Covid border costs

Summary

The request sought costs for Covid border infrastructure and staffing at Parade Street Car Park and Ronaldsway between June 2021 and April 2022. The Cabinet Office disclosed specific staffing and equipment costs but noted it did not hold infrastructure data for Ronaldsway, suggesting the Department of Infrastructure be contacted instead.

Key Facts

• The Cabinet Office spent £8,036 on temporary shelters at Parade Street Car Park but incurred no infrastructure costs at Ronaldsway airport.
• Total staffing costs for border checks from June 2021 to April 2022 amounted to £2,014,879.26 across three categories.
• Public Services Commission staff accounted for the majority of staffing costs at £1,663,188.65.
• Several items of equipment, including TETRA radios and Samsung phones, were returned or repurposed after travel restrictions were lifted on 1 April 2022.
• The authority does not hold information regarding infrastructure setup costs at Ronaldsway, which may be held by the Department of Infrastructure.

Data Disclosed

• £8,036
• £1,663,188.65
• £339,460.01
• £12,230.60
• £5,305.88
• £284
• £249.60
• £99.00
• £100
• £84.50
• £340.00
• £99
• £1,710.29
• £384
• 1 June 2021
• 30 April 2022
• 1 April 2022
• 2413781

Original Request

Between June 2021 and April 2022: 1. What was the cost of setting up and maintaining the infrastructure for Covid related border checks at a. Parade Street Car Park? b. Ronaldsway? 2. What was the cost of staffing border check facilities? 3. What is the value of equipment/ infrastructure no longer being used or that has been disposed of?

Data Tables (2)

Full Response Text

Government Office Douglas Isle of Man IM1 3PN Telephone: (+44) 01624 686244 Website: www.gov.im/co

Our ref: 2413781 24 May 2022

Dear ###

We write further to your request which was received on 27 April 2022 which states:

"Between June 2021 and April 2022: 1. What was the cost of setting up and maintaining the infrastructure for Covid related border checks at a. Parade Street Car Park? b. Ronaldsway? 2. What was the cost of staffing border check facilities? 3. What is the value of equipment/ infrastructure no longer being used or that has been disposed of?"

Our response to your request is as follows: 1. "Between June 2021 and April 2022: What was the cost of setting up and maintaining the infrastructure for Covid related border checks at a. Parade Street Car Park? b. Ronaldsway? While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance the Cabinet Office does not hold some of the information that you have requested. The Cabinet Office spent £8,036 to provide 2 temporary shelters at Parade Street Car Park area that gave weather protection to the Travel Notification Service, Ports Access Team when carrying out the Covid related border checks i.e. checking the landing forms and ID of those passengers traveling in vehicles.
The Cabinet Office did not incur any costs in relation to the infrastructure at Ronaldsway airport in relation to the Covid related border checks it was required to carry out. You may wish to contact the Department of Infrastructure to see if they incurred any costs in relation to the set-up and maintenance of the infrastructure related to Covid related border checks at both Parade Street Car Park and Ronaldsway airport. Their contact details are below: Department of Infrastructure Sea Terminal Building, Douglas, Isle of Man, IM1 2RF Phone: +44 1624 686785 2 Or by submitting an FOI request using the following link; https://services.gov.im/freedom-of-information/ 2. Between June 2021 and April 2022, what was the cost of staffing border check facilities? The staffing costs incurred by the Cabinet Office in relation to staffing border check facilities for the period 1 June 2021 to 30 April 2022 are as follows:

1 June 2021 to 31 March 2022 April 2022 Total Public Services Commission Staff £1,582,898.51 £80,290.14 £1,663,188.65 Security staff £325,546.32 £13,913.69 £339,460.01 Recruitment Agency Staff £12,230.60 £0.00 £12,230.60 3. Between June 2021 and April 2022, what is the value of equipment/ infrastructure no longer being used or that has been disposed of? " The table below shows the value of equipment that was purchased to enable staff to carry out the Covid related border checks on people arriving in the Isle of Man, but which is no longer being used or has been disposed of since the removal of travel related restrictions on the Isle of Man from 1 April 2022. Item Cost TETRA radio purchase & maintenance. The contract has been cancelled and the handsets have been returned to the Department of Home Affairs £5305.88 Weatherproof shelters at Parade Street Car Park. These are being repurposed by the Department of Infrastructure as they match the shelters being used for primary school student cycle parking as part of the active travel initiative £8036 Samsung A21 phones for scanning QR codes by Ports Access Team £284 Torches for PAT at Sea Terminal £249.60 Signage at Airport £99.00 COVID screens at Sea Terminal £100 “Do not leave vehicle” signs Parade Street car park
£84.50 4 x Pull up Covid signs £340.00 “Do you know which pathway “ signage £99 Ports Access Team uniform £1,710.29 1 Cellular iPad returned to Government Technology Services for repurposing £384 The items that are currently in storage will be re-used wherever possible and in the event they are no longer required, will be disposed of in accordance with Financial Practice Note “F.04 Disposal of General Assets”. Please quote the reference number 2413781 in any future communications.

3 Your right to request a review

If you are unhappy with this response to your freedom of information request, you may ask us to carry out an internal review of the response, by completing a complaint form and submitting it electronically or by delivery/post.

An electronic version of our complaint form can be found by going to our website at https://services.gov.im/freedom-of-information/Review . If you would like a paper version of our complaint form to be sent to you by post, please contact me and I will be happy to arrange for this. Your review request should explain why you are dissatisfied with this response, and should be made as soon as practicable. We will respond as soon as the review has been concluded.

If you are not satisfied with the result of the review, you then have the right to appeal to the Information Commissioner for a decision on; 1. Whether we have responded to your request for information in accordance with Part 2 of the Freedom of Information Act 2015; or 2. Whether we are justified in refusing to give you the information requested.
In response to an application for review, the Information Commissioner may, at any time, attempt to resolve a matter by negotiation, conciliation, mediation or another form of alternative dispute resolution and will have regard to any outcome of this in making any subsequent decision. More detailed information on your right to a review can be found on the Information Commissioner’s website at www.inforights.im. Should you have any queries concerning this letter, please do not hesitate to contact me. Further information about freedom of information requests can be found at www.gov.im/foi.

I will now close your request as of this date.