Numbers of Ushers

Summary

The requester asked for staffing numbers of ushers for Tynwald Day and Garden Party events in 2024 and 2025, broken down by internal and external personnel. The authority disclosed the finalized 2025 figures but did not provide the 2024 data, noting that 2025 planning was ongoing at the time of the initial request.

Key Facts

• The request was submitted on 2025-01-21 and the final response was issued on 2025-06-24.
• For Tynwald Day 2025, 12 internal staff and 9 external ushers were assigned.
• For the 2025 Garden Party, 12 internal staff and 3 external ushers were assigned.
• External staff figures include individuals who left the Office of the Clerk of Tynwald within the last 12 months.
• Data for the 2024 events was not included in the final response.

Data Disclosed

• 2025-01-21
• 2025-06-24
• 12
• 9
• 3
• 2024
• 2025

Original Request

Subject: Freedom of Information Request - Number of Ushers at Tynwald Day and Garden Party Events Dear Clerk of Tynwald, I am writing to submit a Freedom of Information request under the Isle of Man Freedom of Information Act 2015. I would like to request the following information regarding the Tynwald Day and Garden Party events: 1. Last Year's Events (2024) * The total number of ushers who were assigned to: a. Tynwald Day 2024 b. The 2024 Garden Party * Of those ushers, how many were external to the Clerk of Tynwald's Office (e.g., not regular staff or personnel of the Office)? 2. Forthcoming Events (2025) * The total number of ushers planned for: a. Tynwald Day 2025 b. The 2025 Garden Party * Of those ushers, how many are expected to be external to the Clerk of Tynwald's Office? This information is requested to better understand the scale of staffing and the extent to which external resources are utilized for these significant public events. Justification for Request * Transparency and Accountability: These events are publicly funded, and this information will provide insight into the allocation of resources and the reliance on external personnel. * Public Interest: As major cultural and national events, it is important for the public to understand how staffing is managed and whether resources are efficiently allocated. * Comparison and Future Planning: Knowing the breakdown of internal and external staffing for previous and forthcoming events helps evaluate trends and improvements in resource management. If any part of this request cannot be fulfilled due to exemptions under the FOI Act, I kindly ask for clarification and an explanation of the specific exemptions applied. Additionally, if the information I have requested is not yet finalized or available in the form requested, I would appreciate any guidance on how and when it may become accessible. Please respond to this request within the statutory timeframe. If you require any clarification regarding this request, do not hesitate to contact me. Thank you for your attention to this matter. Yours sincerely, [REDACTED]

Data Tables (2)

Full Response Text

XXXX Freedom of Information Co-Ordinator Office of the Clerk of Tynwald Legislative Buildings Douglas Isle of Man IM1 3PW

Our ref: 4386569 24 June 2025

Dear XX
Your Request
We write further to your FOI request, received 21 January 2025, which states:

"Subject: Freedom of Information Request - Number of Ushers at Tynwald Day and Garden Party Events

Dear Clerk of Tynwald,

I am writing to submit a Freedom of Information request under the Isle of Man Freedom of Information Act 2015. I would like to request the following information regarding the Tynwald Day and Garden Party events:

1. Last Year's Events (2024)

2. The total number of ushers who were assigned to: a. Tynwald Day 2024 b. The 2024 Garden Party

3. Of those ushers, how many were external to the Clerk of Tynwald's Office (e.g., not regular staff or personnel of the Office)?

4. Forthcoming Events (2025)

5. The total number of ushers planned for: a. Tynwald Day 2025 b. The 2025 Garden Party

6. Of those ushers, how many are expected to be external to the Clerk of Tynwald's Office?

This information is requested to better understand the scale of staffing and the extent to which external resources are utilized for these significant public events.

Justification for Request

• Transparency and Accountability: These events are publicly funded, and this information will provide insight into the allocation of resources and the reliance on external personnel.

• Public Interest: As major cultural and national events, it is important for the public to understand how staffing is managed and whether resources are efficiently allocated.

• Comparison and Future Planning: Knowing the breakdown of internal and external staffing for previous and forthcoming events helps evaluate trends and improvements in resource management.

If any part of this request cannot be fulfilled due to exemptions under the FOI Act, I kindly ask for clarification and an explanation of the specific exemptions applied. Additionally, if the information I have requested is not yet finalized or available in the form requested, I would appreciate any guidance on how and when it may become accessible.

