Office of the Clerk of Tynwald
16 FOI requests | Full disclosure rate: 125.0%
The Freedom of Information requests to the Office of the Clerk of Tynwald reveal an authority that is highly protective of parliamentary privilege, often using it as an absolute shield against scrutiny of Member conduct, briefings, and internal investigations. Cases such as [2303135], [2324853], and [2598157] demonstrate a consistent refusal to disclose information regarding how Members are briefed or how conflicts of interest are managed, effectively creating a 'black box' around the political decision-making process. While the Clerk's Office is willing to release specific historical financial receipts for travel (e.g., [357251], [867165]), it frequently deflects broader questions about policy, staffing capacity, or legal costs by claiming the information is 'not held' or resides with other departments, highlighting a fragmented approach to government record-keeping.
Key Cases
Case 1620137 — This case resulted in the disclosure of 293 pages of documentation regarding a 2014 internship trial, revealing the detailed internal process of creating a cost-neutral trainee position. It stands out as one of the most voluminous and revealing disclosures regarding internal HR strategy.
Case 2303135 — An 'Upheld - full' decision where the authority refused to disclose briefings to Tynwald members, citing parliamentary privilege. This is a critical case for understanding the limits of FOI in the Isle of Man, as it confirms that the internal advice given to politicians is effectively shielded from public scrutiny.
Case 357251 — The disclosure of the Falkland Islands trip expenses included a correction of a previous transcription error in the total cost. This demonstrates the practical value of FOI in correcting the public record and ensuring financial accuracy for high-profile government travel.
Case 2598157 — This case involved a specific inquiry into whether MHK Andrew Smith declared a conflict of interest regarding a gas price vote. The refusal to disclose any investigation details, citing privilege, highlights the difficulty in holding individual members accountable for potential ethical breaches through the FOI route.
Case 4554501 — The request for a list of Freemasons in Tynwald roles resulted in the disclosure of three individuals who declared such interests. It is a notable example of the FOI Act being used to uncover specific, non-financial affiliations of public officials that might otherwise remain obscure.
Related FOI Stories
Parliamentary Privilege and Member Conduct — #525135, #2324853, #2303135, #2386337, #2598157
Government Travel and Expense Transparency — #357235, #357251, #357253, #357255, #867165
Legal Costs and External Services — #1446386, #1815433, #2562465, #4339578
Staffing, Employment, and Internal Governance — #1282345, #1620137, #1821233, #2127151, #4386569
Information Not Held vs. Jurisdictional Boundaries — #357237, #357243, #357245, #475038, #1624497
| Date | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| 2025-07-01 | MHK and MLC absences 2021 - 2025 | No information sent - all held but exempt |
| The request sought a compiled table of authorized and unauthorized absences for MHKs and MLCs from October 2021 to June 2025, including reasons for absence. The authority refused to compile the data, directing the requester to existing public records, and withheld specific reasons for absence citing personal data exemptions. | ||
| 2025-01-10 | Names of Legislative Council Applicants | No information sent - all held but exempt |
| The requester asked for the names of applicants to join the Isle of Man Legislative Council, but the Office of the Clerk of Tynwald refused to disclose this information citing absolute exemptions for personal data. | ||
| 2024-01-01 | MARS [Mutually Agreed Resignation Agreement] payments | No information sent - all held but exempt |
| 2023-12-26 | Election Donations | No information sent - all held but exempt |
| 2023-07-12 | How much does it cost to put together Tynwald day | No information sent - all held but exempt |
| 2023-04-27 | Evidence to Tynwald Standards Committee | No information sent - all held but exempt |
| The requester sought evidence submitted by four specific Members of Tynwald to the Standards Committee regarding an investigation announced by Chief Minister Alfred Cannan. The Office of the Clerk of Tynwald refused to disclose the information, citing an exemption to protect the privileges of Tynwald, though they listed some related documents available in a public report. | ||
| 2022-10-25 | Speaker portrait | No information sent - all held but exempt |
| 2022-08-23 | Declaration of conflict of interest | No information sent - all held but exempt |
| A request was made to determine if MHK Andrew Smith declared a conflict of interest regarding a 2021 gas price vote and if any investigation occurred into an undeclared conflict. The Office of the Clerk of Tynwald withheld all information, citing that voting records are publicly accessible via Hansard and that investigating a member's conduct falls under parliamentary privilege. | ||
| 2022-04-06 | Financial information on the CPA | No information sent - all held but exempt |
| A request was made for a cost breakdown of the CPA British Islands Mediterranean Region Conference held in March 2022, but the Office of the Clerk of Tynwald refused to disclose the information. | ||
| 2022-03-11 | Emoluments MHK's resettlement grant. | No information sent - all held but exempt |
| The requester asked for emails and correspondence regarding the Members' resettlement grant sent to the Cochrane and Emoluments committees. The Office of the Clerk of Tynwald refused to disclose any information, citing an absolute exemption to protect the privileges of Tynwald and the privacy of committee correspondence. | ||
| 2020-05-05 | employee capacity and capability variance | No information sent - all held but exempt |
| The request sought detailed staff appointment and departure records, total employee counts, and workload assessments for the Office of the Clerk of Tynwald. The authority refused to provide specific data, citing that some information is already publicly available in annual reports, some is exempt as personal data, and some regarding workloads is not held. | ||
| 2019-07-22 | Sittings | No information sent - all held but exempt |
| A request was made for the annual number of sittings for Tynwald and the House of Keys, but the authority refused to provide the information directly under Section 20 of the Act as it is already reasonably accessible on the Tynwald website. | ||
| 2018-07-13 | June Tynwald Question 29 for Written Answer | No information sent - all held but exempt |
| The requester asked for correspondence regarding the withdrawal of a Tynwald question about Year 6 pupil development statistics. The Office of the Clerk of Tynwald refused to release any information, citing an exemption to protect the privileges of Tynwald. | ||
| 2017-10-24 | President disallowing or amending questions under Tynwald Standing Orders | No information sent - all held but exempt |
| 2017-10-24 | Speaker disallowing or amending questions under House of Keys Standing Orders | No information sent - all held but exempt |
| 2017-07-20 | Petitions for redress of grievance | No information sent - all held but exempt |
| The request sought statistics on petitions for redress of grievance presented to the Isle of Man court over the last five years, including their status and whether they were debated. The authority refused to send the data directly, citing that it is already reasonably accessible via an annual report published on their website. | ||