Press Office Contacts with the Media
| Authority | Cabinet Office |
|---|---|
| Date received | 2023-11-07 |
| Outcome | Some information sent but part exempt |
| Outcome date | 2024-05-24 |
| Case ID | 3503593 |
Summary
A request was made for all correspondence between the Cabinet Office Press Office and IOMTODAY from June to November 2023, resulting in the disclosure of some emails regarding electric bus trials while other information was withheld under exemptions.
Key Facts
- The request covered the period from 01 June 2023 to 04 November 2023.
- Disclosed emails detail inquiries about electric bus purchase prices and charging infrastructure costs.
- The Department of Infrastructure (DoI) is currently trialling two electric vehicles.
- Future infrastructure requirements for a full electric fleet are currently unknown.
- The DoI has not yet trialled hydrogen or biofuel options.
Data Disclosed
- 01 June 2023
- 04 November 2023
- 2019
- £217,000
- £248,000
- 10-20%
- 45kVA
- £1500
- two electric vehicles
Original Request
a) Please provide the number of contacts between the Cabinet Office Press Office and IOMTODAY (formally iom newpapers) between the period 01 June 2023 and 4 November 2023: b) please provide all correspondence memo/press report/email and any other record of correspondence received or sent between the IOMTODAY and the press Office between 01 June 2023 and 04 November 2023.
Data Tables (15)
| EZY520 | Liverpool | 15:20 (scheduled times) | 1656 ( Actual time) |
|---|---|---|---|
| LM697 | Manchester | 15:30 | 1720 |
| LM677 | London City | 17:20 | 1752 |
| LM687 | Liverpool | 18:10 | 2025 |
| Tom Curphey |
|---|
| Reporter |
| Media Isle of Man |
| James Brown House |
| 18 Finch Road |
| Douglas |
| Isle of Man |
| IM1 2PT |
| Mobile: +44 7624 483991 |
| News desk: 01624 695697 |
| tom.curphey@iomtoday.co.im |
| Sorry it's later than the Tuesday deadline but would I be ok to come along to the Department of Health and Social |
|---|
| Care media briefing tomorrow? |
| Word count: 480 |
|---|
| Notes to editors: |
| Tom Curphey |
|---|
| Reporter |
| Media Isle of Man |
| James Brown House |
| 18 Finch Road |
| Douglas |
| Isle of Man |
| IM1 2PT |
| Mobile: |
| +44 7624 483991 |
| News desk: |
| 01624 695697 |
| tom.curphey@iomtoday.co.im |
| Tom Curphey |
|---|
| Reporter |
| Media Isle of Man |
| James Brown House |
| 18 Finch Road |
| Douglas |
| Isle of Man |
| IM1 2PT |
| Mobile: +44 7624 483991 |
| News desk: 01624 695697 |
| tom.curphey@iomtoday.co.im |
| Tom Curphey |
|---|
| Reporter |
| Media Isle of Man |
| James Brown House |
| 18 Finch Road |
| Douglas |
| Isle of Man |
| IM1 2PT |
| Mobile: |
| +44 7624 483991 |
| News desk: |
| 01624 695697 |
| tom.curphey@iomtoday.co.im |
| Tom Curphey |
|---|
| Reporter |
| Media Isle of Man |
| James Brown House |
| 18 Finch Road |
| Douglas |
| Isle of Man |
| IM1 2PT |
| Mobile: +44 7624 483991 |
| News desk: 01624 695697 |
| tom.curphey@iomtoday.co.im |
| Tom Curphey |
|---|
| Reporter |
| Media Isle of Man |
| James Brown House |
| 18 Finch Road |
| Douglas |
| Isle of Man |
| IM1 2PT |
| Mobile: +44 7624 483991 |
| News desk: 01624 695697 |
| tom.curphey@iomtoday.co.im |
| In this model, personal care is provided to people who need it at no charge, regardless of |
|---|
| their level of income or assets. This would bring social care in line with most national health |
| services that are provided free at the point of use. |
| This model is in place in Scotland, where personal care and nursing care services are |
| provided free of charge to individuals who need them, regardless of their income or assets. |
| Personal care includes tasks related to hygiene, food preparation, mobility assistance, |
| medication administration, dressing, bedtime routines, and overall well-being support. |
| Nursing care, which involves the expertise of qualified nurses, encompasses activities like |
| administering injections and managing pressure sores. However, household chores, laundry, |
| shopping, and services outside the home are not covered by this provision. |
| The Scottish Government has established standard rates for personal care and nursing care, |
| which represent a percentage of the standard rate for publicly funded care homes. |
| In this model people’s accommodation and daily living costs are paid for by the individual – |
| wherever they live. |
| If the person lives in a care home, there is means tested support available for this part of |
| the care home fee. |
| Modified Manx Offer | This option would retain the existing system, but seek improvements or adjustments over time. There would be no change to the balance between public and private funding, but there could be changes to threshold levels for capital and the maximum weekly amounts towards care home fees allowed. The amount provided towards care home fees could be adjusted with the aim of altering the number of users eligible to receive funding and the level of financial support received. |
