Cabinet Office
4 FOI requests | Full disclosure rate: 3675.0%
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 |
|---|---|---|
| 2025-04-21 | The capping of special duty pay for MPTC workers | Not required to fulfill request |
| The requester sought documentation authorizing the capping of special duty pay for MPTC workers, specifically an agreement by the Joint Negotiating Committee (JNC). The Cabinet Office determined it does not hold any information regarding this request created on or after 11 October 2011, resulting in the request not being fulfilled. | ||
| 2024-12-12 | minutes of internal working groups | Not required to fulfill request |
| The requester sought minutes from the AML/CFT Technical Group and Financial Crime Strategic Board for 2020-2024 to analyze regulatory gaps and corporate governance assurances. The Cabinet Office determined it was not required to fulfill the request due to the applicant's failure to provide necessary clarifications regarding specific topics and organizations despite multiple attempts. | ||
| 2021-08-05 | IOM Deaths by year. | Not required to fulfill request |
| The requester asked for monthly death totals in the Isle of Man from 2013 to 2021, but the Cabinet Office refused to provide monthly data or 2021 figures due to lack of availability and the requirement to create new information. Instead, the authority disclosed annual death totals by gender for the years 2013 through 2020. | ||
| 2020-10-22 | Freedom Of Information. Company Memorandum | Not required to fulfill request |
| The requester asked the Cabinet Office for the Memorandum and Articles of Association for the company 'Tynwald'. The Cabinet Office responded that they do not hold this information and suggested contacting the Clerk of Tynwald's Office instead. | ||