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Education and Home Affairs Scrutiny Panel
Record of Meeting
Date: 3rd July 2017
Present | Deputy L. M. C. Doublet , Chairman Deputy J. M. Maçon, Vice-Chairman Deputy T. A. Vallois Deputy S. Y. Mezec |
Apologies |
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Absent |
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In attendance | Mr A. Harris , Scrutiny Officer |
Ref Back | Agenda matter | Action |
| 1. Records of Meetings. The Panel noted and approved the minutes of the meetings held on 11th and 31st May and 5th June 2017. The Chairman signed them accordingly. |
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Item 4 05/06/17 | 2. Conflict of Interest Deputy S.Y. Mezec noted that he was due to speak with the owner of Tamba Park (Mr J. Ruff) regarding the purchase of property in St. Helier No.2. As Mr Ruff was involved with the recently set-up Jersey Support Youth Charity group that the Panel was due to discuss, Deputy S.Y. Mezec informed the Panel of this potential conflict. The Panel agreed that this did not constitute a conflict of interest. The Chairman noted that she was an ex-Beaulieu student which could be seen as a conflict in light of the Panel's comments issued on P.41/2017 Medium Term Financial Plan (2017 - 2010): Amendment to funding for fee-paying schools. |
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Item 2 30/06/17 516/36/6 | 3. States of Jersey Police Force (Jersey) Law 2012 Amendment No.2 The Panel discussed the private briefing that was held on 30th June 2017 in order to discuss the Draft States of Jersey Police Force (Jersey) Law 2012 Amendment No.2. The Panel noted the answers to the questions that had been received from the States of Jersey Police. The Panel wanted it noted that the standard of the answers received was excellent and asked the Officer to pass on its thanks to the Department for a thorough response. The Panel discussed the proposition and noted that concerns had been raised surrounding the proposed user-pays rules that the proposition would implement. It was agreed that the concerns were addressed by the answers and the private briefing. The Panel tasked the Officer to contact all the Police Unions and the Jersey Police Authority in order to seek their views on the proposed changes. The Panel agreed to issue comments on the proposition and | AH AH |
| the Officer explained that these would be circulated in due course for Panel approval. | AH |
Item 5 05/06/17 516/36/5 | 4. Draft Criminal Procedure (Bail) Law 201- The Panel noted the draft law and discussed the private briefing held on 31st May 2017. The Panel agreed that as Jersey law currently contained no presumed right to bail, the proposed changes were welcomed. The Panel also agreed that this needed to be focussed on for the benefit of the public. The Panel also discussed the implications for the Police budget and manpower that could arise from the law placing a timescale on the length of time offenders could be held prior to charging. In this instance the law stated that a person could be held for 48 hours without charge, with a further 24 hour extension being applied if necessary. The Panel requested the Officer to detail the length of bail in other jurisdictions in order to understand any differences. The Panel agreed to issue comments on the draft law. The Officer confirmed that a draft would be circulated for Panel approval in due course, noting that the debate was due to take on Tuesday 18th July 2017. | AH AH |
Item 1 29/06/17 516/36/4 | 5. P.41/2017 – Amendment to Funding for Fee-Paying Schools The Panel noted that its comments had been published on Friday 30th June 2017 prior to the debate on 4th July 2017. Deputy T.A. Vallois noted a potential conflict due to her being an Assistant Minister for Education at the time this issue was first discussed in 2011. The Panel requested the Officer to provide a list of the key points from the comments in preparation for the debate. The Panel also agreed that during the debate it would look to reiterate the key points that it had raised in the Medium Term Financial Plan Addition 2016-2019 (MTFP) comments (P.68/2016), namely that funding for education should not be cut in any event and that an independent report was needed to examine the education structure in the island. The Panel agreed that it would look to bring a proposition to the States Assembly asking Members to approve an independent review into the education structure in the island. The Officer explained that this would be drafted and circulated to the Panel in due course. | AH AH |
| 6. Jersey Support Youth The Panel noted that a new charity to support young people in Jersey had been set-up in collaboration with the Jersey Youth Service (JYS). The Panel requested the Officer to circulate information relating to the cuts that had been made to the JYS as a result of the MTFP 2016-2019 and MTFP Addition. | AH |
Item 9 05/06/17 | 7. Digital Skills The Panel noted the Ministerial response to an earlier Sub-Panel's review into Digital Skills. Deputy J.M. Maçon was delegated to lead this work and would converse with the Officer to take this forward. | JM/AH |
Item 6 05/06/17 | 8. Brexit The Panel noted that the Chairman's Committee was intending to set-up a review Panel to look at issues regarding Brexit. The Panel requested clarity as to what work the review Panel was intending to undertake and requested a proposed terms of reference. The Officer explained that further information would be circulated to the Panel in due course. The Panel further agreed to place the issue of Brexit on every meeting agenda going forward. | AH |
Item 15 05/06/17 516/45 | 9. Nursery Education Funding The Panel noted that a meeting was due to be set up between the Officer and Deputy T. A. Vallois in order to take forward a proposition on behalf of the Panel. Deputy T.A. Vallois noted that she had drafted a proposition to bring to the Panel and that this would be circulated in due course for the Panel to discuss. The Panel requested that information be sought from Mr. M Farley and the Jersey Early Years Association as to the current state of any proposed changes involving means tested funding within nursery education. The Panel deferred further discussion to the next agenda. | TV/AH TV AH |
Item 17 05/06/17 516/44 | 10. School Starting Age The Panel noted the Ministerial Response from the Minister for Education to S.R.5/2017 School Starting Age'. It was noted that due to miscommunication, information that had been requested by the Department prior to publication of the Ministerial Response had not been forthcoming. It was felt that the information requested may have altered the response of the Minister if it had been supplied. The Chairman explained that a letter had been sent to the Minister apologising for the issue and another Ministerial Response template had been sent for the Minister to update as a result of receiving the information. The Panel wanted it noted that it was not acceptable that the information received during the review had not been uploaded to the website in a timely manner. The Panel agreed to defer any discussion regarding the response until the next meeting where an updated response could be discussed. | AH |
Item 20 05/06/17 516/47 | 11. Tertiary Education: Vocational Education The Panel noted a draft scoping document from the Officer regarding a review into Vocational Education. After a discussion the Panel agreed to re-focus the review to look at post-16 provision as a whole. Deputy T.A. Vallois agreed to lead the review and would meet with the Officer to take this forward. | TV/AH |
Item 19 05/06/17 | 12. Tertiary Education: Departmental Funding |
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516/48 | The Panel received a briefing paper from the Officer regarding the planned review into Departmental funding of higher education. Deputy J.M. Maçon agreed to lead this review and would meet with Officer in due course to discuss this further. | JM/AH |
Item 18 05/06/17 517/46 | 13. Tertiary Education: Student Finance The Panel noted the Ministerial Responses to S.R.2/2017 Tertiary Education: Student Finance' and the Terms of Reference for the Council of Ministers' Sub-Committee dealing with Student Finance. The Panel felt that the Terms of Reference for the Sub-Committee were not clear and that the tone of the report was dismissive. The Panel agreed to lodge an oral question to be asked at the States sitting on Tuesday 18th July 2017. The Officer advised that a draft question would be circulated in due course. | AH |
| 14. Future Meetings The Panel noted that its next scheduled meeting was to take place on Monday 31st July 2017 in the Le Capelain Room, States Building. Due to availability of members, the Panel agreed to move this meeting to 1:30pm on Thursday 13th July 2017 in the Blampied Room, States Building. The Officer advised that a meeting request would be circulated immediately. | AH |