|---|---|
| Threshold and cap | An upper capital limit (threshold) and lower capital limit are set. The threshold is the capital that is disregarded when determining eligibility for financial support for residential and nursing care. A person with capital above that threshold would be expected to pay their care and accommodation costs in full. Those with capital below the lower capital limit would get all care and accommodation costs paid for by the state. Individuals that fall between the upper and lower capital limit would get means tested support towards their care costs but would continue to be required to pay for their accommodation costs. The cap element defines the maximum amount that a person could be expected to pay for care from their own resources. Government support is available to meet the costs of care once the assessed care costs have reached the cap. |
| Asset protection guarantee | This model generates a personal cap based on a percentage rather than absolute value. The individual is guaranteed that once x% (27%7) of his or her assets have been spent on care costs, the government will fund all future expenditure on care in a nursing and residential home. Another way of expressing this is that individuals are guaranteed to keep 73% of their assets; however, users are expected to contribute towards their accommodation costs, even after meeting the cap, on a means tested basis. |
| Tom Curphey |
|---|
| Reporter |
| Media Isle of Man |
| James Brown House |
| 18 Finch Road |
| Douglas |
| Isle of Man |
| IM1 2PT |
| Mobile: +44 7624 483991 |
| News desk: 01624 695697 |
| tom.curphey@iomtoday.co.im |
| Tom Curphey |
|---|
| Reporter |
| Media Isle of Man |
| James Brown House |
| 18 Finch Road |
| Douglas |
| Isle of Man |
| IM1 2PT |
| Mobile: |
| +44 7624 483991 |
| News desk: |
| 01624 695697 |
| tom.curphey@iomtoday.co.im |
| “We note that we have received 2 requests from you, both requesting the same |
|---|
| information. |
| Please be advised that in order to avoid confusion, a single response will be provided |
| to you and that your request will be processed and responded to as request reference |
| number 3503593, with the duplicate request being withdrawn from our system.” |
| On 4 December 2023 we wrote to you and advised “we are currently processing your |
| Freedom of Information request, but that there will unfortunately be a delay in our |
| response to you. Please accept our apologies for any inconvenience this delay causes.” |
| On 6 December 2024 we wrote to ask for clarification as follows: |
| “In order to further process your request, we need some additional information from |
| you. |
| In its present form, your request is somewhat vague and appears to fall under the |
| category of what is termed a 'scattergun approach' as defined in the Freedom of |
| Information Act Code of Practice, section 2.4(b) as an indicator of when a request may |
| potentially be considered vexatious in nature. |
| As such, in order to avoid your request being potentially considered as vexatious, |
| which would result in the request being refused under Section 11(3)(d) of the Freedom |
| of Information Act 2015, we would ask that you consider narrowing the scope of your |
| request to ask for specific items of recorded information. |
| For instance, you may wish to state the type of correspondence (email, letter, etc), the |
| title/topic of that piece of correspondence, the name of a specific media company that |
| the correspondence was from / to and the approximate date on which the |
|---|
| correspondence you are seeking would have been made.” |
| On 12 December 2023 you responded as follows: |
| “My request is clearly not a scattergun approach. |
| My request is for all information in a very limited period of time. Neither does my |
| request appear “vexatious” as you claim. |
| Please refer to a recent decision by the Information Commissioner finding against the |
| Cabinet Office in a previous failed claim of “vexatious”. I have requested the type of |
| correspondence I require and in a very reasonable scope in relation to a time frame. |
| Please progress my request without further delay unless you have another more |
| specific issue, and in that event, I will again have that issue addressed.” |
| On 29 December 2023 we wrote to advise you: |
| “Please accept this email as an update on the progress of your freedom of Information |
| request. |
| We are currently processing the information that we hold and are aiming to provide a |
| full response to your request in the near future.” |
Full Response Text
1 From: Rebecca Brahde rebecca.brahde@iomtoday.co.im Sent: 07 June 2023 16:14 To: Shimmin, Peter (CO) Cc: Hoodless, Grace Subject: Re: Electric bus article Caution: This email is from an external sender. Please take care before opening any attachments or following any links. Thank you both!
