PPC Minutes (Part A) - 9th March 2026

Minutes.

A1. The Minutes of the meetings held on 9th (Part A and Part B) and 10th February 2026 (Part A), having previously been circulated, were taken as read and were confirmed.  

Coaching and counselling services for States Members.

A2. The Committee, with reference to Minute No. A10 of 17th July 2023, of the Committee as previously constituted, considered a report which had been prepared by Mr. Y. Fillieul , Assistant Greffier, Chamber and Members' Support, in connexion with the coaching and counselling provision available to States Members.

The Committee recalled that confidential coaching and counselling support from accredited providers had been made available to States Members in late 2023, following feedback which had highlighted the need for additional support. The States Greffe facilitated initial consultations, authorised payments and explored alternative provision in cases where Members' specific needs could not be met by existing providers. The States Greffe was also responsible for monitoring expenditure in this connexion, from the funding allocated for Members' Support. A notional maximum spend of £3,000 was available per Member per political term, for all items falling within the umbrella of Members' Support, including coaching and counselling.

The Committee was advised that between 2023 and 2025, 66 members had accessed the coaching service and 51 members had accessed the counselling provision, at a cost of £18,270. Feedback from Members had been positive and the 2026 States Members Survey would include a series of relevant questions to further assess the efficacy of the service provided. Deputy S.M. Ahier of St. Helier North , Chair, highlighted the potential cost of such services over time and was advised that dedicated funding existed for the training and personal development of Members, the benefits of which were highlighted.  Whilst he was in favour of the provision of counselling support, he did not feel it was appropriate for coaching support to be provided. The Committee was advised that expenditure was closely monitored and the rate of service uptake within the extant political term did not suggest any cause for budgetary concern.

The Committee thanked Mr. Fillieul for attending and he withdrew from the meeting.  

Role profiles for elected Members: Machinery of Government Sub-Committee.

A3. The Committee, with reference to its Minute No. A7 of 1st December 2025, gave further consideration to Role Profiles for States Members, which had been developed by the Machinery of Government (MoG) Sub-Committee and heard from Deputy T.A. Coles of St. Helier South in his capacity as the Chair of the Sub-Committee.

It was recalled that the MoG Sub-Committee had produced the role profiles document to provide information to new States Members on the roles and responsibilities available to them. The Committee recalled that it had previously endorsed a recommendation from Deputy C.S. Alves of St. Helier Central , Vice Chair, to circulate the document to the Diversity Forum (DF) and the Political Awareness and Education (PAE) Sub-Committees for comment.

The Committee was advised that that the document had been amended to take account of the comments of the DF Sub-Committee, to include information to promote visibility of lesser-known roles available to Members. The PAE Sub-Committee had provided no additional comments. The Deputy Greffier of the States highlighted some minor errors within the document, which he undertook to amend. The Committee agreed that the role profiles document should be shared with all election candidates and that it should be published on the States Assembly website once the necessary amendments had been made.

Draft Planning and Building (Jersey) Amendment Law 202- (P.22/2026): draft comments.

A4. The Committee, with reference to its Minute No. A14 of 9th February 2026 considered a draft comment which had been prepared in response to P.22/2026 – Draft Planning and Building (Jersey) Amendment Law 202- (the draft Law), which had been lodged au Greffe' on 3rd February 2026, by Deputy S.G. Luce of Grouville and St. Martin , Minister for the Environment.

The Committee noted that, if adopted, the draft Law would enable the States Assembly to make Regulations setting out the procedure to be followed when lodging a new Island Plan, and when making amendments or interim revisions to the Island Plan.

Having noted that the proposition raised no concerns from a procedural perspective,

the Committee approved the draft comment in principle and requested that it be presented to the States, subject to formal ratification of its decision, the Committee being inquorate at this point. This decision was subsequently ratified by Deputy C.S. Alves of St. Helier Central , Vice Chair, during the course of the meeting.

Draft Public Finances Law (States Funds) (Jersey) Amendment Regulations 202- (P.24/2026): draft comments.

A5. The Committee, with reference to its Minute No. A14 of 9th February 2026 considered a draft comment, which had been prepared in response to P.24/2026 – Draft Public Finances Law (States Funds) (Jersey) Amendment Regulations 202- (the draft Regulations), which had been lodged au Greffe' on 4th February 2026 by Deputy M.E. Millar of St. John , St. Lawrence and Trinity , Minister for Treasury and Resources.

