P&R ‘doing what it can’ to speed up enactment of laws

The Policy & Resources Committee has reported a priority schedule for legal drafting to the States. The assessment used to form part of the Government Work Plan but with no dedicated meeting to discuss the plan this year, it has reported separately.

The report focuses on laws where the policy principles and drafting have already been approved by the Assembly. Updates throughout 2024 have not yet been prioritised.

P&R said that ‘positive progress’ had been made in drafting during the political term, reducing from nearly 100 priorities to 50, excluding the drafting managed outside the priority process, which included urgent work in response to Brexit and Moneyval.

‘This has been achieved through a concentrated effort across committee areas and the allocation of additional policy development and implementation resource by the committee,’ P&R said.

‘Where there are long-standing legislative items resting with committees, policy resource has been provided when capacity is available in order to accelerate to enactment.’

It said that progress had been made as a result on issues including creating a register of driving instructors, sales of knives to under-18s, parole laws, animal welfare laws, and environmental pollution.

States members expressed disappointment in debate last year about the pace of enacting laws.

P&R said it was ‘doing what it can within its power’ to tackle this and ensure this States leaves a ‘more manageable’ legislative programme for its successors.

‘Nevertheless, this also requires the sponsoring committees to ensure their subject matter advisers and own policy development teams are not committed to new developments before proposals agreed by the States are implemented,’ it said.

‘Managing the progression to completion and enactment of new island and Bailiwick laws is a matter of good governance for each Assembly and each must hold the committees to account.’