A FIVE-YEAR plan to streamline government departments introduced by former chief executive Charlie Parker will be dismantled, after Members overwhelmingly backed a proposal from the Environment Minister.
Deputy John Young said his proposition would help ‘improve the way government machinery works’, ensuring individual ministers were responsible for all aspects of their department’s work.
He had previously said the structure implemented by Mr Parker in 2018 needed to be rolled back, as it had created difficulties. Mr Parker’s reorganisation meant some senior civil servants were accountable simultaneously to more than one minister.
Speaking during this week’s States sitting, Deputy Young also questioned whether ministerial portfolios were too large, including whether one minister should be responsible for the whole health portfolio, stressing the significance of mental health by itself.
Meanwhile, Assistant Economic Development, Infrastructure and Health Minister Hugh Raymond gave an insight into his experience working under three ministers, and criticised the overlap and repetition between government departments, which he said had to be looked at.
Deputy Raymond added that ‘to some degree’ departments did not communicate.
‘I was going to some meetings where I knew more than the minister because of the overlap from the previous meeting, and I really think there has to be a look at that,’ he said, adding that several things were repeated in different board meetings ‘that take place every month’. They are exactly the same,’ he said. ‘You change the date, but the difference is very little.’
Deputy Young’s successful proposition also scraps the proposed establishment of a single legal entity for the government. A process will also be introduced for the Chief Minister to review ministerial portfolios after every general election, with a first report on this to be presented by the end of 2022, following a government amendment. Another amendment means the changes to ministerial accountability must be done in consultation with the States Employment Board. Both changes were accepted by Deputy Young.
Deputy Young paid tribute to the work of the Democratic Accountability and Governance sub-committee and its chair, Tracey Vallois, saying he had brought his proposal so some of the key recommendations from their recent report could be debated in the States.
States Members voted for the amended proposal by 41 to one on Tuesday, with only Deputy Judy Martin voting against.
