Cabinet Office
147 FOI requests | Full disclosure rate: 100.0%
The Freedom of Information requests to the Isle of Man Cabinet Office reveal an authority that is generally cooperative regarding historical data, spending totals, and employment statistics, but fiercely protective of its internal deliberative processes and contingency planning. A clear pattern emerges where the government readily discloses the *cost* of its actions—such as the £425,000 legal retainer for Lansons (464233) or the £57,000 paid to John Barrett QC (1001057)—while withholding the *strategy* behind them. This is most evident in the Brexit cluster, where documents on 'Operation Yellowhammer' (937314) and food supply chains (984789) were entirely exempted, suggesting a 'need-to-know' approach to national security and economic stability that overrides public transparency.
Key Cases
Case 937314 — The complete refusal to disclose any documents regarding 'Operation Yellowhammer' (No-Deal Brexit contingency) is a critical case. It reveals the government's decision to keep its most sensitive emergency planning entirely hidden from public scrutiny, citing exemptions that prevent any insight into how the island prepared for a potential economic and logistical collapse.
Case 464233 — This case disclosed a massive £425,000 annual retainer for the law firm Lansons, plus an additional £70,000 for 'international scrutiny.' It highlights the significant financial burden of legal defense and reputation management on the public purse, likely linked to the island's financial crime investigations.
Case 354247 — The disclosure of the Cabinet Office paper regarding the UK Investigatory Powers Bill is notable for its intersection of national security and local legislation. It shows the Isle of Man's active role in shaping its own surveillance laws in alignment with the UK, raising questions about privacy and state powers.
Case 1001057 — Revealing that John Barrett QC was paid over £57,000 for a single planning inquiry (the East Area Plan) underscores the high cost of independent legal advice in government planning. It connects to a broader narrative of expensive external consultants being used to navigate complex land-use disputes.
Case 354255 — The full release of the 'Beamans Report' on modernizing ministerial government is significant because it provides a rare, unredacted look at internal critiques of senior management structures. Unlike many policy papers, this was fully disclosed, offering a benchmark for what transparency looks like when the government is willing to share reform documents.
Related FOI Stories
Brexit Contingency and Border Security — #354247, #358517, #354299, #354301, #354303
Legal Costs and High-Profile Appointments — #354269, #354289, #354291, #464233, #980113
Government Transparency and Policy Formulation — #354255, #354267, #354309, #354357, #357735
Public Sector Employment and Workforce Data — #354221, #354313, #354315, #354321, #354327
Ministerial Conduct and Travel Expenses — #354249, #354287, #354305, #357737, #622865
All (147)
Information not held (171) ·
All information sent (147) ·
Some information sent but not all held (110) ·
Some information sent but part exempt (95) ·
No information sent - all held but exempt (31) ·
Not upheld (25) ·
Upheld - partial (10) ·
Upheld - full (6) ·
Not required to fulfill request (4) ·
Decision Notice - Complaint not upheld (3) ·
Request lapsed - requested information not provided (2) ·
Decision Notice - Complaint part upheld (2) ·
Withdrawn (1) ·
Vexatious request (1) ·
Information Notice (1) ·
Decision Notice - Complaint upheld (1) ·
| Date | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| 2020-05-11 | Council of Ministers Senior Race Day Bank Holiday discussions | All information sent |
| The request sought minutes regarding Council of Ministers discussions on cancelling and rescheduling the 2020 Senior Race Day Bank Holiday. The authority disclosed all information, providing 61 pages of documents including the Official Report of Tynwald Court proceedings from May 12, 2020. | ||
| 2020-05-08 | Cancellation of Senior Race Day 2020 | All information sent |
| The request sought information regarding the cancellation of the 2020 Senior Race Day bank holiday and the establishment of a replacement holiday in August. The Cabinet Office disclosed all information, including the statutory order cancelling the holiday due to the cancellation of the Tourist Trophy races and Council of Ministers minutes approving a replacement holiday on August 28, 2020. | ||
| 2020-05-07 | Bank holidays | All information sent |
| The request sought details on the decision-making process and impact assessment regarding the cancellation of the 2020 Senior Race Day bank holiday. The authority responded by providing the official Tynwald Court Hansard report from May 12, 2020, which documents the discussion and the subsequent refusal to grant leave for a debate on the cancellation. | ||
| 2020-04-27 | Key workers | All information sent |
| The request sought sector-specific data on exemptions granted under the Emergency Powers Act for key workers to return to the Isle of Man and avoid self-isolation. The Cabinet Office disclosed detailed statistics on travel and self-isolation exemptions issued up to 13 May 2020, clarifying that no quarantine exemptions were issued. | ||
| 2020-02-25 | No.1176149 No. of staff employed | All information sent |
