Cost of Lieutenant Governor

Summary

A request was made to the Cabinet Office for detailed cost breakdowns of the Lieutenant Governor's position, including staff, allowances, and running costs for Government House in 2023. The authority confirmed the position carries no occupational pension or personal allowances for food, drink, or fuel, though the full response regarding 2023 expenditure figures is truncated in the provided text.

Key Facts

• The Lieutenant Governor is not entitled to an occupational pension from the Isle of Man Government.
• No allowances are provided for food, drink, clothing, or petrol/diesel fuel.
• Personal food and drink consumed when not on official duty are paid for by the Lieutenant Governor.
• The Lieutenant Governor uses and pays for their own vehicle when not on official duty.
• The current Lieutenant Governor, Sir John Lorimer, was sworn in on 29 September 2021.

Data Disclosed

• 29 September 2021
• £108,208.00
• 2023
• 15 August 2024
• 28 August 2024

Original Request

The current IOM Lieutenant Governor is Sir John Lorimer, who was sworn in on 29th September 2021. The appointment is for a for a 5 year period and includes free accommodation at the opulent Government House, Onchan. The information pack advertising the Lieutenant Governor job vacancy in 2021 indicated a tax free salary of £108, 208.00 per year. However, members of the Manx public are increasingly questioning the cost of this position, why is it necessary and whether the IOM as an evolving self-governing country should now dispense with a Lieutenant Governor entirely. In this context we request information as to the additional costs of having a Lieutenant Governor over and above the £108,208.00 annual salary. Please can you therefore confirm the following: 1. Is the Lieutenant Governor entitled to an occupational pension and if so what is the contribution? 2. Does the Lieutenant receive a food or drink or clothing or petrol/diesel fuel allowance and if so how much is each? 3. If the Lieutenant Governor is entitled to free or subsidised food and/or drink, what was the total purchase cost to the tax payer of such in 2023? 4. How many persons are involved in supporting the Lieutenant Governor including all administration, secretarial and management workers as well as gardeners, cleaners, cook, security, catering, chauffeuring, building maintenance etc? 5. What was the total remuneration paid to all such workers in 2023 ( whether part or full time and whether employed or self-employed)? 6. What were the non-staff costs of running Government House in 2023 including electricity, gas, rates, phone, IT purchases and services, all insurances, soft furnishing, vehicle servicing and building maintenance etc? 7. How much was spent on building maintenance at Government House in 2023? 8. How much was spent on soft furnishing at Government House in 2023 including on carpets and curtains? 9. What was the total spent on guest entertaining in 2023 including all foods, drinks and associated costs? 10. What was the overall cost to the Manx taxpayer of the Lieutenant Governor in 2023 taking into account all associated costs including his salary, staff/workers, all running costs, entertainment and building maintenance and any other incurred expense? Thank you

Data Tables (1)

Full Response Text

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

Our ref: 4061261 28 August 2024

Dear ###

We write further to your request, received 15 August 2024, which states:

"The current IOM Lieutenant Governor is Sir John Lorimer, who was sworn in on 29th September 2021.
The appointment is for a for a 5 year period and includes free accommodation at the opulent Government House, Onchan.
The information pack advertising the Lieutenant Governor job vacancy in 2021 indicated a tax free salary of £108, 208.00 per year.
However, members of the Manx public are increasingly questioning the cost of this position, why is it necessary and whether the IOM as an evolving self-governing country should now dispense with a Lieutenant Governor entirely. In this context we request information as to the additional costs of having a Lieutenant Governor over and above the £108,208.00 annual salary.
Please can you therefore confirm the following:
1. Is the Lieutenant Governor entitled to an occupational pension and if so what is the contribution?
2. Does the Lieutenant receive a food or drink or clothing or petrol/diesel fuel allowance and if so how much is each?
3. If the Lieutenant Governor is entitled to free or subsidised food and/or drink, what was the total purchase cost to the tax payer of such in 2023?
4. How many persons are involved in supporting the Lieutenant Governor including all administration, secretarial and management workers as well as gardeners, cleaners, cook, security, catering, chauffeuring, building maintenance etc?
5. What was the total remuneration paid to all such workers in 2023 ( whether part or full time and whether employed or self-employed)?
6. What were the non-staff costs of running Government House in 2023 including electricity, gas, rates, phone, IT purchases and services, all insurances, soft furnishing, vehicle servicing and building maintenance etc?
7. How much was spent on building maintenance at Government House in 2023?
8. How much was spent on soft furnishing at Government House in 2023 including on carpets and curtains?
9. What was the total spent on guest entertaining in 2023 including all foods, drinks and associated costs?
10. What was the overall cost to the Manx taxpayer of the Lieutenant Governor in 2023 taking into account all associated costs including his 2 salary, staff/workers, all running costs, entertainment and building maintenance and any other incurred expense?
Thank you"

