Gifts/Hospitality

Summary

The requester asked for the total value of gifts and hospitality declared by specific political and staff members of the Department for Enterprise for the 2017/18 tax year. The Department responded that the information is not held because no such declarations were made by the individuals in question for that period.

Key Facts

• The request covered the tax year 2017/18 for the Department for Enterprise.
• The Department confirmed it holds no declarations of gifts and hospitality for the specified individuals.
• The individuals requested included Laurence Skelly, Daphne Caine, Rob Callister, Tim Crookall, Lawrie Hooper, and Mark Lewin.
• The response referenced the Government Code and Financial Regulations regarding gifts and hospitality.
• The request was formally closed on 25 May 2018 with an outcome of 'Information not held'.
• The requester was informed about the separate Tynwald Register of Members' Interests.

Data Disclosed

• 2017/18
• 2018-05-14
• 2018-06-11
• 25 April 2018
• 25 May 2018
• 449834
• pages 17-19
• FD1

Original Request

Please confirm for the tax year 2017/18 the total amount of received Gifts & Hospitality (including entertainment) declared by members of the Department of Enterprise. By "Members of the Department of Enterprise", I am referring both to the individuals below, described on the DFE website. - https://www.gov.im/ded and https://www.gov.im/about-the-government/departments/enterprise/dfe-minister-and-members/ Political members, Laurence Skelly MHK Daphne Caine MHK Rob Callister MHK Tim Crookall MLC Lawrie Hooper MHK Staff members Mr Mark Lewin (CEO)

Data Tables (1)

Full Response Text

Page 1 of 2

Freedom of Information Co-ordinator 1st Floor, St Georges Court Upper Church Street, Douglas Isle of Man IM1 1EX

Telephone: (01624) 685375 Website: www.gov.im/dfe Email: steven.tallach@gov.im

Our ref: 449834 25 May 2018

Dear ###

We write further to your request which was received on 25 April 2018 and which states:

"Please confirm for the tax year 2017/18 the total amount of received Gifts & Hospitality (including entertainment) declared by members of the Department of Enterprise."

You clarified that by “members of the Department of Enterprise” you meant: Laurence Skelly MHK; Daphne Caine MHK; Rob Callister MHK; Tim Crookall MLC; Lawrie Hooper MHK; and Mark Lewin, Chief Executive Officer. While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance the public authority does not hold or cannot, after taking reasonable steps to do so, find the information that you have requested, as we had no declarations as to gifts and hospitality from the Minister, Political Members of the Department and the Chief Executive for the year 2017/18.

For information, guidance relating to gifts and hospitality for Ministers and Political Members can be found in the Government Code (see pages 17-19): https://www.gov.im/media/1352172/the-government-code-february-2017.pdf The Isle of Man Government Financial Regulations also address gifts and rewards for members and officers (see FD1): https://www.gov.im/media/1360005/iom-government-financial-regulations-september- 2017.pdf You may also wish to note that there is a separate Register of Members’ Interests operated by Tynwald, which lists interests declared by Tynwald Members specifically in their role as Tynwald Members as opposed to their role as Members of a Government Department. More information is available here: http://www.tynwald.org.im/memoff/interest/Pages/default.aspx

Please quote the reference number 449834 in any future communications.

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.

Yours sincerely