Hansard’ reports planned for States

Hansard’ reports planned for States

The Privileges and Procedures Committee have put together proposals for the service, which would cost an estimated £43,000 to set up and £300,000 to run per year.The figures include official reports of oral evidence given before scrutiny panels and the Public Accounts Committee under the new ministerial system of government.At present, States sittings are recorded but transcriptions are not made and the minutes simply summarise the proceedings.In proposals lodged with the States today, Privileges outline how the new, more comprehensive system would work.

Their recommendations include that:Ageing analogue equipment should be replaced with digital audio recording technology.Reports should include transcriptions of questions and answers, statements, consideration of public business and, where appropriate, consideration of individual items arising from the arrangement of future public business.The reports should be substantially verbatim.The committee should keep the style of the reports under review and refer substantial changes to the States.The reports should be available before the next scheduled States sitting.Outsourced staff should be used where appropriate.For the scrutiny panels and the Public Accounts Committee, the committee recommend that the reports include transcripts of oral evidence and that they should also be substantially verbatim.The reports should be produced within the timescale that meets the panels’ business needs within budgetary constraints, they say.The estimated equipment cost for the States Chamber is £20,750, and £22,800 for the scrutiny panels and the PAC.Privileges estimate that it will cost £148,000 a year to run the services for the States Assembly, and £152,825 for the scrutiny panels and the PAC.Under their proposals, transcriptions would be available on the States website, official copies would be kept for archive purposes and individual copies would be printed on demand for sale through the States bookshop, or if Members require a paper copy.They hope to secure capital funding in advance in order to purchase the necessary equipment and conduct a pilot scheme during the 2004 autumn States session.

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