The Committee was advised that the draft Regulations sought to replace the Consolidated Fund with 2 new funds: the General Revenue Fund for day-to-day spending and the Jersey Capital Investment Fund for spending on infrastructure and other assets. The Committee noted that if adopted, the draft Law would require consequential amendments to be made to Standing Orders. Due to the upcoming election, these would be made at a later date.

The Committee approved the comment in principle and requested that it be presented to the States, subject to formal ratification of its decision, the Committee being inquorate at this point. This decision was subsequently ratified by Deputy C.S. Alves of St. Helier Central , Vice Chair, during the course of the meeting.

Common-wealth Parliamentary Association – election observers' mission

A6. The Committee, with reference to its Minute No. A1 of 5th November 2025, noted correspondence dated 2nd February 2026, addressed to Deputy S.M. Ahier of St. Helier North , Chair, from Ms. S. Dickinson, Secretary, Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) British Islands and Mediterranean Region, in connexion with the Election Observers' Mission (EOM).  

It was recalled that EOMs had been arranged for previous elections and that recommendations arising from the observation of the election were provided by the CPA in a report thereafter. The Committee, as previously constituted, had decided not to invite election observers from the CPA to review the 2026 public election, given that recommendations arising from EOMs in 2018 and 2022 had, in most cases, been implemented. However, following the adoption by the States Assembly on 12th November 2025 of P.74/2025 – CPA Election Observers, requesting the Chair of the Committee to invite election observers to monitor and report on the 2026 election, the CPA EOM had accepted the invitation to observe the election.

The Committee noted the position.

Elections (Jersey) Law 2002 – Article 68.

A7. The Committee noted the response from Deputy S.M. Ahier of St. Helier North , Chair, to an oral question by Deputy S.Y. Mézec of St. Helier South , in connexion with Article 68 of the Elections (Jersey) Law 2002 (the 2002 Law) (OQ.28/2026 refers).

It was recalled that Article 68 of the 2002 Law limited the period within which a civil action or criminal prosecution could be brought in connexion with matters concerning the election, to 12 months following the date of the election. It was noted that this Article had last been amended in 2011.

The Committee acknowledged that in 2022, all expenses submissions had been reviewed in accordance with the provisions of the Public Elections (Expenditure and Donations) (Jersey) Law 2014. This work had been undertaken by Members of the Jersey Electoral Authority in conjunction with the Judicial Greffier. The reviewers had checked the forms submitted by all candidates, including those who had not been successful, to ensure that expenditure did not exceed the specified limits. The declarations submitted were signed by candidates and included a statement that, to the best of their knowledge and belief, the information provided was true and correct.

It was noted that Deputy Mézec 's question arose from allegations that Rwandan nationals employed by Deputy P.C.F. Ozouf of St. Saviour without the necessary consent had assisted with his election campaign in 2022, and that he had not declared this.  

The Committee discussed the matter, and the Chair expressed the view that the current period of 12 months was sufficient. The Committee was advised that the review process was robust and that a degree of trust in candidates was required. The Jersey Electoral Authority had not expressed concerns regarding the time limit and the Chief Internal Auditor had been consulted on the review process for the 2026 election. The Committee noted that candidates who breached spending limits could be fined and disqualified. The Committee discussed the challenges posed by the creation of the Value Jersey movement (which claimed not to be a political party) from a spending limit perspective. The Committee also briefly discussed election spending limits, noting that some candidates had expressed concerns about the levels set. Whilst increased postage charges would preclude senatorial candidates from mailing all Islanders, the Committee noted that a candidate manifesto document would be produced by the States Greffe and distributed to all households.

Having discussed the matter, the Committee concluded that the time limits in respect of alleged election expense fraud set out in the 2002 Law should be reviewed by the newly constituted Privileges and Procedures Committee.

Complaints Handling for Public Services – Deputy M.R. Scott of St. Brelade

A8. The Committee, with reference to Minute No. A14 of 9th September 2024 of the Committee as previously constituted, received and noted 2 reports by Deputy M.R. Scott of St. Brelade , Assistant Minister for Sustainable Economic Development, in connexion with feedback and final stage complaints handling within the public sector and the establishment of a Jersey Public Service Ombudsman (JPSO).

