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An extra eye will regularly be cast over the impact of the government’s £100million savings scheme on the public sector, politicians have decided.
In an overwhelming vote in favour during yesterday's meeting, States Members agreed to introduce six-monthly reports by a Scrutiny Panel to assess the progress of the 'Efficiency Programme'.
The plans are the product of what was acknowledged in the Assembly as an unlikely collaboration between backbencher Deputy Geoff Southern and the Chief Minister Senator John Le Fondré.
Pictured: The proposition by Deputy Geoff Southern aimed to secure more oversight on the Government's £100million savings programme.
The proposals brought before the States Assembly yesterday were formed of two parts:
This will bind both the Executive and Non-Executive parts of the States Assembly to have oversight on the newly published 'Efficiencies Plan 2020-2023'.
The second part of the proposal will allow a degree of separation between the objectives included in the Government Plan and the efficiencies proposed when it is debated at the end of next month.
Both parts were passed by the Chamber with 37 voting for the first part and 10 against; and 44 voting for the second part and three against.
Despite the clear majority for both parts of Deputy Southern’s proposition, the aspect referring to Scrutiny’s six-monthly reporting did not win the approval of several major scrutineers.
Pictured: The debate took place in the States Chamber.
Senator Kristina Moore – the Chairman of the very committee which will now be tasked with compiling these reports – both spoke and voted against this part of the proposition, urging her fellow politicians to consider the increased workload that scrutineers will have to shoulder.
Despite supporting the principles of Deputy Southern’s proposition, the Senator described the requirement for her panel to produce these regular reports as “a step too far".
Speaking in the debate, she said: “Simply put, it is an excellent idea and it’s absolutely the right direction in terms of following up and being clear about whether the Government Plan achieves what it sets out to achieve. However, the problem lies in the necessity to submit detailed six-monthly assessments of the planned efficiency savings. That unfortunately is a step too far for the Scrutiny Liaison Committee.”
Speaking in favour of the proposition, Deputy Higgins said: “Unfortunately, I do disagree with the previous speaker. Senator Moore seems to use Scrutiny as opposition… Right from the beginning of this Assembly she’s opposed the Chief Minister in every proposition that’s been put forward to the Assembly.
“…I do believe that Scrutiny has been misused for over a year-and-a-half and is being used as political opposition. And I know the Senator was disappointed at not being allowed to join the Council of Ministers, but I do believe it has actually gone too far…”
This prompted disquiet from some politicians and an intervention from the Bailiff Tim Le Cocq, with Constable Sadie Le Sueur-Rennard commenting, “That’s too personal." Deputy Higgins ultimately apologised and withdrew his last comment.
He then suggested that if Senator Moore didn’t want to scrutinise the savings plans on a six-monthly basis, he’d be happy to join a sub-committee that would be able to carry out that work.
Pictured: The four-year efficiencies programme aims to save £100million from 2020-23.
In response, other scrutineers rushed to Senator Moore’s defence, with Deputy Kirsten Morel - himself the Chairman of the Economic Affairs Scrutiny Panel - hitting back at Deputy Higgins.
Deputy Morel insisted that Scrutiny is not used as a vehicle for political opposition.
“I reject the idea that that’s the way it’s being used and I reject it from somebody who, at best, does Scrutiny ‘light’ as far as our work in Scrutiny is concerned. I’ve yet to see the Deputy appear at the Brexit Review Panel, which he is a member of.”
During the debate, Deputy Morel also noted the fact that some parts of the 'Efficiency Plan', which was branded as a document outlining savings through more effective working within the public sector, were actually price hikes and new charges, such as a suggested new plane landing fee.
Speaking of the other aspect of the proposition, the Minister for Housing and Children, Senator Sam Mézec, said that his Reform colleague's proposition will allow for the necessary "checks and balances" between the efficiencies programme and the values of the Government Plan.
Describing the savings as the "most contentious" and "most difficult" aspect of the plan, the Senator expressed his support for Deputy Southern's proposal as a way to ensure that "ambitious" objectives in the plan don't "get thrown off track" because the "numbers don't add up".
The savings proposals form part of the Government Plan, which will be debated by the Assembly next month.
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