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Approved Panel Minutes - Government Plan Review Panel - 2019

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Government Plan Review Panel

Records of Meetings

Year: 2019

The following records of meetings have been approved by the Panel. Signed

Chair

Senator Kristina Moore

Date: 30th July 2019  

 

Present

Senator Kristina Moore (Chairman) Senator Sarah Ferguson

Deputy Mary Le Hegarat Connétable Mike Jackson

Deputy Steve Ahier

Apologies

Deputy Kirsten Morel Deputy Robert Ward

In attendance

Gary Eisner, Scrutiny Officer

Item 1 only:

Richard Bell, Treasurer of the States

John Quinn, Chief Operating Officer

Tom Walker , Director-General Strategic Policy and Performance Camilla Black, Group Director Finance Transformation

Alison Rogers, Director Treasury and Resources

Paul Bradbury, Head of Ministerial Support

 

Agenda matter

Action

1.  Review Matters

The  Panel  received  a  briefing  from  Treasury  and  Government  officers  on  the Government Plan. The briefing covered the structure of the plan and how it was formulated.

The Panel agreed to review the distribution of programmes for scrutiny of the Government Plan and inform the Scrutiny Officer of any proposed changes.

The Panel requested weekly or fortnightly updates from the standing panels on their work on the Government Plan.  

GE

2.  Next meetings

The Panel agreed to next meet at the end of August then at the end of September at dates to be determined.

It was agreed that subsequent meetings would take place on a fortnightly basis.

GE

Date: 27th August 2019

 

Present

Senator Kristina Moore (Chairman) Senator Sarah Ferguson

Deputy Mary Le Hegarat

Deputy Robert Ward

Apologies

Connétable Mike Jackson Deputy Kirsten Morel

In attendance

Simon Spottiswoode, Scrutiny Officer

 

Agenda matter

Action

1.  Government Plan Review coordination

The Panel received a verbal update from the Officer on the coordination across Panels of Government Plan review work.

The lack of consistency in the business cases published in the report supporting the Government Plan (R.91/2019) was raised as a particular concern of all Scrutiny Panels.  It  was  also  noted  that  the  Plan  contained  a  number  of references to information  to  be  published  at  a  later  date,  including  government  efficiencies, departmental business plans and results of the personal tax review. It was agreed to send a joint letter to the Chief Minister from all Scrutiny Panel Chairmen setting out the Panels' concerns in relation to both these matters.

In light of the cross-cutting nature of the Government Plan, the Panel discussed coordinating questioning for public hearings and the possibility of co-opting Panel members for public hearings where a Minister's remit might cut across different Panels. It was agreed that the Panel would consider holding a public hearing with the Chief Minister as part of finalising its work.

The Panel discussed how to ensure that the voice of children and young people was heard as part of its work. It was noted that the office of the Children's Commissioner had  been  contacted  for  advice  and  it  was  agreed  to  approach  the  Children's Commissioner to attend a public hearing.

SS

GE GE

2.  Departmental Business Plans

It was noted that Departmental Business Plans were due to be published in October 2019. The Panel was concerned at the late publication of the Business Plans and noted that the information was important for the ongoing scrutiny of the Government Plan. It was agreed that this would be raised in the joint letter to be sent to the Chief Minister.

 

3.  Government Efficiencies Programme

It was noted that Senator Moore had written to the Chief Minister in her capacity as Chairman  of  the  Corporate  Services  Scrutiny  Panel,  to  request  details  of  the Government's plans to make £100 million of efficiency savings from 2020-2023. The Panel  received  a  verbal  update  from  the  officer  on  the  expected  timeline  for

 

 

publication of details of the efficiencies and the likely manner in which the information would be published.

