Cabinet Office
10 FOI requests | Full disclosure rate: 1470.0%
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 |
|---|---|---|
| 2025-08-27 | CO MEMO to Planning Inspector AP25/0003 | Upheld - partial |
| The request sought drafts, circulation details, and meeting records regarding a Cabinet Office memo on housing need for Planning Appeal AP25/0003. The authority partially upheld the request by disclosing a detailed summary update on residential approval data, land supply, and housing projections from 2011 to 2025. | ||
| 2025-04-01 | Freedom of Information Consultation | Upheld - partial |
| The requester sought evidence regarding Cabinet Office decisions on FOI policy, administrative burdens, and specific meeting minutes, while the authority partially upheld the request by providing 2023 statistics on Data Subject Access Requests (DSARs) and Freedom of Information (FOI) volumes across government departments. | ||
| 2024-07-09 | Recruitment for Information Commissioners Office | Upheld - partial |
| The request sought details on recruitment, vacancies, and appointments at the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) between 2022 and 2024. The Cabinet Office partially upheld the request, providing a table of advertised roles, application statistics, and appointment dates, while noting that some senior interim positions were not advertised. | ||
| 2022-08-15 | Publication of Information Requests | Upheld - partial |
| The requester asked for details on who published an unsigned FOI document, who set the publication criteria, and the legal basis for these actions. The Cabinet Office responded that it does not hold recorded information on these specific decisions, noting that FOI publication is voluntary and not mandated by the Act. | ||
| 2022-04-22 | Climate Change Transformation Team | Upheld - partial |
| The requester asked for the names and salary maxima of all staff in the Climate Change Transformation Team, citing a recent transparency initiative regarding Covid grants. The Cabinet Office disclosed the names and job grades of seven team members but did not provide specific salary figures, instead linking to a public pay scale document. | ||
| 2021-04-27 | Peter Greenhill- submission Eastern Area Plan | Upheld - partial |
| The request sought copies of receipts, forwarding emails, and online entry timestamps for a 2019 submission by Peter Greenhill regarding the Eastern Area Plan. The Cabinet Office partially upheld the request, releasing the receipt but withholding email copies due to personal data exemptions and stating that online entry timestamps could not be located. | ||
| 2019-10-07 | Apllication by the RNLI for a Small Grant | Upheld - partial |
| The request sought the RNLI's Small Grant application form submitted to the Isle of Man Cabinet Office's International Development department. The authority partially upheld the request by disclosing the pre-application requirements and the completed charity information section of the form, while redacting personal contact details and trustee names. | ||
| 2019-07-22 | DBS Checks | Upheld - partial |
| The request sought details on DBS checks for Department of Education, Sport and Culture (DESC) employees, including numbers, policies, and costs. The authority partially upheld the request, disclosing specific employee counts requiring checks, the relevant recruitment policy, and contact details for HR, while noting that some roles are exempt under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 2001. | ||
| 2019-01-26 | Staff | Upheld - partial |
| A request for detailed staffing data, contracts, and budget information for the Isle of Man Cabinet Office was partially upheld, with some data provided via external links and previous disclosures while other specific metrics were refused as not held. | ||
| 2018-06-26 | Steam Packet purchase | Upheld - partial |
| A request was made for all papers, minutes, and notes regarding the Council of Ministers' consideration of the acquisition of the Isle of Man Steam Packet Company. The authority partially upheld the request, releasing several documents while redacting personal data and information related to live policy formulation. | ||