Cabinet Office
171 FOI requests | Full disclosure rate: 86.0%
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
| Date | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| 2023-09-15 | first 4 weeks holiday pay and the regular overtime pay component | Information not held |
| 2023-08-15 | £500 Covid payment | Information not held |
| 2023-08-08 | All direct correspondence with the World Economic Forum (WEF) | Information not held |
| 2023-07-25 | 5g | Information not held |
| 2023-07-04 | Nuclear Preparedness | Information not held |
| 2023-06-06 | Telecoms Competition | Information not held |
| 2023-05-16 | Director liability insurance | Information not held |
| 2023-05-16 | Employment tribunals | Information not held |
| 2023-05-04 | Minister Lord Brennan statement | Information not held |
| 2023-04-14 | Re the Port Erin Commissioners Clerk's remuneration | Information not held |
| 2023-04-10 | Air B&B let's | Information not held |
| 2023-02-23 | Spyware | Information not held |
| 2023-02-13 | H5N1 Plans | Information not held |
| 2023-01-31 | List of all Cabinet Office bids to Treasury | Information not held |
| 2023-01-26 | Leagl Aid | Information not held |
| 2023-01-17 | internal organisational terrorist employee categorisation | Information not held |
| 2023-01-10 | Vaccines | Information not held |
| 2023-01-03 | Coroner Certification of 2020 Covid Deaths at Abbotswood Nursing Home | Information not held |
| 2023-01-03 | Vascular dementia public health | Information not held |
| 2022-12-06 | Cost of wasted Covid PPE | Information not held |
| 2022-12-05 | Covid-19 PPE Procurement. | Information not held |
| 2022-11-30 | Membership of N.A.T.O. | Information not held |
| 2022-11-23 | Cost of running canteen in Government Offices | Information not held |
| 2022-11-14 | Internet cameras | Information not held |
| 2022-10-31 | Mobile Devices | Information not held |
| 2022-10-20 | List of Masons as MHK's and Civil Servants | Information not held |
| 2022-10-11 | Cost of Government Conference | Information not held |
| A request was made for a detailed cost breakdown of the Government Conference at Villa Marina, but the Cabinet Office responded that they do not hold this information. | ||
| 2022-09-27 | Isle of Man Deaths | Information not held |
| The requester asked for confirmation on whether death statistics included Isle of Man residents who died in UK hospitals and requested specific figures for the last five years if they were excluded. The Cabinet Office responded that this information is not held by them or Public Health, as mortality data is limited to deaths registered within the Isle of Man. | ||
| 2022-09-14 | Amnesty for Ineligible Covid-19 Financial Support Payments | Information not held |
| The requester asked for details on repayments made during a 20-day amnesty for ineligible Covid-19 financial support and confirmation of ongoing formal reviews. The Cabinet Office responded that they do not hold this information and suggested contacting the Department for Enterprise or The Treasury instead. | ||
| 2022-09-06 | Code of conduct for public servants | Information not held |
| The requester asked for details on complaints regarding inappropriate conduct in the payroll office since 2020 and whether staff were advised to comply with the code of conduct. The Cabinet Office responded that no formal complaints were held or known to managers within that timeframe, resulting in an 'Information not held' outcome. | ||
| 2022-08-09 | Monkeypox | Information not held |
| A request was made to the Isle of Man Cabinet Office for the number of available Monkeypox vaccines as of August 9, 2022. The authority responded that they do not hold this information as vaccine stock control is the responsibility of Manx Care. | ||
| 2022-08-01 | Members of the Tynwald Equality Consultative Councik | Information not held |
| The requester asked for the current members of the Tynwald Equality Consultative Council and transcripts of its last two meetings. The Cabinet Office responded that it does not hold this information because the establishment of the Council was paused in 2018 following a review of government committees. | ||
| 2022-07-29 | Cost of Ronaldsway Covid-19 Vaccine Hub | Information not held |
| A request was made for detailed cost breakdowns regarding the construction, operation, and removal of the Ronaldsway Covid-19 Vaccine Hub. The Cabinet Office responded that they do not hold this information and suggested contacting the Department of Health and Social Care instead. | ||
| 2022-07-19 | employment practices liability insurance | Information not held |
| A request was made for information regarding the consideration and implementation of employment practices liability insurance by the Isle of Man Cabinet Office. The authority responded that no such records are held, as individual insurance evidence is not collated and no central consideration is known. | ||
| 2022-07-06 | Gender identification | Information not held |
| A request was made for all records of communication between the Cabinet Office and external organizations regarding gender identification. The authority responded that it does not hold this information as it is not collated centrally. | ||
