Office of the Clerk of Tynwald
75 FOI requests | Full disclosure rate: 26.7%
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 |
|---|---|---|
| 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. | ||
| 2020-08-25 | legal costs | All information sent |
| The request sought details of external legal service payments over the last six financial years, and the authority disclosed two specific payments made to the firm M&P for employment and summons advice. | ||
| 2020-06-01 | Information Retention and GDPR | Not upheld |
| The request sought details on information retention schedules and GDPR compliance progress for the Office of the Clerk of Tynwald, which was disclosed through a self-assessment table and milestone statements. The response indicated that while many data protection measures were complete, several key areas regarding training, auditing, and incident management were still underway or under review as of 2018 and 2019. | ||
| 2020-05-11 | Number and list of Petitions to Tynwald on record and the outcome. | Some information sent but part exempt |
| The requester asked for a list of all petitions to Tynwald on record and their outcomes, receiving a partial disclosure covering petitions from 2007 to 2010 with some information exempt. | ||
| 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. | ||
| 2020-03-23 | Distance between people | All information sent |
| The requester asked how Tynwald and the House of Keys would achieve 2-meter social distancing while seated. The authority responded by confirming that revised seating plans were implemented to maximize distancing and provided copies of these plans along with a media release. | ||
| 2020-01-28 | Expenses | All information sent |
| The request sought a breakdown of all MHK expenses for off-island trips in 2019, and the authority provided a detailed itemized list of claims made and granted for parliamentary business while noting that non-parliamentary trip costs are not held. | ||
| 2019-10-15 | Manx Radio | Information not held |
| The request asked for the number of Tynwald Members listening to Manx Radio and an estimate of total listeners. The authority confirmed it does not hold data on individual Members' listening habits but directed the requester to a public website for Manx Radio listener figures. | ||
| 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. | ||
| 2019-06-26 | Expenses from travel to Scotland from 27/02/2019 to 01/03/2019 | All information sent |
| A request was made for expense claims regarding a Tynwald study visit to the Scottish Parliament in February and March 2019, and the Office of the Clerk of Tynwald disclosed all information including travel, accommodation, and other costs. | ||
| 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. | ||
| 2018-05-21 | International Criminal Arrest Warrants | Information not held |
| A request was made to the Office of the Clerk of Tynwald regarding the applicability of international criminal arrest warrants in the Isle of Man and the number of residents with unactionable warrants. The authority responded that it does not hold this information as it falls outside its responsibilities, suggesting the applicant contact the Isle of Man Constabulary instead. | ||
| 2018-01-07 | List of organisations which have made a presentation to Members of Tynwald together with the name of the sponsoring Member for each such meeting | Not upheld |
| The requester sought a list of organisations that made presentations to Tynwald Members and their sponsoring Members, but the Office of the Clerk of Tynwald refused the request citing resource constraints and lack of exclusive responsibility for hosting such meetings. | ||
| 2017-12-21 | Dates and reasons for Leave of Absence (MHKs) and dates absence authorised by Speaker | All information sent |
| The request sought dates and reasons for Leave of Absence for Members of the House of Keys (MHKs) from October 2017, and the authority disclosed a table of specific absences while noting that exact authorization dates are not always recorded. | ||
| 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 |
| 2017-09-10 | 60th Plenary Conference - Cameroon | All information sent |
| The request sought expense details for the 60th CPA Plenary Conference in Cameroon and regulations regarding alcohol claims. The authority disclosed all expense records totaling £4,897.51 and clarified that financial regulations do not explicitly permit claiming alcohol as an expense. | ||
| 2017-09-07 | Trinidad and Tobago CSPOC Conference | All information sent |
| The request sought documentation for a 2012 trip to Trinidad and Tobago for the CSPOC Conference, and the authority disclosed all receipts and expenses while correcting a previous transcription error regarding the total cost. | ||
| 2017-08-03 | Falkland Islands Trip Feb 2013 | All information sent |
| The request sought documentation regarding the costs of a February 2013 trip to the Falkland Islands, and the authority disclosed all receipts, purchase orders, and expense claims while correcting a previous transcription error in the total cost. | ||
| 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. | ||
| 2017-06-10 | Time spent on preparing answers to questions on order paper for 13/06/2017 by civil servants | Information not held |
| A request was made for the cost of civil servants' time spent preparing answers for the Tynwald Order Paper on 13 June 2017. The Office of the Clerk of Tynwald refused the request, stating they do not hold this information as it is recorded by individual Government Departments. | ||
| 2017-06-10 | Request for copy of MSPCA audited accounts | Not upheld |
| A request was made for the audited accounts of the MSPCA charity for the last three years, but it was refused because the Office of the Clerk of Tynwald does not hold the information. | ||
| 2017-04-14 | Copy of report requested by Mr Allan Bell into the AGs Chambers | Request lapsed - requested information not provided |
| 2017-03-24 | Copy of VAT sharing agreement currently used | Information not held |
| A request for a copy of the current VAT sharing agreement was refused by the Office of the Clerk of Tynwald because they do not hold the information. The authority advised the requester to contact the Customs and Excise Division of the Treasury and provided links to previously published revenue sharing arrangements. | ||
| 2017-02-24 | Member and Officer Travel and gift register | Some information sent but part exempt |
| The request sought details of off-island travel and gift registers for politicians and officers during the 2011-2016 parliament. The authority provided travel data with partial redactions on officer names and authorization details, while confirming no staff gifts were recorded and directing the requester to a library for historical member gift registers. | ||