'Hands off Scrutiny'

PROBLEMS within the Public Accounts Committee are no reason to merge it with Scrutiny. PAC chairman Deputy Rhoderick Matthews recently resigned, claiming it needed more authority, openness and independence.

This prompted Scrutiny Com-

mittee member Deputy Ron Le Moignan to propose the alliance

but this has been rejected by Scrutiny chairwoman Deputy Jean Pritchard.

'A problem with Public Accounts, maybe the membership, seems very little reason to amalgamate two committees with very different functions,' said Deputy Pritchard.

'Scrutiny examines and challenges policy, which could be before its implementation ' the classic example is with the milk ' whereas Public Accounts takes policy as

read and established and it

focuses on whether it is delivering value for money, like with the overspends.'

She added these were totally different functions.

'Our workload at the moment is heaving.

'We're having to delay issues such as staff number-limitation policy, prioritisation, competition and tax strategy.'

Scrutiny is set to hold public meetings on the proposed shake-up in the way milk is sold in the island, having asked Commerce and Employment to delay bringing the proposals to the House while it investigated the issue.

'If you're suggesting amalgamation, not only will you delay some of these work streams but you're also diluting the effect of the scrutiny process.'

It would take considerable time to set up any new arrangement, said Deputy Pritchard, which would need to go to the States for election of members and a new mandate.

'Scrutiny has spent time sorting out its foundation, but with PAC there are issues that need to be addressed, which Deputy Matthews alluded to, about independence ' these are not our problems,' she

said.

'You would be starting from scratch at a time when the Scrutiny Committee is in fine order.'

Deputy Le Moignan said the resignation of Deputy Matthews could 'open the door' for the two committee amalgamations.

'Maybe the opportunity should be seized by the States for further streamlining.

'With many of these things, when you're looking at scrutiny and the way the States goes about things, there's a secondary consideration of why things aren't done and lack of funds often comes up.'

He added that fundamentally,

the two bodies were doing the

same things in scrutinising States procedures.

In response to the difficulties expressed by Deputy Matthews, Deputy Pritchard said there were frustrations with some members of the Policy Council when Scrutiny was first set up.

'What we had to do was change the culture throughout into the new, more-joined-up, open government. I knew it would take time.'

But, she added, information was now coming through.