ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT
Amendment to Delegation of Fisheries Functions
Purpose of the Report
For the Minister to approve a revised set of Delegated Powers relating to fisheries that reflect the recent restructuring within the Department of the Environment and deliver improved customer service.
Background
Article 28 of the States of Jersey Law 2005 enables a Minister to delegate functions:-
(1) A Minister may delegate, wholly or partly, functions conferred upon or vested in the Minister by or under this Law or any other enactment or any enactment of the United Kingdom having effect in Jersey, to –
(a) one of his or her Assistant Ministers;
(b) an officer.
(2) A Minister shall not delegate –
(a) any power to make an enactment;
(b) any power to decide an appeal under an enactment;
(c) any function the delegation of which is prohibited by an enactment.
(3) The delegation of functions by a Minister under this Article shall not prevent the Minister exercising those functions personally.
Definition –
“officer” means a person employed under the Civil Service Administration (Jersey) Law 1948 whose duties are wholly or mainly administrative, professional, technical or clerical and includes a member of the States of Jersey Police Force and an officer appointed under paragraph 1(1) of Part 1 of Schedule 2 to the Immigration Act 1971 as extended to Jersey by the Immigration (Jersey) Order 1993.
In December 2010, the Minister approved a revised set of delegated functions in relation to all aspects of the regulation of his Economic Development portfolio. These delegations were contained in a schedule attached to the accompanying report to MD-E-2010-0188.
In March 2011, the Head of Fisheries and Marine Resources took Voluntary Redundancy and the loss of this post has necessitated a degree of restructuring within the Department of the Environment. As a result of this restructuring, it has been necessary to amend that part of the schedule which relates to Fisheries.
Discussion
The post of Head of Fisheries and Marine Resources had a range of functions delegated to it, as indicated in the report accompanying MD-E-2010-0188. The majority of these functions were also delegated to the Director of the Environment, however to allow the administration to continue functioning efficiently in the absence of the Director of the Environment, it has been necessary to delegate these functions to alternative officers. The Director of Environmental Management and Rural Economy and the Director for Environmental Protection will now have the same functions delegated to them as the Director of the Environment.
Additionally, the ability to issue routine fishing vessel licences and scallop diving permits has been delegated to the Marine Resources Section Leader. This will maintain the integrity of the licence issue process but permit an enhanced service delivery.
The revised delegated functions have been included in a Schedule intended to replace the Fisheries part (section 4, pages 6 and 7) of the schedule approved in MD-E-2010-0188.
Recommendation
The Minister is recommended to approve the delegated functions listed in the attached schedule.
Written by: | Marine Resources Section Leader |
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Approved by: | Director for Environment |
Ministerial Decision ref: MD-E-2011-0105