PAC - Approved Committee Minutes - 15 September 2014

Present

Deputy T. Vallois, Chairman Senator S.C. Ferguson Deputy R. Rondel

Deputy G.C.L. Baudains Mr. J. Mills, C.B.E.

Mr. I. Ridgeway

Mr. R. Parker

Apologies

Absent

In attendance

Mrs. K .McConnell, Comptroller and Auditor General

Mr. I. Clarkson, Officer to the Public Accounts Committee

Ref Back

Agenda matter

Action

1.  Records of Meetings

The record of the meeting held on 18th August 2014 was approved.

Item 2 23.06.14

2.  Conflicts of Interest

No conflicts of interest were declared.

Item 3 18.08.14

512/18

3.  Grant to Canbedone Productions Limited  

The Committee considered an e-mailed statement sent to all States Members by the Minister for Economic Development on 19th August 2014 regarding the former Canbedone Productions film project.

The Committee noted that the Minister had again made a series of claims that were difficult for the Committee to accept given the available evidence. These included, but were not exclusive to, the assertion that the grant had been awarded for pre-production work only' and that the Committee's own findings and recommendations had been fully acted upon by EDD.'

The Committee agreed –

1. that the Chairman should consider writing to the Chairman of the States Employment Board and expressing the Committee's concern at the ongoing lack of accountability for the outcomes described  in  the  Committee's  2  reports  concerning  the  film grant; and,
2. that it should present to the States a final report highlighting the  Committee's  concern  that  shortfalls  in  governance  and accountability were not yet being addressed effectively.

Chair / IC

Cttee/ IC

Item 4 18.08.14

1443/10 (60)

4.  Internal Audit Review

The Committee considered the responses received following circulation to key witnesses of the Committee's draft report.

The Committee was disappointed to note the format, length and degree

of repetition present within the response of the Treasury and Resources Department.

Having  agreed  that  several  minor  changes  should  be  made  to  the content of its draft report, the Committee delegated to the Chairman responsibility for approving a final draft of the same for presentation to the States.

Chair / IC

Item 5 18.08.14

512/20

5.  Integrated Care Records

The  Committee  received  the  departmental  response  to  its  report PAC.2/2014, together with a report from the Chief Executive, States of Jersey, concerning improvements to project management across the States.

The Committee was less than satisfied with the substance and the tone of  the  responses  to  recommendations  1  and  2,  which  effectively contended that little or no change was required. Having recalled the basis for recommendation 1, the Committee remained to be convinced that written reports appended to previous Audit Committee agendas had  been  sufficient  to satisfy  recommendation  1.   Neither  was  the Committee satisfied that the response had evidenced compliance with recommendation  2.   The  Committee  considered  that  it  might  be appropriate  for  the  its  successor  to  consider  following  up  these recommendations in early course.

The Committee was nevertheless pleased to have received the Chief Executive's report, which confirmed the existence of an action plan to raise project management standards across the organisation.

The Committee resolved to present the departmental response to the States and to comment on the same in the terms cited above.

IC

Item 6 18.08.14

6.  Legacy Report

The Committee noted an updated draft legacy report, which included a status report on recommendations made by the Committee since the beginning of its term.

The Committee noted that the status report would be presented to the reconstituted committee for consideration in early course.

IC

7.  Codes of Practice and Working Practices

The Committee noted a report concerning the development of –

1. new codes of practice in accordance with the decision of the  States  to  adopt  the  Amendment  No.25  of  the  Standing Orders of the States of Jersey, and
2. a working practices agreement between the Committee and the Jersey Audit Office.

The Committee noted that the draft codes and agreement would be referred to the reconstituted committee for consideration in early  course.   It further  recommended  that  the  reconstituted committee revisit its terms of reference, as defined in Standing Order 132, with reference to the terms of reference applicable to comparable committees across the British Isles.

IC

Item 8 18.08.14

8.  Draft Comptroller and Auditor General (Jersey) Law 201-

1443/10 (57)

The Committee was advised that the Chief Minister had instructed the Law Draftsman to prepare a draft Order, in accordance with Article 15 of the Comptroller and Auditor General Jersey Law 201-, to establish a board of individuals to carry out functions in relation to the office of the Comptroller and Auditor General.

The Committee noted the position.

IC

Item 8 23.06.14

9.  Comptroller and Auditor General Work Programme

The Committee noted –

1. that the jersey Audit Office Annual Letter and Report had been published ( R.127/2014 refers);
2. the  draft  Jersey  Audit  Office  Audit  Plan  for  the period 2014 – 2015, and
3. a draft project specification for a review of private patient income  concerning  the  Health  and  Social  Services Department.

The reports cited at (b) and (c) above were received by the Committee in confidence, in accordance with exemption 3.2.1(b) of the Code of Practice on Public Access to Official Information.

Item 11 23.06.14

10.  Chairman's Thanks

The Chairman thanked members for their hard work and their support through the period 2012 – 2014.