Education and Home Affairs - Approved Panel Minutes - 18 May 2015

Present

Deputy L. M. C. Doublet , Chairman Deputy J. M. Maçon, Vice-Chairman Deputy S. Y. Mezec

Apologies

Deputy J. Martin (Co-Opted Member for SEN Review, item 7)

Absent

In attendance

Mr M. Robbins, Scrutiny Officer

Ref Back

Agenda matter

Action

1.  Records of Meetings

The minutes of the meetings held on the 16th, 20th and 30th April 2015 were approved for signing.

Item 2 16.03.15

516/1/1(7)

2.  Conflicts of Interest

The Panel considered that there were no areas of conflict that had not previously been declared.

Item 9 12.01.15

516/1/1(5)

3.  School Starting Age

The Panel received documentation relating to the age children start school.  This  included  the  Education  (Jersey)  Law  1999,  scoping documents and transcripts from the quarterly public hearing on Monday 2nd March 2015 with the Minister for Education, Sport and Culture. Consideration of this subject led the Panel to agree that there was a case for greater choice in when a parent might start a child at school.

In recognising that the Panel was busy with two reviews, the Panel agreed that it was to not in a position to start such a review at that time.

4.  Media Coaching

The Panel noted details of a media coaching programme. All members of the Panel declared an interest in undertaking such training and were to express their interest to the Scrutiny Manager.

Panel

5.  Medium Term Financial Plan.

The Panel discussed how it might wish to consider the Medium Term Financial Plan, in view of documentation from the Corporate Services Scrutiny Panel.

It decided that as no paperwork had been made available at that time, it would request that the departments within its remit provide details of growth bids,  whether successful or not. Further decisions might be made when documentation became available.

MR

Item 1 20.04.15

6.  Prison Board of Visitors

516/43

The Panel recalled that on 20th April 2015, it had received the Minister for Home Affairs, the Assistant Minister for Home Affairs, the Chief Officer for Home Affairs and the Prison Governor for a public hearing relating to the Prison Board of Visitors. It had considered the hearing to be difficult because the Minister had refused to provide a Ministerial position on the current arrangement for the Prison Board of Visitors.

The  Panel  agreed  that  a  questionnaire  should  be  provided  for  the population of HM Prison to complete. It was also agreed that Further hearings would be held with witnesses that had come forward. The Lead Member was to meet with the officer to move the review forward.

SM / MR

Item 7 20.04.15

516/42

7.  Special Education Needs Provision

The Panel noted that the visits to schools had been very successful as had the Drop-In meeting' both of which had been on 16th April 2015. It also recalled that it had adjusted its timeline and budget for the review. The  public  were  to  be  informed  of  the  extended  period  for  the submission of evidence.

A further visit to schools was to be arranged for 1st June along with a public  workshop  between  6.30pm  and  8.30pm  to  gather  further information from the public. The Town Hall was agreed as a suitable venue.  As  the  work  would  continue  through  the  day  and  into  the evening, it was agreed that the Panel was to attend a meal with the advisor at a suitable location close to the Town Hall in order that the work of the Panel was not interrupted. Suitable signs for outside the venue were to be provided. An advert was to be circulated within the Schools.

The Panel agreed that the public hearing with the Minister should take place  on  an  evening  and  Monday  15th  June  2015  would  be  an appropriate date. A suitable venue was to be established.

MR

MR MR

8.  Future Meetings

The  Panel  noted  the  next  meeting  was  scheduled  for  9.30am  on Monday 8th June 2015 in the Blampied Room and agreed to move it to 9.30am on Wednesday 10th June 2015 at a suitable venue.