Cabinet Office
31 FOI requests | Full disclosure rate: 474.2%
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 |
|---|---|---|
| 2026-02-03 | Letters between External Relations, and the UK Ministry of Justice | No information sent - all held but exempt |
| A request for correspondence between the Isle of Man Cabinet Office and the UK Ministry of Justice regarding the Assisted Dying Bill was refused as all information was held but exempt under international relations provisions. While the specific letters were withheld, the authority provided links to a summary letter to Tynwald Members and upcoming Hansard records as an alternative. | ||
| 2025-01-29 | Net Migration | No information sent - all held but exempt |
| The requester asked for Isle of Man Net Migration figures similar to those provided by the UK Government. The Cabinet Office responded that the information is already reasonably accessible online via the Statistics Isle of Man website and is classified as an experimental statistic. | ||
| 2024-07-23 | Information held in Human Resources | No information sent - all held but exempt |
| The requester asked for all personal information held by the Cabinet Office's Human Resources department. The authority refused to disclose the information under FOI, stating it is absolutely exempt as personal data and directing the requester to make a separate subject access request under GDPR. | ||
| 2024-04-04 | Wooler Report March 2023 and Council of Ministers Response June 2023 | No information sent - all held but exempt |
| 2024-03-12 | HSCC complaint against Lawrie Hooper and Tanya August Hanson report | No information sent - all held but exempt |
| 2024-02-27 | HSCC complaint investigation | No information sent - all held but exempt |
| 2024-01-19 | Election Donations | No information sent - all held but exempt |
| 2023-11-20 | Unfair Dismissal | No information sent - all held but exempt |
| 2023-05-30 | Integrity Line | No information sent - all held but exempt |
| 2023-03-08 | Communication CM/Cabinet Office with DHSC 19/9/2022 - 5/10/2022 | No information sent - all held but exempt |
| The request sought communications between the Isle of Man Cabinet Office/Chief Minister and DHSC regarding the Ranson v DHSC appeal between September and October 2022. The authority confirmed holding the information but withheld it citing legal professional privilege, though provided a narrative context regarding the appeal timeline. | ||
| 2022-11-29 | List of elected MHKs and their contact details | No information sent - all held but exempt |
| 2022-01-25 | Howard Quayle's financial package as Chief Minister. | No information sent - all held but exempt |
| A request was made for Howard Quayle's salary, expenses, and pension details as Chief Minister, but the Cabinet Office refused to provide the specific figures directly. | ||
| 2022-01-24 | Died of covid solely feb20-dec21 | No information sent - all held but exempt |
| The requester asked for Isle of Man COVID-19 death statistics broken down by age and gender where COVID was the sole cause of death between February 2020 and December 2021. The Cabinet Office refused to disclose the specific breakdown, citing exemptions related to health records and data protection, while directing the requester to existing online data and the Civil Registry. | ||
| 2021-06-23 | Amendment of Schedule 2 of the Communications Act 2021 & other parts. | No information sent - all held but exempt |
| The requester asked for documents regarding amendments to Schedule 2 of the Communications Act 2021 concerning newspapers and sound broadcast licenses. The Cabinet Office confirmed no amendments have been made and withheld policy formulation documents under a qualified exemption. | ||
| 2021-03-29 | Schools advice | No information sent - all held but exempt |
| The requester asked for advice given to the Council of Ministers regarding the decision to open schools on March 1, 2021. The Cabinet Office did not release new documents, stating the information was already reasonably accessible online via Hansard records and audio files. | ||
| 2020-10-20 | Complete Copy of a Report by Angela-Main Thompson 18.02.17 | No information sent - all held but exempt |
| The requester sought a complete copy of a 2017 report by Angela Main-Thompson reviewing potential conflicts of interest by Ministers Shimmin and Skelly regarding a planning application. The Cabinet Office confirmed the report is held but refused to disclose it, citing exemptions. | ||
| 2020-06-29 | Underlying Data of "Isle of Man in Numbers 2020" | No information sent - all held but exempt |
| The requester asked for the underlying numerical data behind the figures in the 'Isle of Man in Numbers 2020' document. The Cabinet Office responded that no information was sent because the data is already reasonably accessible via the government's Open Data website. | ||
| 2020-04-01 | Medical advice supplied to Chief Minster | No information sent - all held but exempt |