 

Date: 19th September 2019  

 

Present

Deputy Robert Ward

Apologies

Senator Kristina Moore (Chairman) Senator Sarah Ferguson

Deputy Mary Le Hegarat Connétable Mike Jackson

Deputy Kirsten Morel

In attendance

John Quinn, Chief Operating Officer

Jonathan Williams, Director, Business Change Gary Eisner, Scrutiny Officer

Simon Spottiswoode, Scrutiny Officer

 

Agenda item

Action

1.  Review Matters

The Panel received a briefing from Government officers on the Efficiencies Program. The briefing covered the efficiencies agreed by the Council of Ministers to date, the amount (in £s) still to be decided and the process undertaken.

Officers agreed to share details of the efficiency business cases with the Panel.

GE

Date: 26th September 2019  

 

Present

Senator Kristina Moore (Chair) Senator Sarah Ferguson Deputy Mary Le Hegarat Deputy Kirsten Morel

Apologies

Connétable Mike Jackson Deputy Robert Ward

In attendance

Gary Eisner, Scrutiny Officer

 

Agenda matter

Action

Government Plan Review

The Panel received a verbal update from the Officer on the coordination across Panels of Government Plan review work.

The Panel agreed to the structure of the Government Plan review report

Question  plans  were  agreed  for  upcoming  hearings  with  the  Children's Commissioner and the Chief Minister

GE

Date: 2nd October 2019

 

Present

Senator Kristina Moore (Chair) Senator Sarah Ferguson Deputy Mary Le Hegarat Deputy Robert Ward Connétable Mike Jackson Deputy Kirsten Morel

Apologies

 

In attendance

Deborah McMillan, Children's Commissioner

Sam  Le  Quesne,  Communications  Officer,  Office  of  the  Children's Commissioner

Andy Harris , Scrutiny Officer

 

Agenda matter

Action

1.  Public Hearing with the Children's Commissioner

The Review Panel received Deborah McMillan, Children's Commissioner and Sam Le Quesne, Communications Officer, Office of the Children's Commissioner for a public hearing to discuss views on the Government Plan. The proceedings were webcast  live  and  an  audio  recording  was  made  so  that  a transcript  could  be produced.

 

Date: 10th October 2019

 

Present

Senator Kristina Moore (Chair) Senator Sarah Ferguson Deputy Mary Le Hegarat Deputy Robert Ward Connétable Mike Jackson Deputy Kirsten Morel

Apologies

 

In attendance

Deputy Scott Wickenden, Assistant Chief Minister Richard Bell, Treasurer of the States

Charlie Parker, Chief Executive

John Quinn, Chief Operating Officer

Stephen Hardwick, Director of Communications Gary Eisner, Scrutiny Officer

 

Agenda matter

Action

1.  Public Hearing with the Chief Minister

The Review Panel received the Chief Minister for a public hearing to discuss the Government Plan. The proceedings were webcast live and an audio recording was made so that a transcript could be produced.

 

Date: 18th October 2019

 

Present

Senator Kristina Moore (Chairman) Senator Sarah Ferguson

Deputy Robert Ward

Deputy Kirsten Morel

Connétable Mike Jackson

Apologies

Deputy Mary Le Hegarat

In attendance

John Quinn, Chief Operating Officer

Jonathan Williams, Director, Business Change

Steve Mair, Group Director - Performance, Accounting and Reporting, Treasury and Exchequer

Gary Eisner, Scrutiny Officer

Simon Spottiswoode, Scrutiny Officer

 

Agenda item

Action

1.  Review Matters

The Panel received a briefing from Government officers on the Efficiencies Program. The briefing covered the final efficiencies agreed by the Council of Ministers and the full set of business cases.

Officers noted that £1.8m was still to be decided pending further information.

GE

Date: 24th October 2019

 

Present

Senator Kristina Moore (Chairman) Senator Sarah Ferguson

Deputy Robert Ward

Apologies

Connétable Mike Jackson Deputy Kirsten Morel Deputy Mary Le Hegarat

In attendance

Gary Eisner, Scrutiny Officer

 

Agenda matter

Action

Government Plan Review coordination

The Panel received a verbal update from the Officer on the coordination across Panels of Government Plan review work.

The Panel agreed to move forward with an amendment to the Government Plan related to the Efficiencies Programme

GE