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
All (436)
All information sent (121) ·
Some information sent but part exempt (90) ·
Information not held (71) ·
No information sent - all held but exempt (52) ·
Some information sent but not all held (38) ·
Not upheld (22) ·
Request lapsed - requested information not provided (16) ·
Not required to fulfill request (12) ·
Upheld - partial (6) ·
Repeated request (4) ·
Withdrawn (1) ·
Vexatious request (1) ·
Upheld - full (1) ·
Decision Notice - Complaint not upheld (1) ·
| Date | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| 2019-04-11 | Single Use Plastic Usage | Not required to fulfill request |
| A request for specific figures on single-use plastic usage by the Department of Environment, Food and Agriculture was refused because compiling the data would require research not mandated by the Freedom of Information Act 2015. However, the department provided a partial audit appendix and information on their ongoing reduction plan. | ||
| 2019-03-14 | Planning Applications in 2016/2018 and Building Regulation Compliance | Some information sent but not all held |
| The request sought planning approval statistics for 2016-2017 and building regulation data on air tightness and U-values. The Department provided full planning approval numbers but refused to provide average air pressure results or specific U-value counts, citing that the information is not held in a retrievable format. | ||
| 2019-03-13 | report of operating a business from a farm | Some information sent but part exempt |
| The requester sought the identity of a person who reported them for storing goods on their farm and the associated objection letter. The authority disclosed the objection letter but refused to reveal the reporter's identity citing personal data exemptions. | ||
| 2019-03-04 | Waste Licences | Request lapsed - requested information not provided |
| The requester asked for waste licence inspection reports, dates, and non-compliance notices, but the Department of Environment, Food and Agriculture closed the request without providing information due to a lack of clarification on the scope. | ||
| 2019-02-22 | Review request for multiple responses | Not upheld |
| 2019-02-20 | The number of planning appeals lodged over the last twelve months | All information sent |
| 2019-01-28 | obstruction of the sound road u54 004 | Request lapsed - requested information not provided |
| A request for all correspondence regarding Dalby Mountain and its tracks from 1996 to 2019 was made to the Department of Environment, Food and Agriculture. The request lapsed without information being provided because the applicant failed to clarify the overly broad scope after being asked to do so. | ||
| 2019-01-28 | obstruction of the sound road u54 003 | Request lapsed - requested information not provided |
| 2019-01-21 | Dog Warden | All information sent |
| The requester asked for annual costs and working hours for the Dog Warden service over the last 15 years. The Department of Environment, Food and Agriculture provided cost and hour details for contracted services between 2011 and 2017 but stated that specific cost and hour data for internal Pest Control Officers since 2014 is not held. | ||
| 2019-01-15 | Glenfaba House felling licence | All information sent |
| The requester asked for details regarding a felling licence for Scots Pine trees at Glenfaba House, including the date, reason, and specific trees involved. The Department of Environment, Food and Agriculture disclosed the information by providing a map and licence details from November 2016 and noted that no further felling would occur without a new licence. | ||
| 2019-01-11 | Waste Licences | Some information sent but not all held |
| The request sought waste licences for a civic amenity site and Tels Ltd, along with financial data on recycling and operational details. The authority provided the requested licences but refused to answer questions requiring analysis or data creation, and directed the applicant to public planning records for permission details. | ||
| 2018-12-17 | Health and Safety Investigation into Steve Mercer accident | All information sent |
| A request was made regarding the status and publication of the investigation into the 2018 TT accident involving Steve Mercer. The Department of Environment, Food and Agriculture confirmed the investigation is ongoing and stated that only a factual report will be published upon completion. | ||
| 2018-12-10 | Runaway tram accident investigation report | All information sent |
| The requester asked for the Health and Safety at Work Inspectorate (HSWI) investigation report into the August 2017 Snaefell Mountain Railway runaway tram incident, noting that legal proceedings had concluded. The Department of Environment, Food and Agriculture disclosed all requested information, providing a 53-page report containing the executive summary, technical findings, and recommendations. | ||
| 2018-11-19 | Subsidies for IoM Dairy industry | Some information sent but part exempt |
| A request for data on dairy subsidies, industry income, pollution cleanup costs, and cow numbers was partially fulfilled, with specific grant figures provided for IOM Creameries while other data was withheld as not held or publicly available. | ||
| 2018-10-26 | The funding to the meat plant in relation to animal numbers | Not required to fulfill request |
| The requester asked for monthly government funding per livestock unit for the Isle of Man meat plant from September 2013 to August 2018. The Department of Environment, Food and Agriculture refused the request, stating that compiling the data would constitute substantial work not required under the Freedom of Information Act 2015. | ||
| 2018-10-01 | Disposal of General Waste Tels | Not required to fulfill request |
| A request was made to the Department of Environment, Food and Agriculture regarding waste disposal practices by Tels Ltd, including shredding and landfill procedures. The authority refused to fulfill the request, stating it sought explanatory answers and analysis rather than existing recorded information. | ||
| 2018-08-29 | Agricultural Holdings Act 1969 | Some information sent but not all held |