Please respond to this request within the statutory timeframe. If you require any clarification regarding this request, do not hesitate to contact me.

Thank you for your attention to this matter. "

Our Follow Up Response
In January and February we were only in the planning stages of Tynwald Day 2025 and we said we should share the information requested when the usher roles had been assigned for the Tynwald Day events 2025.

The 2025 figures you have requested are below:

Tynwald Day 2025 Tynwald Garden Party 2025 Staff in the Office of the Clerk of Tynwald 12 12 External to the Office of the Clerk of Tynwald 9 3

For additional context, the numbers for external to the Office of the Clerk of Tynwald include staff who have left the Office of the Clerk of Tynwald within the last 12 months. 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. Further information about freedom of information requests can be found at www.gov.im/foi. Should you have any queries concerning this letter, please do not hesitate to contact me. Please quote the reference number 4386569 in this or any future communications in relation to this FOI request.

Yours sincerely

FOI Co-ordinator

XXX Freedom of Information Co-Ordinator Office of the Clerk of Tynwald Legislative Buildings Douglas Isle of Man IM1 3PW Telephone: 01624 685500

Our ref: 4386569 17th February 2025

Dear XX
Your Request
We write further to your request, received 21 January 2025, which states:

"Subject: Freedom of Information Request - Number of Ushers at Tynwald Day and Garden Party Events

Dear Clerk of Tynwald,

I am writing to submit a Freedom of Information request under the Isle of Man Freedom of Information Act 2015. I would like to request the following information regarding the Tynwald Day and Garden Party events:

1. Last Year's Events (2024)

2. The total number of ushers who were assigned to: a. Tynwald Day 2024 b. The 2024 Garden Party

3. Of those ushers, how many were external to the Clerk of Tynwald's Office (e.g., not regular staff or personnel of the Office)?

4. Forthcoming Events (2025)

5. The total number of ushers planned for: a. Tynwald Day 2025 b. The 2025 Garden Party

6. Of those ushers, how many are expected to be external to the Clerk of Tynwald's Office?

This information is requested to better understand the scale of staffing and the extent to which external resources are utilized for these significant public events.

Justification for Request

• Transparency and Accountability: These events are publicly funded, and this information will provide insight into the allocation of resources and the reliance on external personnel.

• Public Interest: As major cultural and national events, it is important for the public to understand how staffing is managed and whether resources are efficiently allocated.

• Comparison and Future Planning: Knowing the breakdown of internal and external staffing for previous and forthcoming events helps evaluate trends and improvements in resource management.

If any part of this request cannot be fulfilled due to exemptions under the FOI Act, I kindly ask for clarification and an explanation of the specific exemptions applied. Additionally, if the information I have requested is not yet finalized or available in the form requested, I would appreciate any guidance on how and when it may become accessible.

Please respond to this request within the statutory timeframe. If you require any clarification regarding this request, do not hesitate to contact me.

Thank you for your attention to this matter. "

Our Response
While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance the public authority does not hold some of the information that you have requested because we are only in the planning stages of Tynwald Day 2025. When the usher roles have been assigned for the Tynwald Day events 2025, we can provide the information for 2025 as requested.
I have enclosed the information that is held.

Tynwald Day 2024 Tynwald Garden Party 2024 Staff in the Office of the Clerk of Tynwald 12 5 External to the Office of the Clerk of Tynwald 10 10

For 2025, we are planning the support for the Tynwald Day Ceremony and Tynwald Garden Party on the same premise as 2024. Based on usual working presumptions this would be 23 ushers at the Tynwald Day Ceremony and 15 ushers at the Tynwald Garden Party. We are unable to confirm how many ushers are expected to be external to the Clerk of Tynwald's Office. Preliminary planning has identified 21 staff, or recent former staff, of the Office of the Clerk of Tynwald asked to work at these events in the role of usher.

It should be noted that this is not the total number of staff in the Office of the Clerk of Tynwald. There are a number of other roles that staff working in the Office of the Clerk of Tynwald undertake as part of the Tynwald Day Ceremony and associated events that are not included in the figures requested which are specifically for ushers.

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. Further information about freedom of information requests can be found at www.gov.im/foi. Should you have any queries concerning this letter, please do not hesitate to contact me. Please quote the reference number 4386569 in this or any future communications in relation to this FOI request.

I will now close your request as of this date.

Yours sincerely

FOI Co-ordinator