Department of Environment, Food and Agriculture
436 FOI requests | Full disclosure rate: 27.8%
The Freedom of Information requests to the Department of Environment, Food and Agriculture (DEFA) reveal an authority that is selectively transparent, often releasing historical or aggregate data while vigorously protecting current operational details, enforcement identities, and policy formulations. A clear pattern emerges regarding financial accountability: while the department disclosed a comprehensive list of 346 farmer payments for 2015 (355013), subsequent requests for similar granular data were frequently blocked as 'repeated' (914723) or redirected to public websites (462340). This suggests a reluctance to provide real-time financial scrutiny of agricultural subsidies, even as significant public funds, such as the £500,000 in meat plant subventions (355069), are acknowledged.
Key Cases
Case 355013 — A rare instance of full transparency where the department disclosed a list of 346 individual farmer payment amounts for 2015, setting a benchmark for financial openness that was not consistently maintained in later years.
Case 675466 — The release of the full 53-page investigation report into the Snaefell Mountain Railway runaway tram incident, overturning a previous refusal (563738) and demonstrating that safety data is eventually accessible once legal proceedings conclude.
Case 355047 — A complete refusal to disclose details of a planning enforcement complaint on Kella Road, citing confidential information and ongoing investigations, highlighting the department's strict protection of enforcement processes from public view.
Case 355057 — The withholding of heavy metal analysis and leachate results for Peel Marina under 'policy formulation' exemptions, raising concerns about the transparency of environmental risk assessments and waste management data.
Case 355035 — A request regarding Lorne House was deemed 'vexatious' after partial fulfillment, illustrating the department's use of resource burden arguments to halt persistent inquiries into specific planning or housing issues.
Related FOI Stories
The Meat Plant Saga: Funding, Tenders, and Safety — #355069, #355075, #355099, #355087, #625866
Planning Enforcement and Whistleblower Protection — #355047, #355079, #361141, #856665, #922953
Environmental Data: Leachate, Dredging, and Water Quality — #355045, #355057, #500235, #935114, #1165449
Agricultural Subsidies and Farmer Payments — #355013, #355063, #462340, #914723, #973789
Safety Incidents: Railways and Transport — #355051, #563738, #675466, #682066
| Date | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| 2023-07-27 | COLBY RIVER AND SCARD RESERVOIRS AND TRIBUTARIES | No information sent - all held but exempt |
| 2023-07-25 | The Wreck of the Claire Anne - 2nd request | Information not held |
| 2023-07-24 | LOCATION PLANS RE SCARD / EARYSTANE WIND TURBINE | No information sent - all held but exempt |
| 2023-07-24 | 2017 Structural Assessment 7/8 The Promenade, Castletown, IM9 1BJ | All information sent |
| 2023-07-24 | Bee holdings | All information sent |
| 2023-07-20 | Ramsey Courthouse K8 Phonebox Correspondence | All information sent |
| 2023-07-20 | ENVIROMENTAL SURVEYS TO INCLUDE ALL FLORA AND FAUNA | No information sent - all held but exempt |
| 2023-07-19 | Asbestos in IOM Schools | All information sent |
| 2023-07-19 | Earystane & Scards, Sulby & Druidale | Some information sent but part exempt |
| 2023-07-04 | Data Related to the Isle of Man Greenhouse Gas Inventory 2021 | All information sent |
| 2023-06-12 | 2017 Porch repairs to 8 The Promenade Castletown | Information not held |
| 2023-05-29 | Staffing cover for FPV Barrule | All information sent |
| 2023-05-12 | Protection of birds and their nests | Some information sent but part exempt |
| 2023-04-28 | Rental and tenancy agreements for the building used for Wool Control | Information not held |
| 2023-04-28 | Minutes of the Wildlife Committee Meetings and BAP | Request lapsed - requested information not provided |
| 2023-03-23 | Our house has been affected by a serious landslide | Some information sent but part exempt |
| 2023-02-28 | Request for information on wool control management agreements | Not upheld |
| 2023-02-23 | Remuneration to specialist advisors | Some information sent but part exempt |
| 2023-02-14 | Statutory Nuisance Investigations | Information not held |
| 2023-02-14 | Statutory Nuisance Investigations Policy Change | Some information sent but part exempt |
| 2023-02-07 | Delegations of functions to local authorities | Information not held |
| 2023-02-07 | Grant Received | Information not held |
| 2023-01-31 | Annual funding for Beach Buddies Isle of Man & monitoring of delivery. | Some information sent but part exempt |
| 2023-01-31 | DEFA, ADS, previously Countryside Care Scheme. | Some information sent but part exempt |
| 2023-01-31 | List of all DEFA bids to Treasury | Some information sent but part exempt |
| 2023-01-31 | Copy of DEFA contract with Brannach Olann for wool control management | Information not held |
| 2023-01-02 | Seeking information for the Lord Street car park complex | Information not held |
| 2022-11-30 | Planning Committee Applications - Review by Senior Officer | Information not held |
