Skip to main content

Public Accounts Committee - Approved Committee Minutes - 9 July 2018

This content has been automatically generated from the original PDF and some formatting may have been lost. Let us know if you find any major problems.

Text in this format is not official and should not be relied upon to extract citations or propose amendments. Please see the PDF for the official version of the document.

Public Accounts Committee

Record of Meeting

Date: 9th July 2018

 

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. Minutes

The Committee approved the minutes of the (electronic) meeting of 26th June 2018.  

 

2. Briefing on Data Security

The Committee welcomed Officers from Information Services to discuss aspects of data security. The Officers undertook to send Members detailed project plans and a roadmap' on the understanding it would be classified as strictly confidential.  

 

3. 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 development 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 Chairman advised the issue would be raised at the next Chairmen's Committee and requested the Officer to seek the Greffier's views on the status of such Boards and their potential impact on the Scrutiny function.

CT

4. Comptroller and Auditor General (C&AG) Audit Plan

The Committee received an update on the C&AG audit plan and the C&AG asked the Members to consider topics they would wish to be included on the 2018/2019 plan. The Committee agreed to provide ideas for consideration at the next meeting.

 

5. C&AG Report on Operational Land and Buildings

The  Committee  noted  it  expected  the  Chief  Executive  to  provide  an  Executive Response to this report by 1st August 2018. The Committee, having reviewed its draft work programme, agreed it would wish to consider terms of reference and scope of its own review of estate management, at the next meeting.

CT

6. Executive Responses to C&AG and PAC Reports

The Committee noted the 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. It also noted the Executive Response to Police Governance, and agreed to consider at its next meeting.

CT/ Chair

7. Implementation of C&AG recommendations

The  Committee  noted  a  monthly  update  from  the  Health  and  Social  Services Department in respect of its progress on implementing recommendations of the C&AG. It noted that no mention was made of the C&AG's report on decision making in respect of the future hospital siting. The Committee requested the Officer to seek further clarification  on  the  departmental  system  for  prioritising  action  on  the recommendations. It also requested the Officer to ask the Chief Executive what steps were being taken to implement the C&AG's recommendations throughout all the departments.  

CT

8. Briefing on new Finance Law

The Committee welcomed members of the Corporate Services Scrutiny Panel at 3:30pm to receive a joint briefing from Officers of the Treasury and Chief Minister's Departments, on proposals for the new Finance Law.

 

9. Next Meeting

The Committee agreed its next meeting would take place on 23rd July 2018 at 1pm in the Blampied room, States Building.