Treasury
3 FOI requests | Full disclosure rate: 3466.7%
The Freedom of Information requests to the Isle of Man Treasury reveal an authority that is highly transparent regarding aggregate financial data but increasingly protective of operational details and specific contractual arrangements. The most striking disclosures concern the 'Aircraft VAT Refund' scheme, where the Treasury confirmed over £300 million in refunds between 2016 and 2019 before the practice ceased entirely (Cases 679571, 1121225, 2695289). Similarly, the Treasury has been open about systemic administrative challenges, admitting to a backlog of over 7,000 unassessed tax returns due to staffing shortages (Case 1178052) and providing detailed breakdowns of high-profile expenditures like the Manx Care CEO office (Case 4159610). However, a pattern of obstruction emerges in requests concerning legal aid and investment specifics. The Treasury has moved from providing aggregated legal aid costs to refusing to confirm or deny specific payments (Case 3851581) and labeling persistent inquiries as 'vexatious' (Case 4004962). Furthermore, while the Treasury discloses high-level asset allocations, it consistently withholds detailed pension fund holdings and consultancy billable hours, citing commercial sensitivity and ongoing tender processes (Cases 823766, 2592433). This suggests a government that welcomes public scrutiny of its bottom line but resists deep dives into the mechanics of its decision-making and specific vendor relationships.
Key Cases
Case 679571 — Discloses a staggering £253 million in VAT refunds for 68 aircraft between 2016-2018, revealing the scale of a specific tax incentive scheme that has since vanished from the records.
Case 4159610 — Provides a full breakdown of the £27.8 million expenditure by the Manx Care CEO office, a significant disclosure regarding healthcare leadership costs that was previously opaque.
Case 1178052 — Explicitly links a backlog of 7,424 unassessed tax returns to staffing shortages, offering a rare internal admission of administrative failure affecting revenue collection.
Case 4004962 — Marks a shift in the Treasury's approach to transparency, where a request for legal aid data was classified as 'vexatious' due to the frequency of correspondence, effectively blocking further scrutiny on that topic.
Case 2249733 — Directly addresses corruption concerns by confirming that no Covid-19 Salary Support Scheme payments were made to businesses linked to former Chief Minister Howard Quayle, providing a clear 'all clear' on a high-profile allegation.
Related FOI Stories
Aircraft VAT Refund Scheme — #679571, #1121225, #1651945, #2695289
Legal Aid Expenditure and Administration — #356063, #356067, #356065, #2541489, #2594293
Pension Fund Investments and Ethics — #433135, #823766, #847165, #1037461, #1558209
Tax Arrears and Collection Efficiency — #654168, #684267, #688567, #1178052, #1193049
Strategic Consultancy and 'Our Big Picture' — #2592433, #2594494, #2306897
| Date | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| 2025-10-23 | Castletown School Hill Estate Redevelopment & CTC Governance Issues | Upheld - partial |
| The request sought information regarding delays in the Castletown School Hill redevelopment and governance issues within the Castletown Town Commissioners, specifically concerning Treasury involvement and appointment processes. The Treasury partially upheld the request, disclosing internal emails and ministerial decisions detailing cost overruns and project governance concerns, while redacting specific sections related to individual staff and internal deliberations. | ||
| 2025-07-11 | Work visas issued FY ended 31 March 2025 | Upheld - partial |
| The request sought detailed statistics on work visas issued in the Isle of Man for the financial year ending 31 March 2025, broken down by category, nationality, salary, sector, and role. The Treasury partially upheld the request, providing comprehensive tables for visa categories, nationalities, and sectors, though salary and sponsor sector data totals were lower than the overall visa count. | ||
| 2021-08-23 | Capital projects - new school buildings | Upheld - partial |
| A request was made for business cases, meeting minutes, and financial data regarding three specific school capital projects (CRHS, QEII Science/Technology, and QEII Sixth Form). The Treasury partially upheld the request, disclosing the December 2016 CRHS business case which includes a detailed suitability survey of the existing building. | ||