Department of Home Affairs
268 FOI requests | Full disclosure rate: 29.1%
The Freedom of Information requests to the Department of Home Affairs reveal an authority that is highly transparent regarding its own administrative spending and prison operational policies, yet structurally fragmented when it comes to policing data. A clear pattern emerges where the DHA readily discloses financial details, such as the £4.20 daily prison food cost (921153), the lack of Manx-made bread in prisons (1252086), and the specifics of fire safety self-regulation (415933). However, the department frequently acts as a gatekeeper rather than a data holder for law enforcement, consistently responding with 'Information not held' to queries about crime statistics, traffic accidents, and arrest numbers, directing requesters to the separate Isle of Man Constabulary (e.g., 540837, 1049662). This creates a transparency gap where the public can see the cost of running the prison but struggles to get a unified picture of police activity.
Key Cases
Case 377143 — This case is notable for addressing a sensitive human rights issue: the lack of a specific policy for transgender and gender-fluid prisoners, revealing that care is managed via individual plans rather than standardized protocol, which raises questions about consistency in treatment.
Case 1294977 — A critical disclosure during the pandemic, this case confirmed that 24 individuals were sentenced to custody for breaching emergency regulations, providing concrete evidence of the severity of the government's enforcement strategy during the crisis.
Case 415933 — This case exposed a significant regulatory gap in fire safety, revealing that the system relies heavily on self-regulation with minimal prosecutions, challenging the public's assumption of active enforcement for flat and licensed premises safety.
Case 927918 — Regarding the ITV programme 'The Best Little Prison in Britain', the DHA refused to release most internal documents, citing they were 'reasonably accessible' via Hansard. This highlights the tension between media scrutiny and the department's interpretation of public availability exemptions.
Case 2005465 — This request provided a comprehensive breakdown of resignations and workforce statistics within the Prison & Probation Service, offering rare insight into staff retention and the internal stability of the correctional system over a three-year period.
Related FOI Stories
Prison Operations, Welfare, and Procurement — #377143, #379735, #415636, #636965, #709665
Fire Safety Enforcement and Emergency Response — #415933, #356127, #361209, #743265, #762066
Policing Data Fragmentation and Jurisdictional Deflection — #413642, #373633, #445035, #540837, #575339
Pandemic Enforcement and Emergency Powers — #1277345, #1293345, #1294977, #1354141, #1601449
Government Property and Financial Transparency — #379238, #378340, #378936, #379240, #451740
| Date | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| 2024-08-27 | Safer Custody Prison | Information not held |
| A request was made for Safer Custody policy documents from late 2022 to early 2023 and data on staff departures citing deaths in custody. The Department of Home Affairs responded that the information is not held, as no specific 'safer custody' policies exist separately from general prison policies and no records are kept regarding the reasons for staff leaving. | ||
| 2024-08-16 | Cherished vehicle registrations | Some information sent but not all held |
| 2024-08-14 | UK prisoner transfers | Some information sent but not all held |
| The request sought monthly prisoner transfer data to the UK since 2020 and details on non-resident prisoners awaiting transfer. The Department of Home Affairs provided the transfer statistics but refused the other queries under FOIA exemptions regarding the creation of new information. | ||
| 2024-07-23 | Calls to Emergency Services Joint Control Room | Information not held |
| The requester asked for the Emergency Services Joint Control Room's policy and retention schedule for recorded calls. The Department of Home Affairs stated it does not hold a specific written policy but disclosed that call records are retained for 7 years with automatic deletion unless extended for investigative purposes. | ||
| 2024-07-17 | Prisoner suicides in relation to the UK. | No information sent - all held but exempt |
| The request asked for suicide statistics at the Isle of Man Prison over the last 10 years and a comparison to UK averages. The authority confirmed no new suicides since a previous 2023 disclosure but stated it does not hold the requested UK comparative data. | ||
| 2024-07-05 | Coronavirus Regulations | Information not held |
| A request was made to the Department of Home Affairs for details regarding Coronavirus Regulations, lockdowns, and circuit breakers in the Isle of Man. The authority responded that it does not hold the requested information and advised the requester to contact other government departments or consult specific legislation websites. | ||
| 2024-07-05 | Coronavirus Regulations | Information not held |
| A request was made to the Department of Home Affairs to determine when Coronavirus Regulations were revoked on the Isle of Man. The authority responded that it does not hold the requested information and directed the requester to the Clerk of Tynwald's Office and specific legislation websites. | ||
| 2024-07-01 | Isle of Man Prison Portacabins | Some information sent but part exempt |
| A request for details on portacabins used as temporary prisoner accommodation at Isle of Man Prison was partially fulfilled, disclosing the number of units and estimated costs while exempting specific staffing figures. | ||