| The requester asked for statistics on farm tenancies under the 1969 and 2008 Acts, young farmer support, and government land holdings. The Department of Environment, Food and Agriculture disclosed that it no longer holds data for most questions due to legislative changes and refused to compile financial data, but provided specific counts of government tenants and their lease terms. | ||
| 2018-08-24 | Oil spill from Manx Radio land 2013 | Information not held |
| 2018-08-23 | Oil spill from Manx Radio land | Information not held |
| A request was made for details regarding an oil spill from Manx Radio land in February 2018 affecting the applicant's property. The request was withdrawn and closed because the applicant noted an incorrect date and submitted a new request with the correct information. | ||
| 2018-08-22 | Runaway tram accident investigation report | Upheld - partial |
| A request was made for the Health and Safety at Work Inspectorate report into a runaway Snaefell Mountain Railway tramcar incident on August 4, 2017. The Department of Environment, Food and Agriculture upheld the refusal to release the full report, citing an absolute exemption under the Health & Safety at Work Act 1974, though the outcome was marked as 'partial' following an internal review. | ||
| 2018-08-21 | What herbicides does the department use? | All information sent |
| The requester asked if the Department of Environment, Food and Agriculture uses glyphosate (Roundup) and requested usage volumes and locations. The department confirmed usage across Forestry, Inland Fisheries, and the Wildlife Park, providing specific quantities and sites for the period from July 2017 to September 2018. | ||
| 2018-08-08 | Pre-planning advice where this formed the basis of an application | Some information sent but not all held |
| The requester sought statistics on pre-planning advice leading to applications and specific correspondence for numerous replacement dwelling cases between 2014 and 2018. The Department of Environment, Food and Agriculture responded that the requested statistics are not collated and therefore not held, resulting in a partial disclosure. | ||
| 2018-07-17 | Habitation Certificates for New Build Properties | All information sent |
| The requester asked for statistics on Habitation Certificates and air tightness tests for new builds over the last two years. The authority clarified that it issues Completion Certificates instead of Habitation Certificates and provided the specific counts for both metrics. | ||
| 2018-07-12 | Meat Plant finances | Some information sent but not all held |
| 2018-07-11 | ADS Duplicate Fields | Not upheld |
| 2018-07-10 | DSAR info re"classification" and "Upland Policy" | Not upheld |
| The applicant requested details on a changed classification and a draft Uplands Policy, but the Department of Environment, Food and Agriculture refused to release the classification data as exempt personal information and directed the applicant to publicly available documents for the policy. | ||
| 2018-07-09 | Information further to DSAR re "different approach" & "Billabong Man" | Not upheld |
| The applicant requested documents regarding a 'different approach' and the identity of 'Billabong Man', but the Department of Environment, Food and Agriculture refused both requests citing exemptions for personal data. | ||
| 2018-06-25 | School food hygiene reports | All information sent |
| The requester asked for the most recent food hygiene reports for the Isle of Man's five secondary schools, but the authority explained that reports are only generated when issues are found and only one report from 2012 was disclosed. | ||
| 2018-06-11 | Raggatt leachate treatment | Some information sent but not all held |
| A request was made for details on chemical reactions, dilution practices, and sampling data regarding Raggatt leachate treatment. The Department of Environment, Food and Agriculture disclosed that the treatment relies on physical adsorption rather than chemical reactions, provided specific contaminant levels and sampling dates, but refused to create new explanatory information for some questions. | ||
| 2018-05-08 | Grant | No information sent - all held but exempt |
| A request was made for detailed payment statistics regarding the Countryside scheme for farmers, including total amounts and recipient counts by value bracket. The Department of Environment, Food and Agriculture refused to provide the information directly, citing that it is already reasonably accessible on their public website. | ||
| 2018-05-01 | Site G Knock Rushen Castletown | Not required to fulfill request |
| A request for all information regarding 'Site G' on the Castletown land review plan was made to the Department of Environment, Food and Agriculture. The authority declined to fulfill the request as written, citing that it was too broad and the effort required was disproportionate to the resources available. | ||
| 2018-04-30 | Sea Fisheries Licence Suspensions | Some information sent but part exempt |
| A request was made for details on suspended sea fisheries licences, including vessel names and holder identities, but the Department of Environment, Food and Agriculture only disclosed specific suspension dates and one vessel name while withholding other details due to ongoing investigations. | ||
| 2018-04-27 | Expenditure on single use plastics within the department | Not required to fulfill request |
| A request was made for expenditure figures on single-use plastics by the Department of Environment, Food and Agriculture, but the authority refused to fulfill it because compiling the data would require research and analysis not mandated by the Freedom of Information Act 2015. | ||
| 2018-04-16 | Hydrocarbon licensing in Manx waters | Information not held |
| The requester asked the Department of Environment, Food and Agriculture about hydrocarbon licensing offers and impact assessments following the 2017 round. The department responded that it does not hold the requested information because responsibility for the Petroleum Act and licensing was transferred to the Department of Infrastructure in 2017. | ||
| 2018-04-09 | Recent redevelopment, 2 dwellings, Gelling's Avenue, Port St. Mary | Not upheld |
