Cabinet Office
25 FOI requests | Full disclosure rate: 588.0%
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 |
|---|---|---|
| 2026-01-02 | Overseas Aid | Not upheld |
| The requester asked for an organizational chart, salary maximas, and senior staff names for a non-existent 'Overseas Aid Division' within the Cabinet Office. The authority clarified that no such division exists, but provided a chart for the External Relations Team and noted that only one Executive Officer primarily handles International Development policy. | ||
| 2025-11-18 | costal erosion line | Not upheld |
| The requester sought maps, criteria, property lists, and reports regarding the coastal erosion line in Kirk Michael for the Draft Area Plan. The Cabinet Office disclosed that the map and supporting reports are publicly available online, while stating they do not hold the criteria or property lists, directing the requester to the Department of Infrastructure. | ||
| 2025-07-08 | Fairness at Work upheld complaints | Not upheld |
| The requester asked for details regarding disciplinary actions and personal attributes of employees involved in four upheld Fairness at Work complaints between 2021 and 2025. The Cabinet Office refused to disclose any information, citing an absolute exemption for personal data under the Freedom of Information Act 2015. | ||
| 2024-11-12 | NW Area Pan | Not upheld |
| A request was made for the legal basis and specific costs associated with the NW Area Plan, including consultations and the Public Inquiry. The Cabinet Office disclosed the relevant legislation and provided detailed cost breakdowns for the plan's preparation, consultations, inquiry, and inspector's fees. | ||
| 2024-09-11 | Inspector to hold his position | Not upheld |
| The request sought specific emails and position statements regarding the Inspector's decisions on public consultation responses and inquiry attendance for the North and West Area Plan. The authority disclosed email correspondence between Andy Johnstone and external parties but the overall request was not upheld, indicating some information was withheld or the request was partially refused. | ||
| 2024-02-02 | Airfield Operations Electricians JEGS/Market Rating Exercise | Not upheld |
| 2023-07-19 | Earystane & Scards, Sulby & Druidale | Not upheld |
| The request sought all information regarding proposed onshore wind farms, including notes and meeting records. The response disclosed internal Manx Utilities Authority documents detailing site selection, capacity targets, and timelines for three potential locations, though the overall FOI complaint was not upheld. | ||
| 2023-05-04 | payments made to the 27 staff in the 2022/2023 financial year | Not upheld |
| 2023-04-12 | Off-Island employees/contractors | Not upheld |
| 2023-03-31 | Medical Assurances | Not upheld |
| 2023-03-15 | Payments to staff | Not upheld |
| 2022-11-17 | Professor Curran | Not upheld |
| 2022-01-10 | Manx Gas | Not upheld |
| The requester sought all written communications between Manx Gas and the Chief Minister since October 2021, but the Cabinet Office refused to disclose the information citing a breach of confidence exemption. | ||
| 2021-12-08 | Cabinet Office and UK ministry of Justice relationship during Covid19 | Not upheld |
| The requester asked for evidence of UK Ministry of Justice instructions to the Isle of Man Cabinet Office regarding COVID-19 measures and details of a 2020 meeting with British military officials. The Cabinet Office responded that it does not hold the requested information and suggested contacting the Constabulary or Department of Home Affairs for the meeting details. | ||
| 2020-12-23 | Key Worker Pathways | Not upheld |
| The applicant requested all versions of Key Worker pathways, supporting policy documents, and evidence regarding their creation and approval since the March 2020 border closure. The Cabinet Office provided an application form but refused to supply previous pathway versions, citing that they are already publicly available via Emergency Regulations. | ||
| 2020-11-23 | Key worker exemption certificates | Not upheld |
| The request sought to identify which departments were responsible for wording, vetting, and amending Key Worker Exemption certificates issued in June 2020, specifically regarding the 'Jersey businessmen' case. The Cabinet Office responded that it issued the documents with input from relevant departments and confirmed that wording changes were made on 18 June 2020. | ||
| 2020-08-31 | Requirements for each Level of the Borders Framework | Not upheld |
| The requester asked for specific data requirements and decision-making criteria for each level of the Isle of Man's Borders Framework. The Cabinet Office responded that decisions are made by the Council of Ministers based on UK and local infection rates, but did not provide specific numerical thresholds or detailed data requirements. | ||
| 2020-05-20 | Question about Essential Workers | Not upheld |
| The requester asked for the number of essential workers who tested positive for Covid-19 within 28 days of entering the Isle of Man. The Cabinet Office responded that it does not hold this information because it does not track incoming essential workers for that specific period. | ||
| 2020-04-28 | Covid advice | Not upheld |
| The requester sought all Covid-19 advice and Council of Ministers minutes regarding health, borders, human rights, and schools since January 1, 2020, resulting in a 'Not upheld' outcome with the disclosure of specific papers on childcare risks and border re-entry quarantine protocols. | ||
| 2019-10-07 | RNLI | Not upheld |
| The requester asked for minutes regarding the Cabinet Office Political Group's approval of an International Development Small Grant to the RNLI. The authority provided an extract from the minutes confirming the approval of the 'SwimSafe' project and listing other grants approved during the same meeting. | ||
| 2019-07-29 | Centralisation of secondary legislation drafting | Not upheld |
| The requester sought documents and details regarding the centralisation of secondary legislation drafting agreed by the Council of Ministers in February 2019, including consultation records and implementation plans. The provided response text is incomplete and cuts off mid-sentence, preventing a determination of what information was actually disclosed or withheld. | ||
| 2019-01-14 | Gov plan | Not upheld |
| The requester asked if a government team was created to identify cost reductions and what savings were achieved. The Cabinet Office refused to provide the information directly, citing that it is already reasonably accessible via a public report on the Tynwald website. | ||
| 2018-09-05 | Determination and appeal of immigration applications | Not upheld |
| The requester asked for monthly immigration statistics regarding applications, approvals, refusals, and appeals from February 2016 to September 2018. The Cabinet Office refused the request because the specific data is not collated in their database, though they noted that annual reports are published publicly. | ||
| 2018-09-03 | Population growth and staffing in Isle of Man schools | Not upheld |
| A request was made for data on new Isle of Man residents employed in schools over the last seven years, but the Cabinet Office refused to provide it as they do not hold the information. | ||
| 2018-09-03 | Referral of applications by UKVI to the IOM Immigration Service | Not upheld |
| The requester sought statistics on UKVI's failure to refer Isle of Man visa applications to local officers and internal policies regarding these procedures. The Cabinet Office refused the request under a practical refusal exemption, stating they do not hold the specific statistics requested. | ||