| The requester asked for staff employment figures for the Department of Infrastructure comparing 2013 to 2020, specifically distinguishing between civil servants and manual workers by full-time and part-time status. The Cabinet Office disclosed the requested data, providing both Full-Time Equivalent (FTE) and headcount numbers for both categories, noting that zero-hours contracts were excluded. | ||
| 2020-01-28 | Princess Anne | All information sent |
| A request was made for the total cost of Princess Anne's October 2019 visit to the Isle of Man and her stay at Government House. The Cabinet Office disclosed that the visit cost £760 and clarified that the Princess Royal did not stay overnight. | ||
| 2020-01-03 | John Spicer, Health and Care Transformation Director | All information sent |
| A request was made for the employment contract of John Spicer, Health and Care Transformation Director, and the Cabinet Office disclosed the full Statement of Written Particulars. | ||
| 2019-11-11 | Zero hour contracts | All information sent |
| A request was made to the Isle of Man Cabinet Office to determine the number of government employees on zero-hour contracts. The authority disclosed that 2,143 individuals hold only casual contracts, while 2,174 hold both casual and substantive contracts. | ||
| 2019-11-04 | Application Form | All information sent |
| The applicant requested confirmation on whether the Chief Secretary approved the Freedom of Information form used by Douglas Corporation and why it differs from the standard computerised form. The Cabinet Office confirmed the form is approved but warned the applicant that their high volume of requests may be considered vexatious under the Freedom of Information Act 2015. | ||
| 2019-10-10 | Cost of John Barret | All information sent |
| A request was made to the Isle of Man Cabinet Office for the total amount paid to John Barrett. The authority disclosed that Barrett had received £3,589.87 plus VAT and was in the process of being paid an additional £53,971.20 plus VAT. | ||
| 2019-10-08 | Michael Hurley | All information sent |
| The request sought employment history for Michael Hurley by the Isle of Man government, specifically the Department of Environment, Food and Agriculture. The Cabinet Office disclosed his engagement as an Independent Planning Inspector between 2005-2009 and 2016-present, while advising the requester to contact the Department of Environment, Food and Agriculture separately for direct employment records. | ||
| 2019-10-07 | Use of Government House in August, September and October 2018 | All information sent |
| The requester asked for a list of non-government events held at Government House in August, September, and October 2018. The Cabinet Office disclosed that no such events occurred in August or October, while three specific events were held in September, all of which incurred no cost to the taxpayer. | ||
| 2019-09-26 | John Barrett | All information sent |
| The request sought details on John Barrett's payment for representing the Cabinet Office at the Area Plan for the East inquiry and the availability of legal aid for opposing residents. The authority disclosed Barrett's hourly rate and explained that legal aid is unavailable for such inquisitorial processes. | ||
| 2019-09-09 | Applications for permanent residency | All information sent |
| The request sought documents regarding the impact of No Deal Brexit and permanent residency applications on the Isle of Man's net migration, skilled workforce, and population growth. The Cabinet Office disclosed two documents totaling 18 pages, though the majority of the content within the provided text is redacted. | ||
| 2019-09-04 | employment | All information sent |
| The request sought statistics on job advertisements for civil servants and manual craft workers between 2015 and 2019, along with details on new starter terms. The Cabinet Office disclosed full data broken down by employment group and date range, confirming that new terms applied from April 2016. | ||
| 2019-09-03 | FOI Requests to Andreas, Ballaugh & Jurby | All information sent |
| The requester asked for documentation regarding why Andreas, Ballaugh, and Jurby do not accept FOI requests via the central portal and how the government monitors their compliance. The Cabinet Office responded by providing correspondence detailing the implementation timeline, training sessions offered to local authorities, and guidance on the phased introduction of the FOI Act. | ||
| 2019-08-30 | compassion leave and special leave | All information sent |
| The requester asked for departmental figures regarding bereavement and compassionate leave following a previous request. The Cabinet Office disclosed statistics on paid and unpaid special leave for Civil Service and Manual & Craft staff across various government departments from 2015 to 2020. | ||
| 2019-07-10 | Voters canvass 2018 and 2019: forms sent and returned | All information sent |
| The request sought statistics on household enquiry forms sent and responses received for the 2018 and 2019 Isle of Man voters canvass. The Cabinet Office disclosed all requested figures, confirming the number of forms distributed and the total responses for both years. | ||
| 2019-06-26 | Household occupancy data | All information sent |
| The requester asked for 2018 and 2019 summary statistics on household vacancy reasons from the voters register canvas, broken down by local authority. The Cabinet Office disclosed the 2019 data broken down by local authority and polling district but did not explicitly provide the 2018 data in the response. | ||
