New Scrutiny chairman vows to hold more public hearings
HOLDING ministers to account in public should be more prevalent in the future, new Scrutiny Committee chairman Rob Jones has said.
Deputy Jones vowed to continue to build on the vision and direction laid out by his predecessor, the late Paul Arditti, in bringing openness, transparency and public scrutiny to the States and its departments.
He said he would like to see his committee question ministers in a public forum more regularly in the future, but warned that resources were limited – an issue that must be addressed as part of the machinery of government review.
'I would like to see, and Paul (Arditti) himself shared this view at the time, that we ask questions of ministers more regularly and in public,' he said.
'Resources need to allow this in the future and it all depends on what system of government we have.'
As for the committee's current work, Deputy Jones said it would be publishing its report and findings from its most recent public hearing, into electricity supply and security, in the next couple of months.