| A request was made for medical advice used by the Chief Minister to justify excluding Manx residents from returning to the Isle of Man during the pandemic. The Cabinet Office withheld all information, citing exemptions related to the formulation of government policy during an ongoing emergency. | ||
| 2020-03-02 | White paper of working group for national telecoms infrastructure | No information sent - all held but exempt |
| A request was made for a white paper on national telecoms infrastructure prepared by the Chief Minister's working group, but no information was sent because the document was already publicly available online. | ||
| 2019-10-10 | John Barrett | No information sent - all held but exempt |
| The requester asked for the reasons and benefits of retaining an Isle of Man barrister, but the Cabinet Office refused to provide new information stating it was already reasonably accessible via previous FOI responses. | ||
| 2019-09-24 | Brexit retail | No information sent - all held but exempt |
| The requester asked for advice received by the Council of Ministers from retailers regarding Brexit, specifically referencing a March 2019 paper. The Cabinet Office refused to disclose the information, citing exemptions related to commercial interests and the need for confidential contingency planning. | ||
| 2019-08-27 | Operation Yellowhammer | No information sent - all held but exempt |
| A request was made for all Isle of Man Government documents and meeting notes regarding 'Operation Yellowhammer' (No-deal Brexit contingency planning), but no information was disclosed as it was deemed exempt. | ||
| 2018-07-09 | Code Sect 60 | No information sent - all held but exempt |
| The requester asked for a copy of the Code of Practice required under section 60 of the Freedom of Information Act. The Cabinet Office refused to send the document directly, stating it is already reasonably accessible via their website under section 20 of the Act. | ||
| 2017-12-12 | Council of Ministers – process for the appointment of the Information Commissioner and relevant paper | No information sent - all held but exempt |
| The request sought the appointment process for the Information Commissioner and a specific Cabinet Office paper; the process was directed to existing legislation while the paper was withheld as exempt personal data. | ||
| 2017-12-03 | International Aid Budget | No information sent - all held but exempt |
| The requester asked for details on the International Aid Budget spend over the last five years and the status of any underspend. The Cabinet Office declined to send specific documents as the information is already publicly available in Annual Reports, but confirmed the annual budget amount and spending status in the response. | ||
| 2017-12-01 | Mear Voar - Planning Application Appeal | No information sent - all held but exempt |
| A request was made for submissions and correspondence regarding a planning application appeal (15/00124/B) to the Council of Ministers. The Cabinet Office confirmed holding the information but refused disclosure under Section 35 exemptions to protect the free and frank exchange of views in public business. | ||
| 2017-07-19 | Independent report into Children and Families | No information sent - all held but exempt |
| A request was made for an independent report on Children and Families by Paul Burnett and Bridgit Griffin, but the Cabinet Office refused to disclose it as it is held for future publication. | ||
| 2017-06-10 | Breakdown of costs incurred and monies paid, for the 'Review of the Functioning of Tynwald' inquiry | No information sent - all held but exempt |
| A request was made for a breakdown of costs and payments to Lord Lisvane regarding the 'Review of the Functioning of Tynwald' inquiry. The Cabinet Office refused to send the information directly, citing that it was already reasonably accessible on the government website following the report's debate. | ||
| 2017-05-04 | Copy of the draft Eastern Plan that has recently been issued | No information sent - all held but exempt |
| A request for a copy of the draft Eastern Plan was denied because the information is already reasonably accessible to the public via the government website and physical locations. The authority clarified that the requested document is actually a preliminary public consultation, not a final draft plan. | ||
| 2017-04-20 | Letter from UK Prime Minister to Chief Minister regarding Brexit | No information sent - all held but exempt |
| A request was made for a copy of a letter from the UK Prime Minister to the Isle of Man Chief Minister regarding Brexit. The authority responded that the information was already publicly available on the government website, so no physical copy was sent. | ||
| 2017-03-21 | Recent emails or correspondence between an MHK, Chief Minister and Chief Secretary regarding DHSC CO | No information sent - all held but exempt |
| A request was made for emails between specific government officials regarding the Department of Health and Social Care chief executive, but no information was disclosed as it was deemed exempt under data protection and public business conduct laws. | ||