Cabinet Office
610 FOI requests | Full disclosure rate: 24.1%
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 |
|---|---|---|
| 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. | ||
| 2017-04-13 | Email exchanges with Information Commissioner relating to the 'Single Resident Record' | Some information sent but part exempt |
| A request was made for email exchanges between the Cabinet Office and the Information Commissioner regarding the 'Single Resident Record' project, resulting in the release of 19 pages of documents with some personal data redacted. | ||
| 2017-03-23 | Request for the value, estimate and performance detail of the Water Authority sinking fund | Information not held |
| A request for the value, estimate, and performance details of the Water Authority sinking fund was refused by the Cabinet Office because they do not hold the information. The authority advised the requester to consult the published 2017-2018 Budget or direct future queries to the Treasury. | ||
| 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. | ||
| 2017-03-15 | Details of the legal liability insurance against claims made by members of the public | Information not held |
| The requester asked for details regarding legal liability insurance held by the Cabinet Office against public claims, but the authority refused the request stating the information is not held by them. | ||
| 2017-03-05 | Beamans Report 2014 - Modernising Ministerial Government | All information sent |
| A request for the 2014 Beamans Report regarding the modernization of ministerial government was fulfilled by the Cabinet Office, which provided the full 45-page document reviewing senior management structures. | ||
| 2017-03-02 | Scottish Power warranty cashback scheme | Information not held |
| The requester asked for dates when the Council of Ministers discussed Manx companies DAIL and PowerPlan Company Ltd regarding the Scottish Power warranty cashback scheme. The Cabinet Office refused the request stating they do not hold the information, though they provided links to two public Hansard transcripts from 2016 that contain related details. | ||
| 2017-01-31 | The official diary of the Chief Minister and Minister for Policy and Reform | Upheld - full |
| A request was made for the official diary of the Chief Minister and Minister for Policy and Reform for October to December 2016. The Cabinet Office provided a partial response containing the diary entries for the Minister for Policy and Reform, while noting the Chief Minister's diary would be provided separately. | ||
| 2017-01-17 | Investigatory Powers Bill (of parliament) paper approved by Council | All information sent |
| A request was made for the Cabinet Office paper regarding the approval of a permissive extent clause for the UK Investigatory Powers Bill, which was fully disclosed to the applicant. | ||
| 2017-01-14 | Procurement of portable audio recording devices | All information sent |
| A Freedom of Information request was made to the Isle of Man Cabinet Office for details on portable audio recording devices procured between 2012 and 2016. The authority disclosed a complete list of 18 devices purchased by various government departments, including models, costs, and encryption status. | ||