| 2019-05-01 | Number of FOI Requests which have not been publically disclosed. | All information sent |
| The requester asked for statistics on unpublished FOI requests across all Isle of Man government departments for the 2018-2019 financial year, along with guidelines and appeal processes. The Cabinet Office disclosed that it does not hold these statistics for other departments but provided its own unpublished request data for the 2018-2019 period, the relevant publication policy link, and confirmation that departments decide individually on publication. | ||
| 2019-03-18 | Qualifications of Crown Officers | All information sent |
| The request sought details on character checks and moral standards for Crown Officer appointments in the Isle of Man. The Cabinet Office disclosed that a well-established process exists involving criminal conviction declarations, character references, and adherence to integrity and impartiality standards. | ||
| 2018-11-30 | Cabinet Syrian Paper | All information sent |
| The requester sought the Cabinet Office paper regarding International Aid submitted in August 2018, and the authority disclosed the full document detailing a budget increase allocation. | ||
| 2018-10-08 | Downgrading of Qualifications Required for IOM Civil Service Posts | All information sent |
| The requester asked for a business case paper regarding the downgrading of GCSE requirements for civil service roles and details on remuneration and specific grade thresholds. The Cabinet Office provided the requested paper but did not include the specific remuneration ranges or GCSE grade details in this response. | ||
| 2018-10-05 | Party Conferences | All information sent |
| The request sought the taxpayer costs for Isle of Man ministers attending the 2018 Labour and Conservative party conferences, as well as the cost of sponsoring a reception for the Conservative Friends of the Commonwealth. The Cabinet Office disclosed full cost breakdowns for travel, accommodation, food, and passes for both conferences, along with the sponsorship fee. | ||
| 2018-07-24 | Council of Ministers' paper | All information sent |
| The requester asked for a Council of Ministers paper regarding drafting instructions for a new Education Bill submitted by the Department of Education, Sport and Culture. The Cabinet Office disclosed the full confidential paper, which outlines the consultation process and seeks approval to submit drafting instructions to the Attorney General's Chambers. | ||
| 2018-07-18 | Number of redundancies | All information sent |
| The requester asked for the number of Civil Servant redundancies and successful appeals over the past two years. The Cabinet Office responded that no civil servants were made redundant during the specified period, clarifying the distinction between redundancy and Mutually Agreed Resignation. | ||
| 2018-06-28 | How many staff employed are employed in the Cabinet Office | All information sent |
| A request was made to determine the number of staff employed in the Isle of Man Cabinet Office. The authority responded by disclosing the total headcount and full-time equivalent figures as of July 2018. | ||
| 2018-05-22 | Russians and USA residing here | All information sent |
| The request sought the number of Russian and American nationals with permission to reside in the Isle of Man. The authority disclosed visa issuance statistics from 2008 to May 2018 but noted that current residency status cannot be confirmed due to a lack of exit checks. | ||
| 2018-05-09 | Cost of Lansons | All information sent |
| The request sought the cost of the Isle of Man Government retaining the firm Lansons over the previous 12 months. The Cabinet Office disclosed a standard annual retainer fee of £425,000 plus additional project fees of £70,000 incurred due to international scrutiny. | ||
| 2018-02-13 | No of Sackings | All information sent |
| A request was made to the Isle of Man Cabinet Office for the number of government dismissals over the previous five years. The authority confirmed that 117 people were dismissed between 2013 and 2017 for various reasons including conduct and capability. | ||
| 2017-11-09 | Interpretation Act 2015 | All information sent |
| The requester asked for an explanation regarding the delay in commencing the Interpretation Act 2015 and its anticipated effective date. The Cabinet Office disclosed that the delay was due to necessary amendments regarding Church of England legislation and unincorporated bodies, with commencement expected on 1 January 2018. | ||
| 2017-11-03 | Programme for Government – Legislation Programme 2017-2019 | All information sent |
| The requester asked for the Legislation Programme 2017-2019 and background information regarding its revision. The Cabinet Office disclosed that the document is publicly available via Tynwald Orders Papers and provided direct links to the relevant report. | ||
| 2017-10-26 | Services between Isle of Man Immigration Office and United Kingdom Visas and Immigration (UKVI) | All information sent |
| The request sought details on how the Isle of Man Immigration Office handles unsatisfactory UKVI services, including escalation procedures, contact methods, and fee sharing. The response disclosed that the office uses direct email and phone contacts with UKVI Entry Clearance Officers, does not share visa fees, and occasionally assists applicants by forwarding complaints to UKVI managers. | ||