Please find below the information requested.

1. Is the Lieutenant Governor entitled to an occupational pension and if so what is the contribution?

The Lieutenant Governor is not entitled to an occupational pension from Isle of Man Government.

1. Does the Lieutenant receive a food or drink or clothing or petrol/diesel fuel allowance and if so how much is each?

No. Food and drink consumed, when not on official duty, is paid for by the Lieutenant Governor. When not on official duty, he travels in his own vehicle, which he runs and pays for personally.

1. If the Lieutenant Governor is entitled to free or subsidised food and/or drink, what was the total purchase cost to the tax payer of such in 2023?

Not applicable as the Lieutenant Governor is not entitled to free or subsidised food and/or drink when not on official duty.

1. How many persons are involved in supporting the Lieutenant Governor including all administration, secretarial and management workers as well as gardeners, cleaners, cook, security, catering, chauffeuring, building maintenance etc?

The Public Services Commission employs 8 full-time equivalent staff (FTE) stationed in the Cabinet Office to support the functions of the Lieutenant Governor and the running of the household as follows:

FTE Managerial, administrative/secretarial staff 4.00 Chef 1.00
Butler/Chauffeur 1.00 Housekeepers 2.00

Building maintenance is carried out by the Department of Infrastructure, as and when required. Government House has a separate contract for the provision of two gardeners to look after the gardens/grounds, which extend to nearly 12 hectares.

1. What was the total remuneration paid to all such workers in 2023 (whether part or full time and whether employed or self-employed)?

• Staff remuneration costs (inclusive of all on-costs) were: £383,455.95.
• Gardening contract: £97,491 3 6. What were the non-staff costs of running Government House in 2023 including electricity, gas, rates, phone, IT purchases and services, all insurances, soft furnishing, vehicle servicing and building maintenance etc?

• Department of Infrastructure cover the costs of electricity, gas and rates. • IT purchases and services are provided by Government Technology Services, part of Cabinet Office • Insurance cover is not purchased separately and cover for buildings and maintenance is included within the Isle of Man Government insurance policy • No soft furnishings were purchased in 2023. • £2,366.39 was paid for vehicle servicing • For maintenance see below response to question 7.

1. How much was spent on building maintenance at Government House in 2023?

Government House is owned by the Department of Infrastructure (DoI) and the responsibility for the maintenance of the building lies with DoI. Government House has a small budget to cover the cost of internal decoration, and repair and replacement of, for example, white goods. In 2023, £13,695.48 was spent on this type of maintenance.

DoI spent £45,285.92 on planned and reactive building maintenance and energy costs during 2023.

1. How much was spent on soft furnishing at Government House in 2023 including on carpets and curtains?

No soft furnishings were purchased in 2023.

1. What was the total spent on guest entertaining in 2023 including all foods, drinks and associated costs?

The cost of all food and drink during 2023 was £14,473. Over this period, Government House had 4,785 guests and visitors at functions and events. By comparison, the budget for food in 2023 was 22% less than in 2008.

1. What was the overall cost to the Manx taxpayer of the Lieutenant Governor in 2023 taking into account all associated costs including his salary, staff/workers, all running costs, entertainment and building maintenance and any other incurred expense?

The total overall budget at Government House for 2023 was £698,534.57, inclusive of the salaries of His Excellency and all staff, and the day to day running costs of Government House and grounds. For comparison purposes, it should be noted that Government House budget in 2023 was only 2.98% more than in the year 2007.

As advised above, the DoI spent £45,285.92 on planned and reactive building maintenance and energy costs during 2023.

Please quote the reference number 4061261 in any future communications. 4

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