from  the  Chief  Minister's  Department  and  the Department of Treasury and Resources.

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9. Quarterly Public Hearing with Chief Minister

The  Panel,  noting  that  a  draft  question  plan  had  previously  been circulated by e-mail, prepared for its Quarterly Public Hearing with the Chief Minister on 30th January 2014. Amendments to the question plan  were  agreed,  which  the  Scrutiny  Officers  were  requested  to enact. The Panel, noting that reference was made in the question plan to a recent meeting of the Privileges and Procedures Committee, requested that the relevant minutes be circulated.

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10. Quarterly Public Hearing with Minister for External Relations

The Panel prepared for its Quarterly Public Hearing with Senator Sir P.M.   Bailhache ,  Minister  for  External  Relations,  on  13th  February 2014. The Scrutiny Officers were requested to draft and circulate a question plan for Panel consideration.

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21/11/13 Item 2

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11. Machinery of Government

The Panel noted receipt of a request from the Chairmen's Committee. It was noted that the Chairmen's Committee had considered whether the  current  Code  of  Practice  for  Scrutiny  Panels  and  the  Public Accounts Committee should be disbanded and replaced by a system whereby a code of practice for Ministers was drawn up and approved by the Council of Ministers; a code of practice for Scrutiny was drawn up and approved by the Chairmen's Committee; and a joint code of practice for Scrutiny and the Executive was also drawn up. The Panel noted that, in respect of that joint code of practice, the Chairmen's Committee was seeking views on whether it should be approved by the States or whether, alternatively, an amendment should be made to Standing Orders to provide that Members working on the Executive or Scrutiny  should  abide  by  the  code  of  practice  agreed  by  the Chairmen's Committee and the Chief Minister.

Consideration was given to the sanctions which currently applied if the existing Code of Practice were breached and to the amount of time which the Assembly appeared to spend on debates concerning the machinery of government or composition of the Assembly. The Panel consequently agreed that its preferred option in respect of a joint code of  practice  would  be  for  an  amendment  to  be  made  to  Standing Orders, provided that there would be appropriate consultation with all Scrutiny Panels prior to any such joint code of practice being approved by the Chairmen's Committee and Chief Minister. The Panel noted that its views would be reported back to the Chairmen's Committee.

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12. Future Meetings

The Panel noted that its next scheduled meeting would take place on 12th February 2014. Deputy R.J. Rondel gave his apologies for that meeting.

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13. Modernisation Programme

The Panel recalled that e-government appeared to provide the most

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likely focus of any review undertaken in respect of the Modernisation Programme. It  was  agreed  to  include  questions  in  respect  of  e- government at the Quarterly Public Hearing with the Chief Minister.

The  Panel  recalled  the  briefing  it  had  received  from  the  Chief Executive on the status of the Modernisation Programme and the undertaking which had been made to provide the Panel with the new People  Dashboard'  which  would  become  part  of  the  Quarterly Financial Report process going forward. The Panel noted receipt of a draft version for the Chief Minister's Department.

The Panel further recalled the undertaking that a video clip which had been shown at the seminar of staff discussing their experiences of the Lean  training  would  be  provided  for  the  Panel.   The  Panel  was informed that a copy had been received and that arrangements would be made for it to be shown to the Panel.

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10/04/13 Item 2

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14. Public Sector Pensions

The Panel noted that it had been offered a briefing by the Department of Treasury and Resources in respect of proposed amendments to the Public Employees Contributory Retirement Scheme (PECRS). It was agreed  to  request  that  the  briefing  take  place  during  the  Panel's scheduled meeting on 26th February 2014.

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15/01/14 Item 8

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15. Legislative Process

The Panel received a briefing from Ms. P. Staley, Law Draftsman, on the legislative process. The Panel was informed of the process from the development and agreement of policy by Departments, through the provisions of law-drafting instructions to the Law Draftsman, to the law-drafting  process  itself.   The  Panel  noted  that  the  legislative process incorporated stages subsequent to law-drafting, for instance the debate and approval of draft legislation by the Assembly and the seeking and receipt of Royal Assent. It was therefore agreed that the Law Draftsman would be invited to return at a subsequent meeting to continue the briefing.

The Panel noted receipt of a draft Scoping Document and Terms of Reference for a prospective review of the legislative process. It was agreed to defer consideration of the documentation to a later meeting.

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