Re-appointment of the Comptroller and Auditor General

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A decision made (03.06.2008) to approve the Report and Proposition for the re-appointment of the Comptroller and Auditor General

Decision Reference: MD-C-2008-0013
Decision Summary Title:	Re-appointment of the Comptroller and Auditor General		Date of Decision Summary:	4 June 2008
Decision Summary Author:	Jane Pollard, Assistant Director – Human Resources		Decision Summary: Public or Exempt?	Public
Type of Report: Oral or Written?	Written		Person Giving Oral Report:	n/a
Written Report Title:	Re-appointment of the Comptroller and Auditor General		Date of Written Report:	4 June 2008
Written Report Author:	Jane Pollard, Assistant Director – Human Resources		Written Report : Public or Exempt?	Public
Subject: Re-appointment of the Comptroller and Auditor General under Part 6 of the Public Finances (Jersey) Law 2005 for a period of five years from 1 October 2008.
Decision(s): The Deputy Chief Minister and Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee approved the Report and Proposition entitled ‘Re-appointment of the Comptroller and Auditor General’ and agreed that it should be lodged ‘au Greffe’ with a view to securing the earliest possible date for debate. The Deputy Chief Minister and Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee also agreed to instruct the Chief Executive to negotiate with the Comptroller and Auditor General a remuneration package.
Reason(s) for Decision: In accordance with the Public Finances (Jersey) Law 2005, the appointment of the Comptroller and Auditor General is made by the States. Mr Chris Swinson was appointed for a period of three years from 1 October 2005 to 30 September 2008. A decision to re-appoint him therefore needs to be brought to the States. The Appointments Commission is content with the re-appointment of the Comptroller and Auditor General for a period of five years.
Resource Implications: There are no additional manpower implications attached to the decision to recommend re-appointment of the Comptroller and Auditor General for a five year period.
Action required:  Assistant Director, Human Resources to arrange for a Proposition to be forwarded to the Assistant Greffier of the States and the Publications Editor to arrange for it to be lodged “au Greffe” for consideration ‘in camera’ by the States as soon as possible.  Chief Executive to negotiate a revised remuneration package with the Comptroller and Auditor General.
Signature:		Position: Senator Terry Le Sueur Deputy Chief Minister Deputy Sarah Ferguson, Chairman of Public Accounts Committee
Date Signed		Date of Decision (If different from Date Signed):

Re-appointment of the Comptroller and Auditor General

Report

Re-Appointment of the Comptroller and Auditor General

Introduction

1. The Chief Minister and Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee are asked to approve a draft Report and Proposition which recommends the re-appointment, in principle, of the Comptroller and Auditor General for a five year period from 1 October 2008 – 30 September 2013.

2. The Chief Minister and Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee are also asked to agree to instruct the Chief Executive to negotiate with the Comptroller and Auditor General Elect a revised remuneration package.

Background

2. The Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General is established under Part 6 of the Public Finances (Jersey) Law 2005. This states that the office

41 (1) …..shall be held by a person appointed by the States on a proposition signed by the Chief Minister and the Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee, and

(2) The States shall debate the proposition in camera.

3. The role of the Comptroller and Auditor General is set out in the Law, and is

“to provide the States with independent assurance that the public finances of Jersey are being regulated, controlled and supervised and accounted for in accordance with this Law and that the provisions of this Law are otherwise being duly complied with.”

4. Mr Chris Swinson, OBE, was appointed following a rigorous internal and external recruitment exercise for a three year period on 1 October 2005. He was the first person to be appointed into this newly created role and he is contracted on a part time basis for 100 days per annum. He is based in the UK and travels to Jersey on a regular basis. He is a fully qualified accountant (Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants) and a Fellow of the Institute of Internal Auditors. He has had a career in Chartered Accountancy in the United Kingdom, and was a Senior Partner with BDO Stoy Hayward, a leading firm of Chartered Accountants. He has held public appointments with HM Treasury, the Commission of Local Administration in England, The Pensions Regulator and The Audit Commission. He lectures on audit and is the author of many professional publications. He was awarded the Order of the British Empire in 2006 for Services to Accountancy.

5. The Appointments Commission have confirmed that they have no objection to the offering of a further contract term to Mr Swinson.

6. Following discussion between the Chief Minister and the Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee, agreement has been reached to recommend to the States the offer of a contract to Mr Chris Swinson for a further period of five years.

7. The attached Proposition will be lodged with the States as soon as possible.