Public Accounts Committee - Approved Committee Minutes - 2018.06.26

Present

Senator Sarah Ferguson, Chairman Deputy Carina Alves

Deputy Rowland Huelin Connétable John Le Bailly

Apologies

Absent

In attendance

Karen McConnell, Comptroller and Auditor General (C&AG) Caro Tomlinson, PAC Officer

Agenda matter

Action

1.Welcome to new Member

The Committee welcomed Connétable John Le Bailly who was appointed to the PAC at the States sitting of 26th June 2018. It noted that although the Committee could form a quorum with four States Members, it would require the appointment of up to three non-States members for it to be fully constituted in accordance with Standing Orders. The Committee noted that independent members were currently being sought via social and traditional media.

2. Declaration of interests

The Committee noted the requirements set out in the Code of Practice with regard to declaration of interests.

No general conflicts of interest were declared although members agreed to revisit the issue for specific reviews. It was also noted that the members might be conflicted if they were to join policy boards (established for the purpose of influencing policy decisions) while they were privy to scrutinising the implementation of policy in keeping with the PAC's remit. The Officer agreed to seek further clarification.

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3. Procedural and administrative matters

The  Committee,  having  considered  its  remit  and  working  practices,  agreed  the following:

• It would meet every two weeks on Monday afternoons (1pm-4pm) preceding the Tuesday States' sitting.
• A Vice-Chairman should be appointed.
• It would undertake hearings in public, unless in exceptional circumstances.
• The PAC Officer would advise witnesses of the broad subject areas which are likely to be covered in public hearings.
• In principle, all written evidence received by the Committee would be published on the States Assembly website.
• Submissions would be treated in accordance with data protection legislation.
• The following matters would be delegated to the Chairman's discretion:

1. Engaging in correspondence of a routine nature;
2. Amending the timing of Committee meetings, where necessary; and

(3) Authorising the issue of press notices about forthcoming sessions, new inquiries and reports.

4. Accessing Scrutiny information

The  Committee  noted  the  arrangements  for  sharing  and  storing  information  via SharePoint and agreed that future meetings should be paperless.

5. Member training

The Committee noted that training would be ongoing, and expressed interest in attending Westminster and a smaller jurisdiction as part of that programme.

6. Future work programme

The Committee, having regard to the previous PAC's legacy report, considered a draft work programme and agreed to give further consideration to future reviews before the next PAC meeting of 9th July 2018. It also agreed to introduce quarterly hearings with the Chief Executive and/or the Treasurer.

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7. Comptroller and Auditor General (C&AG

The Committee received an update on the C&AG audit plan and noted project specifications on the States of Jersey Development Company and a follow-up review of Community and Social Services, with particular emphasis on care for vulnerable adults. The Chairman advised she was a member of Age Concern, however the C&AG assured the Committee that the review was unlikely to report on areas which would cause a conflict of interest.

8. C&AG Report on Operational Land and Buildings

The Committee noted the recent publication of the report by the C&AG, and requested the Chief Executive to provide an Executive Response to the report by 1st August 2018.  The  Committee  expected  the  Executive  Response  to  include  which recommendations were approved, which were rejected (with reasons given) and how and when the accepted recommendations would be implemented.

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9. Executive Responses to C&AG and PAC Reports

The  Committee  noted  the  Executive  Response  to  the  C&AG's  Report  on  Risk Management and agreed to give it further consideration at its next meeting, before publishing it on the Scrutiny website.

The  Committee  also  noted  that  the  response  had  been  extremely  late  and  an Executive Response to the C&AG's Report on Decision Making on the Future Hospital site, had still not been received. It agreed this was unacceptable and the Chairman would write an email to the Chief Executive expressing her concern.

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10. Next Meeting

The Committee agreed its next meeting would take place on 9th July 2018 at 1pm in the Blampied room, States Building.