Last September, Members agreed to enter into a trial period of meeting every three weeks, during which time the Privileges and Procedures Committee monitored the impact of the new system and held a consultation.
The committee, which is responsible for States procedures, has now lodged a proposition which, if approved, would make the new arrangements permanent. The report accompanying the proposals says that views were sought on the three-weekly cycle from the Council of Ministers, Scrutiny Liaison Committee, Constables’ Committee, the interim government chief executive and States Members.
A survey of Members, which received 25 responses, indicated that 14 were in favour of the new system, while 11 were against.
Reasons expressed for supporting the three-weekly cycle included that it allows ‘more time to prepare for sittings and for Scrutiny and constituency work in the weeks between sittings’ and that it allows States meetings to be a ‘more formalised event’, where Members can ‘block out the entire week, rather than attempting to work around debates and question periods’.
Members against the changes said that it reduced government and ministerial accountability and ‘reduced the ability to raise important matters during question time’. Meanwhile, a Scrutiny panel reported that the two-week cycle helped it manage its work programme and ‘offered more opportunity’ to call in propositions for review.
The report says if the proposals for a three-week cycle are adopted, future Assemblies will be able to vote to go back to the previous system or make further changes, should they wish.
‘Given the split results of the consultation exercise, PPC has lodged this proposition asking Members to agree that the three-week cycle should become a permanent fixture of States meetings.
‘Should this be adopted by the Assembly, there is nothing to stop the next PPC from considering the frequency of States meetings again in the future,’ the report says.
If approved the changes would take effect from the start of 2022. The proposition is due to be debated on 14 September.
