Corporate Services - Approved Panel Minutes - 23 July 2015

Present

Deputy S.J. Brée, Vice-Chairman Connétable C.H. Taylor

Deputy K.C. Lewis

Apologies

Deputy J.A.N. Le Fondré, Chairman

Absent

In attendance

Mr W. Millow , Scrutiny Officer

Ref Back

Agenda matter

Action

Item 5 13.07.15

1. Public Sector Pension Reform (PECRS)

The  Panel  received  a  revised  Scoping  Document  for  its  review  of proposed  changes  to  public  sector  pension  provision. The  Panel recalled that, subsequent to its previous discussions on this matter, advice would be sought from the Greffier of the States on the proposed contractual arrangements with the Panel's choice of expert adviser.

The Panel was advised that advice had been sought from the Greffier and that correspondence had consequently been undertaken with the chosen expert adviser in order to confirm the contractual arrangements that might apply to ensure that the provisions of Financial Directions were respected. The Panel was further advised that a budgetary cap was therefore proposed for the engagement of the expert adviser and that the Scoping Document had been amended to reflect this proposal.

The Panel noted that there was a risk that a cap might effectively limit the amount of work which could be undertaken by the expert adviser. The Panel was advised that the previous experience of the chosen expert adviser would potentially mitigate that risk and would ensure that a meaningful result was obtained from the adviser's work. The Panel was further advised that not agreeing to a cap at this stage would effectively require the engagement to be subject to an open tender process.

Taking into account the above considerations, the Panel approved the Scoping Document, as revised, and thereby agreed the budgetary cap for the engagement of an expert adviser.