| 2024-06-20 | Cost of new accommodation cabins at Jurby Prison. | Some information sent but not all held |
| A request was made for details regarding new accommodation cabins at Jurby Prison, including costs, allocation criteria, and operational regimes. The Department of Home Affairs disclosed the estimated installation cost and confirmed the cabins are for male prisoners only, but withheld information on allocation criteria, move-in dates, and daily regimes as these procedures were not yet finalized. | ||
| 2024-06-05 | On-call information | Some information sent but part exempt |
| A request was made to the Department of Home Affairs for details on on-call hours, response times, and pay rates for Isle of Man government staff. The authority partially disclosed the information by providing a detailed salary and overtime rate table for the Fire and Rescue Service, while withholding specific data on on-call hours and response times. | ||
| 2024-05-21 | Reports of Wildlife Crime | Information not held |
| A request was made to the Department of Home Affairs for details on Wildlife Crime Officers and crime statistics for the last five years. The authority responded that they do not hold the requested information and suggested the requester contact the Isle of Man Constabulary instead. | ||
| 2024-05-15 | Fire and Rescue Service charges | Some information sent but not all held |
| The request sought 10 years of data on Fire and Rescue Service charges for false alarms and prank calls, including unpaid amounts. The authority provided 7 years of data for false alarm charges but confirmed no charges were issued for prank calls and stated they do not hold records on unpaid charges. | ||
| 2024-05-08 | Query regarding Sexual Assault Referral Centre. | Information not held |
| A request was made to the Department of Home Affairs for annual user statistics of the Sexual Assault Referral Centre since its opening. The authority responded that it does not hold this information and suggested contacting Manx Care instead. | ||
| 2024-04-15 | Fire and Rescue Service callout charges | Information not held |
| The requester asked for statistics on charges issued and paid for emergency fire callouts over the last five years, but the Department of Home Affairs responded that the information is not held because emergency callouts are not charged. | ||
| 2024-04-09 | incorrectly calculated NARPO compensation scheme | Some information sent but part exempt |
| 2024-04-09 | NARPO compensation scheme declaration | All information sent |
| 2024-04-03 | 999 Calls | Information not held |
| 2024-03-20 | police complaints confidentiality | Some information sent but not all held |
| 2024-02-28 | Release of Firearms Security Handbook - Correspondence DHA/IOMC | Some information sent but part exempt |
| 2024-02-21 | PPD | All information sent |
| 2024-02-14 | 999 Call Volume | All information sent |
| 2024-02-02 | Number of young people sentenced to juvenile prison (secure unit) | Some information sent but part exempt |
| 2024-01-29 | first deemster and justice minister bi-monthly meeting minutes | Not upheld |
| 2024-01-25 | Paper related costs | Some information sent but not all held |
| 2024-01-11 | flood at the old headquarters | Some information sent but not all held |
| 2023-11-15 | Fire+ Rescue Service and Constabulary response to medical emergencies | Information not held |
| 2023-11-13 | Transgender Prisoners | Some information sent but part exempt |
| 2023-11-09 | Ref 3490909 - expansion of FOI request | Information not held |
| 2023-10-31 | Number of fines for no tv licence | Information not held |
| 2023-10-30 | Drugs tests on prison officers | Information not held |
| 2023-10-17 | Number of inmates at the Isle of Man Prison | Some information sent but not all held |
| 2023-10-10 | Trans Victims | Information not held |
| 2023-10-10 | Katie Hopkins event at The Manx Legion Club in September 2023 | Information not held |
| 2023-10-03 | Funds sent to the UK and elsewhere | Some information sent but part exempt |
| 2023-09-21 | Police vehicle recovery contract | Information not held |
| 2023-09-20 | Information about investigation into listening device in IOM Prison | Some information sent but part exempt |
| 2023-09-14 | Deaths at IOM Prison | All information sent |
| 2023-08-25 | Prison meals | Some information sent but not all held |
| 2023-08-23 | Prison staffing levels | Some information sent but not all held |
| 2023-08-08 | Sexual Violence / Domestic Abuse Report 2022/23 | Information not held |
| 2023-08-01 | Backdated compensation paid to 10 police officers but unpaid to 221 | Some information sent but part exempt |
| 2023-07-27 | Number of detainees arriving at IOM Prison with previous convictions. | All information sent |
| 2023-07-19 | Earystane & Scards, Sulby & Druidale | No information sent - all held but exempt |
| 2023-07-13 | Civica iCasework cloud hosted system user licences and contract | Some information sent but not all held |
| 2023-07-13 | FOI requests protected, DSAR requests unprotected by system audit log | Some information sent but not all held |
| 2023-07-11 | Isle of Man Steam Packet Company fireworks display | All information sent |
| 2023-06-23 | Annual cost of running IOM Prison | All information sent |
| 2023-06-20 | Whistleblowers Report | No information sent - all held but exempt |
| 2023-06-20 | Mr Traynor KC's appointment | No information sent - all held but exempt |
| 2023-06-16 | Prisoner payouts | Some information sent but part exempt |