The Committee recalled that the States Assembly had previously agreed to the establishment of a JPSO following the adoption of P.32/2018 – Public Services Ombudsman: Establishment of Office. However, the project had faced delays due to the COVID-19 Pandemic and subsequent shifts in Governmental priorities. Additionally, the high cost associated with the establishment of the JPSO had prompted questions as to whether the establishment of such a body in the Island represented the best use of public money. Following a successful Vote of No Confidence' in the former Chief Minister in early 2024 (P.1/2024 refers), the current Chief Minister had delegated authority to Deputy Scott in October 2024, to oversee the next phase of the project which had culminated in the publication of the aforementioned reports.

The Greffier of the States highlighted a number of inaccuracies within the reports and a lack of focus on the Government of Jersey's Internal Feedback System. The Committee noted that the Council of Ministers had been largely unsupportive of the proposed establishment of the JPSO due to the significant initial and ongoing cost implications.

The Committee requested that the Greffier of the States review the report and summarise the issues, making reference to any inaccuracies. The Committee noted that any comments received from Members of the States of Jersey Complaints Panel would also be considered by the Committee.

Forthcoming business.

A9. The Committee noted the following proposition which had been lodged au Greffe' for forthcoming meetings of the States Assembly –

Treating Children as Children (P.14/2026) – lodged au Greffe' by Deputy Sir P.M. Bailhache of St. Clement , the proposition requested the Minister for Education and Lifelong Learning to replace the existing Trans Inclusion Guidance (Non-statutory guidance for CYPES including schools and educational settings in Jersey), published on 17th March 2025, with a document entitled "Treating children as children: a safeguarding approach to trans-identifying children and adolescents in Jersey schools". Deputy L.K.F. Stephenson of St. Mary , St. Ouen and St. Peter questioned the appropriateness of the title of the proposition and asked whether there were any rules regarding the naming of propositions. The Committee was advised that the title of a proposition was a matter for the proposer, and whilst the States Greffe could offer advice in this connexion, titles would usually only be changed if they were deemed offensive.

On a related matter, given the volume of business on the Order Paper for the forthcoming meeting of the States Assembly, it was agreed that the Chair would propose a late sitting on Thursday 12th March 2026, with refreshments to be provided for Members. In relation to the final States meeting, which was due to commence on Monday 24th March 2026, it was suggested that meetings could be extended to 6.00 pm or the lunch break could be reduced, in order to ensure that all business was completed. It was agreed to consult Members via electronic mail to gauge opinion.

Action list: Privileges and Procedures Committee.

A10. The Committee noted the actions and outcomes arising from previous meetings.

The Greffier of the States advised that the States Member's Survey for 2026 had been circulated to all Members and responses were awaited. The Greffier further advised that photographs would be arranged for the last sitting of the current States Assembly.

Action lists and Minutes: Privileges and Procedures Sub-Committees.

A11. The Committee noted the Minutes and actions and outcomes arising from meetings of the various Sub-Committees.

Matters for information.

A12. The Committee noted the following matters for information–

P.39/2026 – Draft Elections (Electoral Registers) Amendment (Jersey) Commencement Act 202- (P.39/2026): amendment

- It was recalled that an amendment had been lodged to the proposition to allow an additional week for validation checks to be performed on the Automatic Voter Registration (AVR) system. This would ensure that Parish officials were satisfied that the correct number of registrable persons had been passed to the Electoral Register System (Minute No. A1 of 3rd March 2026 refers). The Greffier of the States advised that if the Parishes were content with the functionality of the AVR system ahead of the debate, the Committee could opt to withdraw the amendment. It was further noted that the Public Election Nomination form could not be circulated until the commencement act had been adopted by the States Assembly.

Guidance for elected Members on participation in charitable activities

- Deputy L.K.F. Stephenson of St. Mary , St. Ouen and St. Peter advised that conflicting advice had been received regarding what was deemed appropriate in terms of participation in charitable activities by elected Members. It was noted that guidance would be provided as part of the induction process following the public election in June 2026.  

Date of next meeting

A13. The Committee noted that the next scheduled meeting was due to be held on Monday 13th April 2026, from 9.15 am – 12.15 pm, in the Blampied Room.