| 2017-10-15 | Data services provided by Government Technology Services and data processing locations | All information sent |
| The requester asked for details on Government Technology Services (GTS) data instances stored off the Isle of Man and their jurisdictions. The authority responded that GTS acts as a Data Processor and does not decide data locations, noting that all data where GTS is the Controller is stored on-island. | ||
| 2017-10-10 | IOM Government employees with Manx National Insurance numbers | All information sent |
| A Freedom of Information request was made to the Isle of Man Cabinet Office to determine how many government employees hold Manx National Insurance numbers. The authority confirmed that 5,164 individuals with contracted hours possess these numbers, representing 64.84% of the workforce. | ||
| 2017-09-06 | Questions in relation to Her Majesty's Privy Council and Manx-related work | All information sent |
| The requester asked if there are financial arrangements for the Isle of Man to compensate the Privy Council for its Manx-related work. The Cabinet Office confirmed that no such financial arrangements exist as the role is part of the constitutional relationship between the UK and the Isle of Man. | ||
| 2017-08-10 | Hi Excellence the Lieutenant-Governor; costs incurred and details of the role | All information sent |
| The request sought details on the costs of feeding, lodging, and compensating the Lieutenant-Governor of the Isle of Man, as well as potential savings from eliminating the role. The Cabinet Office disclosed specific salary, allowance, and operational costs while clarifying the constitutional duties of the position. | ||
| 2017-08-07 | Isle of Man Border Security Policy 2017 | All information sent |
| A request was made for the Isle of Man Border Security Policy 2017, which was approved by the Council of Ministers in June 2017. The Cabinet Office fulfilled the request by providing the policy text and referencing a related Tynwald question. | ||
| 2017-07-06 | Tender process for the 'Review of the Functioning of Tynwald' inquiry | All information sent |
| The requester asked for details regarding the tender process, contract, and correspondence for Lord Lisvane's 'Review of the Functioning of Tynwald' inquiry. The Cabinet Office disclosed that no tender process was undertaken due to the specialized nature of the work and the specific expertise required. | ||
| 2017-06-30 | Expenses regarding attendees at the Consecration of Bishop Eagles in York Minster in June 2017 | All information sent |
| A Freedom of Information request was made to the Isle of Man Cabinet Office regarding expenses and attendance for the June 2017 consecration of Bishop Eagles in York Minster. The authority disclosed that two officials attended, providing a detailed breakdown of their travel and accommodation costs. | ||
| 2017-05-25 | Correspondence between the Chief Minister and the Committee on the Administration of Justice (C.A.J) | All information sent |
| The request sought all correspondence between the Chief Minister and the Committee on the Administration of Justice from January 2016 to May 2017. The Cabinet Office released the requested documents but redacted specific details containing personal information under an absolute exemption. | ||
| 2017-05-23 | Correspondence between the Cabinet Office and the Information Commissioner relating to the Digital Strategy/Digital Inclusion Strategy. | All information sent |
| A request was made for emails between the Cabinet Office and the Information Commissioner regarding the Digital Strategy, to which the authority responded by releasing all information with minor redactions for personal data. | ||
| 2017-05-12 | Cost of investigation conducted into leaked information of DHSC | All information sent |
| A request was made to the Isle of Man Cabinet Office for the total cost of an internal inquiry into leaked information regarding the Department of Health and Social Care. The authority confirmed that the investigation, chaired by Advocate Paul Morris, cost £6,075. | ||
| 2017-04-20 | Review of HM Attorney Generals Chambers (Isle of Man): Executive Summary | All information sent |
| The requester sought the Executive Summary of a 2015 review of HM Attorney General's Chambers commissioned by the Chief Minister, and the Cabinet Office confirmed that all requested information was provided. | ||
| 2017-03-05 | Beamans Report 2014 - Modernising Ministerial Government | All information sent |
| A request for the 2014 Beamans Report regarding the modernization of ministerial government was fulfilled by the Cabinet Office, which provided the full 45-page document reviewing senior management structures. | ||
| 2017-01-17 | Investigatory Powers Bill (of parliament) paper approved by Council | All information sent |
| A request was made for the Cabinet Office paper regarding the approval of a permissive extent clause for the UK Investigatory Powers Bill, which was fully disclosed to the applicant. | ||
| 2017-01-14 | Procurement of portable audio recording devices | All information sent |
| A Freedom of Information request was made to the Isle of Man Cabinet Office for details on portable audio recording devices procured between 2012 and 2016. The authority disclosed a complete list of 18 devices purchased by various government departments, including models, costs, and encryption status. | ||
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