Scrutiny a key part of governance
IN A little noticed exchange in the House of Commons last week, Conservative MP Maria Miller raised with the Minister at the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office the issue of adequate scrutiny here and in the UK’s overseas territories.
The Commonwealth Parliamentary Association provides audits, scrutiny and election observation, she said. But there were gaps. The minister was happy to meet to consider how to best close those gaps because the FCDO funds the CPA ‘to strengthen the ability of legislators in the overseas territories to hold their governments to account.’
The exchange was revealing for two reasons. The UK Government, responsible for the good governance of its territories and dependencies, recognises the critical role proper scrutiny plays in keeping administrations honest and focused.
Secondly, in Guernsey, where all deputies form ‘the government’, meaningful scrutiny is exceptionally difficult, because everyone in effect gets to mark their own homework.
The Scrutiny Management Committee is hampered by low budget and has not particularly appeared committed to rocking the establishment boat.
Does this matter? Yes.For islanders struggling to makes sense of an increasingly unravelled States, yes. For without independent, credible scrutiny there can be no trust in government, its policies, behaviours or statements. Which is why the question was asked in the Commons in the first place.