The Scrutiny Management Committee is delaying its investigation into the alleged staff-led ‘cover-up’ of the Princess Elizabeth Hospital redevelopment costs until they receive a report from former States Head of Commercial Law, Martin Thornton. The publicly available terms of reference (TOR) for Mr Thornton’s review do not specifically mandate investigating why senior officials who knew about the recent cost increase—from £120m to £150m—concealed it from their committees. The review was commissioned, and presumably the terms of reference set, by Mark de Garis, the island’s most senior civil servant. Without these specifics, the review risks being ineffective and could be seen as a whitewash. While Mr Thornton’s propriety is not questioned, the lack of fundamental aspects in the TOR might limit the review’s scope.
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