| 2022-11-29 | Works in Conservation Area, upper Gretch Veg waterfall area, Laxey | No information sent - all held but exempt |
| 2022-11-29 | Douglas Summerhill Horse Tram stables | Some information sent but part exempt |
| 2022-11-29 | Works in Conservation Area, Gretch Veg culvert area, Laxey | No information sent - all held but exempt |
| 2022-11-09 | FPV owned by DEFA | All information sent |
| 2022-11-03 | Near miss - FPV Barrule | All information sent |
| 2022-11-03 | FPV Barrule - email correspondence | Some information sent but part exempt |
| 2022-10-24 | Climate Change Transformation Team | All information sent |
| 2022-10-21 | FPV Barrule | No information sent - all held but exempt |
| 2022-10-18 | Suspected Breach of Planning Control 21/00113/PRDEV | All information sent |
| 2022-10-04 | Agri-Environment Scheme claims | All information sent |
| A request was made to the Department of Environment, Food and Agriculture for statistics on successful Agri-Environment Scheme claims for new dubs and scrapes, including planning approval requirements. The authority disclosed that there were 2 successful claims for dubs and 1 for scrapes, with specific details on the planning evidence submitted for each. | ||
| 2022-10-04 | FOI Requests and Responses | All information sent |
| The requester asked for hyperlinks to all previous FOI responses from the Department of Environment, Food and Agriculture since 2015. Although the department initially stated it did not hold this specific data, it voluntarily created and provided a list of 16 hyperlinks to published responses, noting one case was withheld from publication due to personal information. | ||
| 2022-09-27 | Two energy doctors | All information sent |
| The requester asked the Department of Environment, Food and Agriculture about the employment status, current hiring status, and required qualifications for two proposed 'energy doctors'. The authority confirmed the roles will be contract-based, no one has been hired yet, and specified that training will be provided alongside desirable experience in energy management or DIY. | ||
| 2022-09-21 | Glen Wylin Campsite | All information sent |
| The requester sought a copy of the lease agreement between the Forestry Board and Glen Wylin Campsite to understand the legality of seasonal campers being asked to vacate. The Department of Environment, Food and Agriculture provided the requested document with personal information redacted. | ||
| 2022-09-12 | MFVP Barrule | Some information sent but part exempt |
| A request was made regarding the MFVP Barrule's fisheries protection voyages and its operational status, specifically whether it was laid up due to technical difficulties. The authority disclosed monthly voyage counts but withheld specific dates under a crime prevention exemption, while clarifying that the vessel has not been laid up this year. | ||
| 2022-09-12 | Food and Drink Festival | All information sent |
| The requester asked for all records regarding the consideration of postponing or cancelling the 2022 Isle of Man Food and Drink Festival following the death of Queen Elizabeth II. The Department of Environment, Food and Agriculture responded by sending all requested information, including emails and Microsoft Teams messages. | ||
| 2022-08-17 | Publication of Responses to Requests for information under the FOIA | Not upheld |
| 2022-08-15 | Ramsey Swing Bridge | All information sent |
| A request was made for correspondence and reports regarding the Ramsey Swing Bridge and its potential addition to the Protected Buildings Register. The Department of Environment, Food and Agriculture responded by releasing all requested information. | ||
| 2022-08-08 | access to information regarding an allegation of noise nuisance. | Request lapsed - requested information not provided |
| 2022-06-01 | Greenwashing | All information sent |
| The requester asked for all emails containing variations of the term 'greenwash' within the Environment and Agriculture & Land areas of the Department of Environment, Food and Agriculture between January 2021 and June 2022. The authority released the requested information with redactions applied to personal data. | ||
| 2022-05-26 | Protected Building Registration of Former Newson's Trading Building | All information sent |
| 2022-05-26 | Repair Notice relating to Former Newson's Trading Building | Some information sent but not all held |
| The request sought all information regarding the decision to issue a Section 33 Repair Notice for the Former Newson's Trading Building, including communications and the rationale for not issuing a Section 32 notice. The Department of Environment, Food and Agriculture disclosed an enforcement assessment report detailing the building's condition, historical significance, and recommended actions, though not all requested information was held. | ||
| 2022-05-04 | Licence Information in relation to Coach House Kennels and Cattery | All information sent |
| The request sought licence details for Coach House Kennels and Cattery, including animal capacity and operational conditions. The authority disclosed the specific number of dogs and cats licensed for boarding, clarified that reptiles do not require a licence, and noted that dog daycare is unregulated. | ||