Letter - to Bailiff re Use of States Chamber - 16 April 2021

Published on: 16 April 2021

Panel: Scrutiny Liaison Committee

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The Bailiff of Jersey Bailiff 's Chambers By email

16th April 2021 Dear Bailiff ,

Scrutiny Liaison Committee Use of States Chamber

Following the Government's announcement to accelerate the Reconnection Roadmap, members of the Scrutiny Liaison Committee (SLC) are keen for Panels to resume in person meetings and hearings, whilst adhering to physical distancing requirements.

We have been taking the appropriate action to ensure that the number of people attending these meetings is as low as possible to enable the use of the normal scrutiny hearing rooms. However, we do foresee that, in the intervening period before the restrictions are lifted further, there might be the rare occasion where a bigger room is required.

We would therefore be grateful for your consideration as to whether it might be permissible for the States Chamber to be used in these instances, as it has a greater capacity than the scrutiny hearing rooms presently allow. We are informed by its use in the previous Term by the Future Hospital Sub-Panel (to overcome capacity related challenges at that time) that from a logistical point of view, this would be of great benefit to scrutiny as the necessary recording equipment is already in place, thereby avoiding the additional expense of an alternative venue. It would also enable continuity of the webcasting service the public are now well used to.

If you are amenable to allowing scrutiny to use the Chamber, we will ensure that requests are made by individual Panels or the Public Accounts Committee so that you are able to consider them on a case-by-case basis should you wish to do so.

In that regard, we wish to highlight that the Safer Travel Guidelines Review Panel is due to hold a Public Hearing with the Minister for Health and Social Services on the 23rd April 2021 at 11:30am. We would be grateful if you could confirm, at your earliest convenience, whether the States Chamber could be used for the purpose of this hearing.

I look forward to hearing from you. Yours sincerely

Senator Kristina Moore

President, Scrutiny Liaison Committee