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Economic Affairs - Approved Panel Minutes - 21 September 2016

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Economic Affairs Scrutiny Panel

Record of Meeting

21st September 2016

 

Present

Deputy S.M. Brée, Chairman Deputy D. Johnson , Vice-Chairman Connétable J.E. Le Maistre

Apologies

Connétable M.J. Paddock

Absent

 

In attendance

Mr M. Orbell, Scrutiny Officer

 

Ref Back

Agenda matter

Action

 

1.  Records of meetings

The Minutes of meetings held on 20th and 27th July, and 5th, 7th and 12th September 2016 were approved and signed.

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Item 1 12.09.16

515/33(2)

2.  Medium Term Financial Plan Addition

Members considered draft Comments previously circulated by email. A number of amendments were agreed, and the Scrutiny Officer was asked to make the necessary changes and circulate a final version for Panel approval early the following day, to enable the Comments to be presented to the States on 23rd September. It was also agreed to circulate the final draft to the adviser, to ensure that he was content with references to his report included in the Comments.

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Item 5 04.05.16

3.  Rural Economy Strategy

The Panel welcomed Officers of the Environment Department for a briefing on the draft strategy. It was explained that the two main aims of the strategy were to reduce environmental damage and to improve the economic development of the industry. The strategy was described as being essentially business as usual', apart from the need to restructure the subsidy regime, in particular to move away from the current system of single area payments.

Members  expressed  some  surprise  that  there  were  no  costings  or financial details included in the latest draft of the strategy. It was pointed out that the Panel would need these to be able to carry out a meaningful review, and Officers agreed that a fully costed approach would be preferable. It was suggested that some financial information could probably be shared without too much difficulty, although more time  might  be  required  to  ensure  that  the  Panel  could  receive  full details.

It was noted that the draft strategy had yet to receive approval from the Corporate Management Board and the Council of Ministers. This gave rise to some concern over the limited time remaining in which to carry out  a  review,  produce  a  report  and  make  recommendations  if  the

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strategy  was  to  come  into  effect  from  the  beginning  of  2017  (as intended). Officers indicated that if necessary, they would be prepared to recommend a delay in order to allow scrutiny to take place.

 

 

4.  Forthcoming meetings

Next scheduled Panel meeting: 9.30am on 5th October 2016, Blampied Room, States Building.

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