| 2022-06-17 | Regional swimming pool survey info | Information not held |
| A request was made for details regarding the firm, costs, and personnel involved in surveying Isle of Man regional swimming pools. The Cabinet Office responded that it does not hold this information and directed the requester to the Department of Education, Sport and Culture. | ||
| 2022-05-19 | Number of IOM Gov employees working from home. | Information not held |
| The requester asked for the number of Isle of Man Government employees working from home as of May 2022. The Cabinet Office responded that this information is not held because statistics on remote work arrangements are not collated. | ||
| 2022-04-05 | Anti Virals | Information not held |
| A request was made to the Isle of Man Cabinet Office for data on the number of individuals and categories receiving antiviral medications. The authority responded that they do not hold this information and suggested contacting Manx Care instead. | ||
| 2022-03-31 | Temporary Administrative and Secretarial Staff Services Select List | Information not held |
| The requester asked for details regarding a specific agency added to the Temporary Administrative and Secretarial Staff Services Select List after the submission date. The Cabinet Office disclosed that the agency was added on 30 November 2021 because it was inadvertently missed from the tendering exercise, a decision sanctioned by the Office of Human Resources. | ||
| 2022-03-30 | Budget for MHKs lunches | Information not held |
| The requester asked for the budget and expenditure on lunches for Council of Ministers meetings organized by the Cabinet Office between March and April 2022. The Cabinet Office responded that no such information is held because there was no expenditure on catering for these specific meetings during the requested period. | ||
| 2022-02-24 | Red diesel representations | Information not held |
| The requester asked the Cabinet Office for records of representations made to the UK Government regarding red diesel in 2021 and 2022. The Cabinet Office responded that it does not hold this information and suggested contacting The Treasury instead. | ||
| 2022-02-22 | Payments | Information not held |
| The requester asked the Cabinet Office for details on financial assistance provided to McKenzie Fox Ltd during the pandemic, but the authority confirmed it does not hold this information as it did not administer business support schemes. | ||
| 2022-02-22 | Vaccine safety | Information not held |
| A request was made to the Isle of Man Cabinet Office for the official acceptable limits of deaths and injuries attributed to COVID-19 vaccines before the programme would be stopped. The authority responded that it does not hold this information, as the vaccination programme follows advice from the UK's JCVI and MHRA. | ||
| 2022-02-01 | Renumeration for Isle of Man Vaccine Schedule | Information not held |
| A request was made to the Isle of Man Cabinet Office for details on per-vaccine remuneration for medical staff under the national vaccination schedule. The authority responded that it does not hold this information and suggested contacting Manx Care instead. | ||
| 2022-02-01 | Renumeration for Remdesivir | Information not held |
| A request was made to the Isle of Man Cabinet Office regarding financial payments for prescribing Remdesivir and patient mortality statistics. The authority responded that it does not hold the requested information and suggested contacting Manx Care instead. | ||
| 2022-01-25 | Dr Ranson Briefing | Information not held |
| The requester asked the Cabinet Office for a 2020 audio-visual recording made by Dr Ranson, but the authority confirmed it does not hold the information and suggested contacting the Department of Health and Social Care instead. | ||
| 2022-01-18 | mobile telephone data roaming costs | Information not held |
| A request for the top 10 mobile telephone data roaming costs by department for financial years 2017/18 to 2019/20 was refused by the Cabinet Office. The authority stated that extracting this data would require substantial compilation of information, which is not required under the Freedom of Information Act. | ||
| 2022-01-06 | legal reserves fund drawdowns | Information not held |
| A request was made to the Cabinet Office for detailed breakdowns of legal reserves fund drawdowns, including specific costs for employment disputes and payments to legal chambers. The authority responded that it does not hold the requested information and suggested contacting the Attorney General's Chambers or Finance Shared Services instead. | ||
| 2022-01-05 | Abusive communications to MHK's and MLC's reported | Information not held |
| A request was made for statistics on abusive communications reported by MHKs and MLCs and the procedures for handling such reports. The Cabinet Office responded that it does not hold the requested information. | ||
| 2021-12-30 | World Economic Forum correspondence | Information not held |
| A request was made for all correspondence between Isle of Man Departments and the World Economic Forum from the previous two years. The Cabinet Office responded that they do not hold the requested information. | ||