On Wed, 7 Jun 2023 at 15:40, Shimmin, Peter (CO) Peter.Shimmin3@gov.im wrote: Hi Rebecca
Thanks for bearing with me. Below is the response that has now been approved by the Minister.
2019 purchase prices for single and double decker buses ranged from £217,000 to £248,000. Prices are likely to be higher now.
In terms of charging the two electric vehicles currently in use, they are charged overnight using a new 45kVA charger. The DoI has paid approximately £1500 for connectivity to charge a large PSV (public service vehicle) through a commando connection. However, the exact costs for usage have not yet been received.
The future charging and infrastructure requirements for an electric fleet are unknown at this stage. The DoI aims to gather comprehensive information during these trials to better understand the associated risks and costs of transitioning to alternative fuels.
While electric buses are currently being trialled, it's important to note that the DoI has not yet had the opportunity to trial other options such as hydrogen or biofuel.
I trust this is all ok with you, but please let me know if you have any questions.
Best wishes
2
Peter Shimmin Communications Officer
Government Communication Service Isle of Man Government, 3rd Floor, Government Office, Bucks Road, Douglas, Isle of Man, IM1 3PN
Tel: (01624) 685896
Website: www.gov.im Twitter: @iomgovernment Facebook: @iomgovernment LinkedIn: @iomgovernment Instagram: @iomgovernment
From: Shimmin, Peter (CO) Sent: 07 June 2023 14:28 To: Hoodless, Grace Grace.Hoodless@gov.im; Rebecca Brahde rebecca.brahde@iomtoday.co.im Subject: RE: Electric bus article
Hi Rebecca
Nice to e-meet you and apologies for the delay on this one! I’m just checking for the Minister’s approval as well, if you are ok to bear with me a little longer?
Best wishes
Peter Shimmin Communications Officer
Government Communication Service Isle of Man Government, 3rd Floor, Government Office, Bucks Road, Douglas, Isle of Man, IM1 3PN
Tel: (01624) 685896 3
Website: www.gov.im Twitter: @iomgovernment Facebook: @iomgovernment LinkedIn: @iomgovernment Instagram: @iomgovernment
From: Hoodless, Grace Grace.Hoodless@gov.im Sent: 07 June 2023 14:20 To: Rebecca Brahde rebecca.brahde@iomtoday.co.im Cc: Shimmin, Peter (CO) Peter.Shimmin3@gov.im Subject: RE: Electric bus article
Hi Rebecca,
Thank you for your enquiry regarding the electric bus trials and related costs. The Department has provided the following detail:
The last purchase prices for single and double buses ranged from £217,000 to £248,000. However, it's worth noting that these figures date back to late 2019, and due to factors such as the impact of COVID-19 and the rising cost of living, it is expected that new purchases would likely incur at least a 10-20% increase in cost, along with longer production waiting times.
In terms of charging the two electric vehicles currently in use, they are charged overnight using a new 45kVA charger. The DoI has paid approximately £1500 for connectivity to charge a large PSV (public service vehicle) through a commando connection. However, the exact costs for usage have not yet been received.
The future charging and infrastructure requirements for an electric fleet are unknown at this stage. The DoI aims to gather comprehensive information during these trials to better understand the associated risks and costs of transitioning to alternative fuels.
4 While electric buses are currently being trialled, it's important to note that the DoI has not yet had the opportunity to trial other options such as hydrogen or biofuel.
If you require any further details or have additional questions, please don't hesitate to let us know.
Kind regards,
Grace Hoodless Communications Officer
Government Communication Service Isle of Man Government, 3rd Floor, Government Office, Bucks Road, Douglas, Isle of Man, IM1 3PN
Tel: (01624) 686244 Mobile: (07624)
Website: www.gov.im Twitter: @iomgovernment Facebook: @iomgovernment LinkedIn: @iomgovernment Instagram: @iomgovernment
From: Rebecca Brahde rebecca.brahde@iomtoday.co.im Sent: 07 June 2023 12:01 To: Hoodless, Grace Grace.Hoodless@gov.im Subject: Re: Electric bus article
Caution: This email is from an external sender. Please take care before opening any attachments or following any links. Thank you! 5
On Wed, 7 Jun 2023 at 12:00, Hoodless, Grace Grace.Hoodless@gov.im wrote: Hi Rebecca, Sorry I missed your call. We have just chased again, and will try our best to get back to you with something asap. Thanks, Grace From: Rebecca Brahde rebecca.brahde@iomtoday.co.im Sent: 07 June 2023 10:53 To: Hoodless, Grace Grace.Hoodless@gov.im Subject: Re: Electric bus article
Caution: This email is from an external sender. Please take care before opening any attachments or following any links. Great, thanks for letting me know!
