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 |
|---|---|---|
| 2023-03-15 | Payments to staff | Not upheld |
| 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. | ||
| 2023-02-23 | Spyware | Information not held |
| 2023-02-15 | Precautionary Suspension | All information sent |
| 2023-02-13 | H5N1 Plans | Information not held |
| 2023-02-10 | Employee Referral Scheme | All information sent |
| 2023-02-07 | Carbon emissions associated with Chief Minister's air travel | Some information sent but not all held |
| 2023-02-06 | GTS whitelist email address policy | Some information sent but not all held |
| 2023-02-03 | integrity line | All information sent |
| 2023-01-31 | List of all Cabinet Office bids to Treasury | Information not held |
| 2023-01-26 | Leagl Aid | Information not held |
| 2023-01-24 | Payments to staff leaving civil service | Some information sent but part exempt |
| 2023-01-20 | Suicide figures 2022 | Some information sent but not all held |
| 2023-01-17 | internal organisational terrorist employee categorisation | Information not held |
| 2023-01-11 | Staff Numbers | Some information sent but not all held |
| 2023-01-10 | Vaccines | Information not held |
| 2023-01-10 | Gender Pay Disparity | All information sent |
| 2023-01-10 | Equality Champion | Some information sent but not all held |
| 2023-01-04 | Primary School Pupils - BMI Information | Some information sent but part exempt |
| 2023-01-03 | Coroner Certification of 2020 Covid Deaths at Abbotswood Nursing Home | Information not held |
| 2023-01-03 | Vascular dementia public health | Information not held |
| 2022-12-12 | Transformation Team | Some information sent but part exempt |
| 2022-12-06 | Cost of wasted Covid PPE | Information not held |
| 2022-12-05 | Covid-19 PPE Procurement. | Information not held |
| 2022-11-30 | Membership of N.A.T.O. | Information not held |
| 2022-11-29 | List of elected MHKs and their contact details | No information sent - all held but exempt |
| 2022-11-23 | Cost of running canteen in Government Offices | Information not held |
| 2022-11-17 | Professor Curran | Not upheld |
| 2022-11-15 | Remuneration paid to Manx Care Board members. | All information sent |
| 2022-11-14 | Internet cameras | Information not held |
| 2022-11-03 | Central Registry - why no FOI capability? | Some information sent but not all held |
| 2022-10-31 | TikTok | All information sent |
| 2022-10-31 | Mobile Devices | Information not held |
| 2022-10-20 | List of Masons as MHK's and Civil Servants | Information not held |
| 2022-10-14 | Correspondence with International Monitoring Board | Some information sent but part exempt |
| 2022-10-11 | Cost of Government Conference | Information not held |
| A request was made for a detailed cost breakdown of the Government Conference at Villa Marina, but the Cabinet Office responded that they do not hold this information. | ||
| 2022-10-11 | Police Pension scheme transfers | Some information sent but not all held |
| 2022-09-27 | MHK opt in/out of which pay award list. | All information sent |
| The requester asked if Payroll holds records of MHKs opting in or out of pay awards and if these are kept in compliance with the OHR Records Management Policy. The Cabinet Office confirmed that if such data is provided to the Payroll Team, they are responsible for holding and retaining it in compliance with the policy. | ||
| 2022-09-27 | Isle of Man Deaths | Information not held |
| The requester asked for confirmation on whether death statistics included Isle of Man residents who died in UK hospitals and requested specific figures for the last five years if they were excluded. The Cabinet Office responded that this information is not held by them or Public Health, as mortality data is limited to deaths registered within the Isle of Man. | ||
| 2022-09-22 | Covid Regulations | Some information sent but part exempt |
| The requester asked for details on who drafted specific COVID-19 quarantine regulations, the drafter's qualifications, and whether legal advice was sought regarding international health and torture conventions. The Cabinet Office disclosed that the Attorney General's Chambers drafted the regulations under the Emergency Powers Act 1936 but stated it did not hold information regarding the specific qualifications of the individual drafter. | ||
| 2022-09-14 | Amnesty for Ineligible Covid-19 Financial Support Payments | Information not held |
| The requester asked for details on repayments made during a 20-day amnesty for ineligible Covid-19 financial support and confirmation of ongoing formal reviews. The Cabinet Office responded that they do not hold this information and suggested contacting the Department for Enterprise or The Treasury instead. | ||
| 2022-09-14 | Suicide | All information sent |
| The requester asked for the number of suicide deaths on the Isle of Man over the past five years and the current year to date. The Cabinet Office disclosed the specific annual figures from 2017 to 2022, confirming all requested information was provided. | ||
| 2022-09-13 | Public Health and Vaccines | Some information sent but not all held |
| A request for data on adverse reactions and deaths related to Covid-19 vaccines on the Isle of Man was partially fulfilled, with the Cabinet Office clarifying that the Public Health Directorate does not collate this specific data as the island participates in the UK MHRA Yellow Card Scheme. | ||
| 2022-09-12 | HR Complaints | All information sent |
| A request was made for details regarding HR complaints against Digital Agency board members over the last five years. The Cabinet Office disclosed that one complaint was received under the Fairness at Work Policy, which was not upheld. | ||
| 2022-09-07 | FOI - Cabinet Office - Unpublished Responses to FOI Requests | Some information sent but part exempt |
| The requester asked for unpublished FOI responses from the Cabinet Office since the Act's introduction, but the authority provided two specific past responses instead: one refusing a repeated request about appeal times and another confirming no drug testing policy exists for government workers. | ||
| 2022-09-06 | Job grades in Payroll | All information sent |
| The requester asked for job role grades containing 'customer service' in the Payroll team and which grades were included in the original business case. The Cabinet Office confirmed that Executive Officer (EO) and Administrative Officer (AO) grades hold these titles and were included in the business case. | ||
| 2022-09-06 | Code of conduct for public servants | Information not held |
| The requester asked for details on complaints regarding inappropriate conduct in the payroll office since 2020 and whether staff were advised to comply with the code of conduct. The Cabinet Office responded that no formal complaints were held or known to managers within that timeframe, resulting in an 'Information not held' outcome. | ||
| 2022-09-05 | chief secretary appointments commission review report | Some information sent but part exempt |
| The request sought the 2015 Chief Secretary review report on the Appointments Commission and related correspondence regarding alleged inaction. The Cabinet Office disclosed the review report itself but withheld some information, citing partial exemptions. | ||
| 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. | ||
| 2022-08-15 | civil service headcount and sick days 2012-2022 | All information sent |
| The request sought total government employee headcounts and sick days for the years 2012, 2014, 2016, 2018, 2020, and 2022. The Cabinet Office disclosed all requested information, providing Full-Time Equivalent (FTE) averages and total days lost due to sickness for each specified year. | ||