Scrutiny will review ESC appointment

Thursday 12 September 2019

The States' Scrutiny Management Committee is going to commission an independent review to look into the recent 'appointment scandal' within Education, but if it does not get full cooperation from those involved, it will stop the work in its tracks.

This comes after members of the Scrutiny Committee have publicly expressed concerns over their lack of powers, and said if parties do not cooperate with their reviews, there is little they can do.

Scrutiny originally planned to have an independent tribunal look into the matter, but the States voted against that because of cost concerns. 

Deputy Chris Green, President of Scrutiny Management, said despite that defeat, the Committee had met again and decided they did not want to let the matter go just yet. 

The appointment scandal all came to the public eye after an email between ESC President Deputy Matt Fallaize and his senior staff was leaked, revealing how a candidate who was initially offered a role, had that offer withdrawn. Deputy Fallaize has previously said he is happy to cooperate with any investigation. 

The scandal involved an email between Deputy Fallaize and the former Chief Secretary of Education. 

Deputy Green said: "Despite the defeat of the SMC policy letter on the establishment of a tribunal of inquiry, the SMC is now unanimously of the view that we should commission an independent reviewer to examine the facts and circumstances around the appointment of the Head of Curriculum and Standards.

"My Committee is of the view that it would not be appropriate to let this matter simply go and not review it. Therefore, we will now proceed forthwith with making the practical arrangements to set up a review."

One of the reasons Scrutiny initially proposed a tribunal was because members had concerns over the powers, or lack-thereof, they could use to sanction any wrongdoing. 

Deputy Green added that they still had those concerns, and were not sure how effective such a review might be. They concluded though that it was 'the best that could be done'. 

"At this stage, we cannot offer any further information about the review, but we will update the public in due course when we have further specific information about the review to impart.

"Finally, we should make it very clear that we are undertaking this review in good faith and expecting full cooperation from all of the parties. However, if this is not forthcoming, then the review will cease immediately and the Committee will then consider its other options."

Pictured top: L-R Deputy Matt Fallaize and Deputy Chris Green.