On Wed, 7 Jun 2023 at 10:52, Hoodless, Grace Grace.Hoodless@gov.im wrote: Hi Rebecca,
I’m very conscious that 11am is approaching, and we haven’t sent you a comment. We’re awaiting sign off and we will send you the comments over as soon as possible.
Kind regards, Grace
From: Hoodless, Grace
Sent: 06 June 2023 11:26
To: 'rebecca.brahde@iomtoday.co.im' rebecca.brahde@iomtoday.co.im
Cc: Shimmin, Peter (CO) Peter.Shimmin3@gov.im
Subject: Electric bus article
6
Hi Rebecca,
I hope you are well?
Grace here – new to the Comms team. Jonathan has asked for me to pick this up, so I thought it’d be an ideal time to introduce myself. I have also cc’d my colleague, Peter, who is also new to the team.
Thanks for sending those questions over for a comment, we’ll look into it for you and endeavour to come back in time for the deadline.
Let me know if you need anything else in the meantime.
Kind regards,
Grace Hoodless Communications Officer
Government Communication Service Isle of Man Government, 3rd Floor, Government Office, Bucks Road, Douglas, Isle of Man, IM1 3PN
Tel: (01624) 686244 Mobile: (07624)
Website: www.gov.im Twitter: @iomgovernment Facebook: @iomgovernment LinkedIn: @iomgovernment Instagram: @iomgovernment
From: Rebecca Brahde rebecca.brahde@iomtoday.co.im
Sent: 06 June 2023 10:53
7
To: Davies, Jonathan Jonathan.Davies@gov.im
Subject: Electric bus article
Caution: This email is from an external sender. Please take care before opening any attachments or
following any links.
Hi Jonathan,
I hope you are well?
Following Manx Radio's story this morning about John Wannenburgh calling the electric bus trial virtue signalling, I was wondering if I could get a comment from the DoI about how much the buses that we currently use cost? Also how much has it cost for the electric bus trials, that is both this current trial and the one that happened a couple of months ago? As the electric buses will need for the infrastructure to be transformed so that they can be charged, are there any estimates of how much that would cost? Any other comments?
We are hoping to get this in for the Independent, so if you could get back to me by tomorrow at 11am that would be great, let me know if this is possible.
Best,
--
Rebecca Brahde
Reporter
Media Isle of Man 18 Finch Road Douglas Isle of Man IM1 2PT 8
T: 01624 695693 M: 07624 472149 rebecca.brahde@iomtoday.co.im www.iomtoday.co.im
Isle of Man. Giving you freedom to flourish
WARNING: This email message and any files transmitted with it are confidential and may be subject to legal privilege. You must not copy or deliver it to any other person or use the contents in any unauthorised manner without the express permission of the sender. If you are not the intended addressee of this e-mail, please delete it and notify the sender as soon as possible.
No employee or agent is authorised to conclude any binding agreement on behalf of any of the Departments or Statutory Boards of the Isle of Man Government with any party by e-mail without express written confirmation by a Manager of the relevant Department or Statutory Board.
RAAUE: S’preevaadjagh yn çhaghteraght post-l shoh chammah’s coadanyn erbee currit marish as ta shoh coadit ec y leigh. Cha nhegin diu coipal ny cur eh da peiagh erbee elley ny ymmydey yn chooid t’ayn er aght erbee dyn kied leayr veih’n choyrtagh. Mannagh nee shiu yn enmyssagh kiarit jeh’n phost-l shoh, doll-shiu magh eh, my sailliu, as cur-shiu fys da’n choyrtagh cha leah as oddys shiu.
Cha nel kied currit da failleydagh ny jantagh erbee conaant y yannoo rish peiagh ny possan erbee lesh post-l er son Rheynn ny Boayrd Slattyssagh erbee jeh Reiltys Ellan Vannin dyn co-niartaghey scruit leayr veih Reireyder y Rheynn ny Boayrd Slattyssagh t’eh bentyn rish.