| The request sought all correspondence, file notes, dimensions, site levels, declarations of interest, and completion certificates regarding a redevelopment of two dwellings on Gelling's Avenue. The Department of Environment, Food and Agriculture disclosed the requested information via a password-protected memory stick, with some personal data redacted and publicly available planning details noted as exempt. | ||
| 2018-04-09 | Food Hygeine | No information sent - all held but exempt |
| A request was made for McDonald's inspection reports and statistics on pre-informed and unannounced inspections over the last three years. The Department of Environment, Food and Agriculture refused to disclose any information, citing exemptions related to ongoing regulatory investigations. | ||
| 2018-04-06 | Number of perished lambs after sub zero temperatures | Information not held |
| A request was made to the Department of Environment, Food and Agriculture for the number of ewes and lambs that perished due to sub-zero temperatures between December 2017 and April 2018. The authority responded that the requested information is not held. | ||
| 2018-04-06 | Climate change mitigation strategy report | All information sent |
| The requester asked for an explanation of the 'Other' category in greenhouse gas emissions data and access to the full Aether Ltd report or alternative reports since 2015. The Department of Environment, Food and Agriculture explained that 'Other' is an aggregate of sources like aviation and fluorinated gases, and provided four redacted inventory documents covering 1990-2016 instead of a full unredacted report. | ||
| 2018-03-29 | Agricultural Development Scheme payments | Request lapsed - requested information not provided |
| A request was made for total payments and farmer counts under the Agricultural Development Scheme, but the request lapsed because the applicant found the information via a provided link and withdrew the request. | ||
| 2018-03-27 | Unpublished FOI requests | All information sent |
| The requester asked for monthly statistics on Freedom of Information requests received, refused, answered, and published by the Department of Environment, Food and Agriculture over the last 12 months. The authority provided aggregate totals for the period but stated it could not supply monthly breakdowns as the data is not held in that format. | ||
| 2018-03-26 | Food Safety Inspection Reports | Request lapsed - requested information not provided |
| A request was made for food safety inspection reports for premises in Castletown since January 2015, but the requester subsequently withdrew the request in total after clarification discussions. | ||
| 2018-03-15 | Appeal request for 16/01131/REM | All information sent |
| The requester sought the reasons for and identity of the appellant regarding planning application 16/01131/REM, which were not visible online. The Department of Environment, Food and Agriculture disclosed that a hard copy appeal letter was filed and subsequently uploaded to the online system, providing a link to access the information. | ||
| 2018-03-12 | The names of the Directors of IOM Meat Trading Company | No information sent - all held but exempt |
| A request was made for the names of the directors of IOM Meat Trading Company, but no information was disclosed because the data is already reasonably accessible via the Companies Registry. | ||
| 2018-03-06 | How many times has The Barrule been out of port in the past 12 months and when? | Some information sent but part exempt |
| The request asked for the number of times and specific dates the vessel 'The Barrule' was out of port in the past 12 months. The authority disclosed the total number of trips but withheld the specific dates under a qualified exemption to prevent prejudice to crime prevention and enforcement tactics. | ||
| 2018-03-01 | procurement of service and supply of fire extinguishers in its premises and vehicles | Some information sent but not all held |
| The requester asked for details on DEFA's procurement of fire extinguishers and spending between 2015 and 2018. DEFA disclosed that it holds no procurement records as the service is now managed by the Department of Infrastructure, but provided total spending figures for the requested period. | ||
| 2018-02-14 | Please provide any details for planning and enforcement cases in the last 18 months relating to the following property. Broomfield Cottage Qualtroughs Lane Ballafesson IM9 6TP | Repeated request |
| A request was made for planning and enforcement details regarding Broomfield Cottage in Ballafesson for the preceding 18 months. The Department of Environment, Food and Agriculture refused to provide the information, citing that it was a repeated request for which a reasonable interval had not elapsed. | ||
| 2018-02-12 | Broomfield Cottage | Some information sent but part exempt |
| The requester asked for details regarding Broomfield Cottage, specifically concerning work on a stream and trees, to which the Department of Environment, Food and Agriculture responded by providing 106 pages of documents while withholding some information due to personal data exemptions. | ||
| 2018-01-28 | Building Regulations | Information not held |
| The requester asked for statistics on meetings where landlords abandoned tourist accommodation plans due to insulation regulations, but the Department of Environment, Food and Agriculture stated this specific data is not held. Instead, the authority disclosed that 36 applications for change of use to tourist accommodation have been processed since 2014, all of which proceeded with necessary upgrades. | ||
| 2018-01-22 | Milk Testing Results | Some information sent but part exempt |
| A request for Isle of Man Creameries milk testing results from 2017 was partially refused due to commercial interest exemptions, while somatic cell count data was withheld because the Department does not hold it. | ||
| 2017-12-18 | Pinfold Act | Information not held |
| A request was made for the locations and contact numbers of Pinfolds under the Pinfolds Act 1963, but the Department of Environment, Food and Agriculture responded that no such information is held because the government currently maintains no pinfolds. | ||
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