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Education and Home Affairs - Approved Panel Minutes - 17 March 2014

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Education and Home Affairs Scrutiny Panel

Record of Meeting

Date:   17th March 2014 Meeting No:  48

 

Present

Connétable S. W. Pallett, Chairman Connétable M. P. S. Le Troquer, Vice Chairman Connetable S. Rennard

Apologies

 

In attendance

M. Robbins, Scrutiny Officer

 

Ref Back

Agenda matter

Action

 

1.  Minutes

The  Minutes  of  the  meeting  held  on  24th  February  2014  were approved and signed. There were no matters arising.

 

Item 10 22.02.14

516/1(51)

2.  Draft Explosives (Jersey) Law 201-

The Panel agreed that its first hearing into the Draft Explosives Law was to be on 24th March, when it was to interview the Minister for Home Affairs. It also decided that it was appropriate that the Panel attend the next meeting of the Comité Des Connétable s if possible. A list was drawn up of other postholders that the Panel might wish to interview in public hearings and those hearings were to take place on Thursday 27th March 2014.

The transcripts from the hearing with the Minister were needed prior to the hearings with other witnesses and were to be turned around overnight.

MR

MR MR

Item 6 24.02.14

516/35(1)

3.  P.14/2014, Draft Passports (False Statements and Forgery) (Jersey) Law 201-

The Panel approved the scoping document containing the total budget of £6,600, along with the terms of reference. The documents were to be passed to the Chairmen's Committee for approval.

A letter was to be sent to H.M. Attorney General to establish the definition of recklessly' and to establish if Article 2 included both the applicant and the counter signatory.

Once the approval of the Chairmen's Committee had been received, a list  of  questions,  which  was  supplied  to  the  Panel,  was  to  be forwarded to the Minister for Home Affairs to assist in providing the Panel with the necessary information at the hearing on Monday 24th March 2014.

MR MR

MR

Item 12 24.02.14

516/32

4.  Introduction of Tasers

The Panel had requested that the Minister provide information about the amount of times firearms had been deployed in Jersey over the last three years. The answer that had been received contained data for two years only. It was to be returned with a request that the full three years data be supplied.  

MR

 

 

5.  Police User Pays

The  Panel  recalled  that  it  was  awaiting  documentation  from  the Minister for Home Affairs. It noted that the documents concerned were currently under review by the Minister who had agreed to send then through to the Panel once they were completed. There was no time frame available for this.

 

Item 1 28.10.13

516/37

 

6.  Control of Public Entertainment

The Panel considered the position in relation to public entertainment and  agreed  that  this  was  of  low  priority.  The  Panel  would  not undertake a review of Public Entertainment at this time.

 

 

 

7.  Draft Criminal Justice (Young Offenders) Law 201-.

The Panel received the explanatory report and draft law and noted that it was due to be lodged au Greffe on 16th April 2014 with the debate on 13th May 2014. The Panel decided to request a briefing on the subject from the Minister on 26th March 2014. It was agreed that there were many areas that needed careful scrutiny within the draft law and that the Panel was likely to undertake a review.

MR

 

 

8.  Sex Offenders Law Amendments.

It was noted that the Minister for Home Affairs had agreed to supply the Panel with all details of the proposed amendments. The work was not yet complete but was to be sent to the Panel as soon as possible. It was further noted that the proposed lodging date was not until June 2014.

 

 

 

9.  Rehabilitation of Offenders

On recalling that the Minister for Home Affairs had agreed to supply the Panel with all papers on this matter, the Panel noted that work was not yet complete. The documentation was to be sent to the Panel as soon as possible.

 

 

 

10.  Armed Forces Covenant.

The  Panel  received  the  draft  of  the  Community  Covenant  and requested that the Home Affairs Minister supply further information relating to how and when it was to be presented.

MR

 

 

11.  Customs Recording of Checks

The Panel received an extract from a table of flights and boats not covered  by  Customs  Officers.  It  was  decided  that  there  was  a requirement for further information and the Minister for Home Affairs was to be asked about this at the next quarterly public hearing.

 

 

 

12.  States of Jersey Police Force (Jersey) Law 1974

The Panel received and noted a draft of the proposed amendments.

 

Item 24.02.14

516/18(1)

7

13.  Child Care Registration

The Panel had received information relating to complaints against Education Sport and Culture in its role as regulator of private child care businesses. It was considered that there may be a conflict as the Department also provided pre-school day-care for children. The officer was to research this position and report back to the Panel.

MR

Item 24.02.14

8

14.  Youth Service

 

516/18(2)

 

The Panel recognised that the Youth Service was doing a good job; however there was concern that the Comprehensive Spending Review had left the service underfunded. It was considered that the staff had done some good work to turn things around but this needed to be confirmed. The Officer was to research this and report back to the Panel.

MR

Item 24.02.14

516/18(3)

9

15.  Trackers Apprenticeship Schemes.

It was agreed that there was an opportunity to ask questions about the Trackers Scheme at the quarterly public hearing which was to be held on 31st March 2014 with the Minister for Education and Home Affairs. The officer was due to meet with officers from the department and would report back to the Panel.

MR

 

 

16.  Intellectual Property Rights

The Panel received documentation received that morning from the Minister  of  Home  Affairs.  The  Minister  had  invited  the  Panel  to consider if it wished to review the matter. The Panel decided that it was to consider the matter at its next meeting.

MR

Item 11 24.02.14

516/34

 

17.  H.M.P. La Moye Prison

The Panel noted that the Chairman had been asked questions in the States Assembly in relation to alleged activities at the Prison.

MR

 

 

18.  Constitution of Panel

The  Panel  considered  its  constitution  and  agreed  that  it  was  to continue with three members at that time.

 

 

 

19.  Date of next meeting

The next meeting was scheduled for 9.30am on 31st March 2014 in the Blampied Room. It was noted that the meeting was to include a quarterly public hearing with the Minister for Education, Sport and Culture.

MR