Chairmen's Committee - Approved Committee Minutes - 15 July 2015

Present

Deputy  J.A.N.  Le  Fondré,  President  and  Chairman,  Corporate  Services Scrutiny Panel

Deputy L.M.C. Doublet , Vice-President and Chairman, Education and Home Affairs Scrutiny Panel

Deputy S.M. Brée, Chairman, Economic Affairs Scrutiny Panel

Deputy R. Renouf , Chairman, Health and Social Security Scrutiny Panel Deputy S. Wickenden, Vice-Chairman, Public Accounts Committee

Deputy D. Johnson , Vice-Chairman, Environment, Housing and Technical Services Scrutiny Panel

Apologies

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

Deputy A.D. Lewis , Chairman, Public Accounts Committee

Absent

In attendance

 Mr T. Oldham , Scrutiny Manager

Ref Back

Agenda matter

Action

07.07.15 Item 5

510/1(5)

1.  Code  of  Practice  for  engagement,  for  the  purposes  of Scrutiny, between elected Members conducting Scrutiny and Ministers and Assistant Ministers

The Committee considered research that had been undertaken into the situation in other jurisdictions on matters relating to the compliance section of the draft Code.

It was agreed that, to inform future drafting, further advice would be sought to clarify the situation with regard to the protection afforded to witnesses  by  consequence  of  the  proceedings  of  Panels  being covered by parliamentary privilege through Article 34 of the States of Jersey Law 2005 and the States of Jersey (Powers, privileges and immunities) (Scrutiny Panels, PAC and PPC) (Jersey) Regulations 2006, in comparison to the protection afforded to witnesses appearing before UK Select Committees. Furthermore, advice would be sought on the legislative changes that would be required to provide Panels with  the  ability  to  place  witnesses  on  oath,  possible  revisions  to sanctions and processes pertinent to breaches of the code, and the differences  in  powers  of  access  to  information  between  Jersey Committees of Inquiry and Scrutiny Panels.

TO