--
9
Rebecca Brahde
Reporter
Media Isle of Man 18 Finch Road Douglas Isle of Man IM1 2PT
T: 01624 695693 M: 07624 472149 rebecca.brahde@iomtoday.co.im www.iomtoday.co.im
--
Rebecca Brahde
Reporter
Media Isle of Man 18 Finch Road Douglas Isle of Man IM1 2PT
T: 01624 695693 M: 07624 472149 rebecca.brahde@iomtoday.co.im www.iomtoday.co.im
10
--
Rebecca Brahde
Reporter
Media Isle of Man 18 Finch Road Douglas Isle of Man IM1 2PT
T: 01624 695693 M: 07624 472149 rebecca.brahde@iomtoday.co.im www.iomtoday.co.im
1 From: Hoodless, Grace Sent: 16 June 2023 14:02 Subject: Embargoed: Lieutenant Governor's Commendation Attachments: Steve George.jpg Under embargo until 22:30 hrs 16 June 2023
Dear News Desks
Please find below an embargoed news release announcing the Lieutenant Governor’s Commendation.
Kind regards
Grace
Lieutenant Governor’s Commendation
Government House is pleased to announce that His Excellency the Lieutenant Governor has awarded a Lieutenant Governor’s Commendation to Mr Anthony Stephen (Steve) George for his dedicated service to the community of Port Erin on the Isle of Man.
Mr George is the Chair and Founder of Visit Port Erin, which is recognised as the leading and most active trader’s association on the Island. He has been an unsung hero of many community activities and events, including the Port Erin Festival of the Sea and Port Erin’s pre-Christmas festival, which bring hundreds of families to the village. As well as being a founder director of Rushen Heritage Trust, Mr George is also a leading figure in Rushen Rotary Club and has raised thousands of pounds for charity.
His Excellency will present the award to Mr George later this month.
Ends
Word count: 139
Media contact: Jonathan Davies, jonathan.davies@gov.im / 01624 685328
Note to editors: 2
Background Information on the Governor’s Commendation
The Lieutenant Governor’s Commendation is an award made personally by the Lieutenant Governor in recognition of significant contribution to Island life. ------------------------------------------ Grace Hoodless Communications Officer
Government Communication Service Isle of Man Government, 3rd Floor, Government Office, Bucks Road, Douglas, Isle of Man, IM1 3PN
Tel: (01624) 686244 Mobile: (07624) 201576
Website: www.gov.im Twitter: @iomgovernment Facebook: @iomgovernment LinkedIn: @iomgovernment Instagram: @iomgovernment 1 From: Hoodless, Grace Sent: 16 June 2023 14:06 Subject: Embargoed: His Majesty The King’s Birthday Honours List, 2023 Attachments: Wendy McDowell.jpg; David McLean.jpg; Captain McKenzie.jpg Under embargo until 22:30 hrs 16 June 2023
Dear News Desks
Please find below an embargoed news release announcing His Majesty The King’s Birthday Honours List, 2023.
Kind regards
Grace
His Majesty The King’s Birthday Honours List, 2023
Government House is pleased to announce that His Majesty The King has recognised three people in the Isle of Man in the 2023 King’s Birthday Honours List.
Mr David McLean MBE Mr David McLean, who is a keen musician, encouraged his local community to purchase a historic venue, the old Methodist Centenary Hall, which under his leadership, was transformed into a first class theatre and community venue, the Peel Centenary Centre. The Centre, which opened in 2003, is run entirely by volunteers and is a testament to Mr McLean’s generosity, drive and commitment. He interacts with everyone in a calm and caring manner and he and his team have worked hard to ensure that the Centre’s facilities are in good order. The Centre is a vibrant hub for nurturing community participation in the arts and music, as well as a performance venue for world class musicians. In 2018, Mr McLean launched the annual ‘One Island our World’ festival, an international event which fuses traditional, contemporary and world music, as well as craft and the arts. This annual festival is routinely attended by huge numbers of enthusiasts. Mr McLean works tirelessly in the daily running of Peel Centenary Centre, freely giving of his time, his musical talents and his organisational skills. His Majesty The King has made Mr David McLean an MBE in the King’s Birthday Honours List for the promotion of arts, culture and music in the Isle of Man.
Captain James Stuart McKenzie 2 Following a successful Merchant Navy career, Captain Stuart McKenzie set up a local company, the Manx Computer Bureau. As well as assisting the Isle of Man Government, he supported many local companies and businesses in developing the application of computers and software to their various requirements. In 2001, he established the McKenzie Trust with his wife Barbara, which still provides many would-be entrepreneurs with advice, grants and loans to help them set up their own companies. In 2015, Captain McKenzie became founder member of Ramsey Queen’s Pier Restoration Trust, becoming chairman in 2018. He put his previous experience and wide range of skills and abilities into this project. In the role of project manager, he was very much the driving force behind the planned restoration, as it progressed from planning to the survey and construction phases. It is a great tr
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