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Education and Home Affairs Scrutiny Panel
Record of Meeting
Date: 19th February 2018
Present | Deputy J. M. Maçon, Chairman Deputy S. Y. Mézec , Vice-Chairman Deputy T. A. Vallois |
Apologies |
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Absent |
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In attendance | Deputy K.L. Moore , Minister for Home Affairs [Item 3 only] Mr R. MacRae , Q.C., H.M Attorney General [Item 3 only] Ms H. Miles , Director Criminal Justice, Community and Constitutional Affairs [Item 3 only] Mr N. Fox, Assistant Director Criminal Justice, Community and Constitutional Affairs [Item 3 only] Ms G. Hutchinson, Policy Principal, Community and Constitutional Affairs Mr A. Harris , Scrutiny Officer [Item 3 only] |
Ref Back | Agenda matter | Action |
| 1. Records of Meetings The Panel noted and approved the records of the meeting held on Monday 5th February 2018. The Chairman signed them accordingly. |
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Item 3 05/02/18 | 2. Conflict of Interest No conflicts were declared by Panel members. |
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| 3. Public Hearing with the Minister for Home Affairs The Panel received Deputy K.L. Moore , Minister for Home Affairs, Mr R. MacRae , Q.C., H.M Attorney General, Ms H. Miles , Director Criminal Justice, Community and Constitutional Affairs, Mr N. Fox, Assistant Director Criminal Justice, Community and Constitutional Affairs and Ms G. Hutchinson, Policy Principle, Community and Constitutional Affairs for a public hearing in relation to its review of the Draft Sexual Offences (Jersey) Law 201-. A recording was made so that a transcript could be produced. |
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Item 3 16/02/18 | 4. Tertiary Education: Student Finance Proposals The Panel noted that a public hearing with the Minister for Treasury and Resources and the Assistant Minister for Education had been arranged for Thursday 1st March at 7:00pm at the Pomme D'or Hotel. The Panel noted a draft press release regarding the hearing and agreed that it could be sent out subject to minor changes. The Panel noted a draft question plan for the hearing and agreed further questions that it wished to include. The Officer advised that an updated draft would be circulated in due course, after which the question areas would be provided to the respective departments. | AH AH |
| The Panel noted that the Jersey Student Loans Support Group was due to attend a hearing on Monday 26th February in order to discuss its views on the proposed changes to higher education funding. The Panel agreed that it would write to the Treasury and Resources Department to request whether or not the proposed removal of the higher child allowance tax relief would affect students who were studying post- graduate courses. The Panel noted that the advisor was due to send over a finalised report and a copy would be circulated as soon as it was received. | AH AH |
Item 6 05/02/18 | 5. Draft Criminal Procedure (Jersey) Law 201- The Panel received an update from Deputy S.Y. Mézec in relation to the progress made in the Sub-Panel's review of the Draft Criminal Procedure (Jersey) Law 201-. It was noted that the Sub-Panel had met with H.M. Attorney General to discuss issues that had been raised through the submissions it had received so far. It was noted that the Law Officer's Department was due to issue law drafting instructions in relation to some of the issues that were raised by Sir Michael Birt, Julian Clyde-Smith and the Bailiff of Jersey. It was yet to be confirmed whether these would be brought forward by the Minister for Home Affairs or the Sub-Panel. It was explained that a hearing was due to take place with the Minister for Home Affairs on Friday 23rd February, after which the Sub-Panel would consider any further amendments that it felt were required to the draft law. | AH |
Item 1 16/02/18 | 6. Draft Sexual Offences (Jersey) Law 201- The Panel recalled its meeting with representatives of Jersey Action against Rape (JAAR) and agreed it had provided a great deal of help in its deliberations. The Panel agreed the question plan for the hearing with the Minister for Home Affairs and noted that this would take place later in the meeting. |
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Item 8 05/02/18 | 7. Nursery Education Fund The Panel noted a draft proposition from the Education Department which was designed to rescind the States decision to introduce the means testing of the Nursery Education Fund. The Panel noted that no clarity had been given in the proposition as to where the savings would have to be made in the absence of this decision, however, the information had been requested from the Education Department. The Panel agreed that it would consider a potential amendment to the proposition if the information received was not adequate. | AH |
Item 9 05/02/18 | 8. Care of Children in Jersey Review Panel The Panel received an update from Deputy S.Y. Mézec in relation to the work being undertaken by the Care of Children in Jersey Review Panel. |
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| The Review Panel had recently held a public hearing with the Chief Minister, at which it had followed up some of the issues discussed during the in-committee debate on 31st January 2018. It was noted that the Chairman of the Review Panel was due to visit Edinburgh as part of a delegation with the Chief Minister to meet with the First Minister of Scotland and the Children's Minister of Scotland. Further details were to be confirmed in due course. |
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Item 1 04/12/17 | 9. Quarterly Hearing with the Minister for Education The Panel noted that a revised time for a quarterly hearing with the Minister for Education had been proposed for Wednesday 4th April. The Panel agreed that due to time constraints prior to the election it would not take forward the hearing. The Panel also agreed that it would cancel the proposed hearing with the Minister for Home Affairs that had been arranged for Thursday 5th April. In the absence of hearings, the Panel agreed that it would write to the respective department's and request an update on the implementation of the recommendations that the Panel had put forward in its reviews over the course of its term. | AH AH |
Item 12 05/02/18 | 10. Amendment to the Jersey Immigration Rules The Panel noted that information requested from the Community and Constitutional Affairs Department was still outstanding. The Panel agreed that if the information was not made available by Wednesday 21st February it would submit a written question to the Minister for Home Affairs to be answered at the States sitting on Tuesday 6th March. | AH |
| 11. Letter from Chairman of the Privileges and Procedures Committee The Panel noted a letter from the Chairman of the Privileges and Procedures Committee (PPC) with information in relation to the purdah period prior to the election. The Panel agreed that it would not conduct any business after 10th April, with the exception of a meeting scheduled for Monday 16th April where it would finalise its legacy report. | AH |