Office of the Clerk of Tynwald
10 FOI requests | Full disclosure rate: 200.0%
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 |
|---|---|---|
| 2025-05-19 | Tynwald Day Tickets etc | Some information sent but not all held |
| The request sought detailed ticketing and attendance data for St John's Tynwald Day ceremonies in 2022-2024. The authority disclosed seating capacity, revenue, and complimentary ticket totals, but withheld specific purchase counts, attendance figures, and a detailed breakdown of complimentary allocations due to lack of records and data protection exemptions. | ||
| 2025-04-08 | People in support/objective of 20mh zones | Some information sent but not all held |
| The requester asked for the number and context of emails received by the Department of Infrastructure Minister supporting or objecting to 20mph zones. The authority responded that some information was sent but not all was held, providing correspondence regarding the implementation process and consultation rather than a statistical count of public emails. | ||
| 2025-01-21 | Numbers of Ushers | Some information sent but not all held |
| The requester asked for staffing numbers of ushers for Tynwald Day and Garden Party events in 2024 and 2025, broken down by internal and external personnel. The authority disclosed the finalized 2025 figures but did not provide the 2024 data, noting that 2025 planning was ongoing at the time of the initial request. | ||
| 2024-08-05 | Coronavirus Regulations | Some information sent but not all held |
| A request for specific dates, definitions, and procedural details regarding the Isle of Man's Coronavirus Regulations was partially refused because the Clerk of Tynwald does not hold the information or it is reasonably accessible elsewhere. The authority cited Section 20 and Section 11 exemptions, directing the requester to external resources like the Independent Covid Review Report and Tynwald's website. | ||
| 2023-05-03 | Parking Allocations | Some information sent but not all held |
| 2022-12-08 | Off Island business trips | Some information sent but not all held |
| 2021-12-06 | professional body costs policy | Some information sent but not all held |
| The request sought details on professional body fees paid or reimbursed to employees and the existence of a related policy. The authority disclosed that no policy exists, no reimbursements were made, and listed specific subscriptions paid for officers between April 2018 and the date of response. | ||
| 2021-06-02 | conflict registers | Some information sent but not all held |
| The request sought details on conflict registers, training compliance, and risk management failures at the Office of the Clerk of Tynwald. The authority disclosed the timeline of register implementation and training requirements but could not provide specific pass/fail status for individual managers or confirm the absence of a corporate risk register. | ||
| 2020-12-30 | online services | Some information sent but not all held |
| The request sought details on Tynwald building closures during the pandemic, the strategic importance of online services, and 36 months of website statistics for Hansard and legislation. The authority provided monthly website usage data from November 2017 to December 2020 and internal emails regarding missing legislative documents, but did not fully address the qualitative assessment of the digitization effort or specific physical visitor statistics. | ||
| 2020-08-25 | travel expenses, CPD, airmiles and hotel points policy | Some information sent but not all held |
| The request sought details on travel expenses, CPD access policies, and airmiles/hotel points declarations for the Office of the Clerk of Tynwald over six financial years. The authority disclosed a partial list of travel expenses by post, destination, and cost but did not hold information regarding specific CPD shortlisting policies or airmiles declaration requirements. | ||