Pensions

Summary

The requester asked for government employee pension payout figures and the latest actuarial report for the 2018-2019 financial year. The Treasury refused to disclose the information, citing that it is held for future publication in the Detailed Government Accounts and is therefore exempt under Section 41 of the Freedom of Information Act 2015.

Key Facts

• The request was received on 2019-05-09 and responded to on 2019-05-13.
• The requested data pertains to the 2018-2019 financial year.
• Pension payment details are published annually in the Detailed Government Accounts.
• The 2018-2019 accounts were awaiting verification and scheduled for publication within two months.
• The Treasury determined that the public interest in withholding unverified data outweighed the interest in early disclosure.

Data Disclosed

• 2019-05-09
• 2019-05-13
• 2018-2019
• 2017-2018
• page 70
• 817365
• Section 41
• Freedom of Information Act 2015

Exemptions Cited

• Section 41 of the Freedom of Information Act 2015 (Information intended for future publication)

Original Request

How much is played out in govt employees pension? Can I have a copy of the latest actuary Report?

Data Tables (1)

Full Response Text

Freedom of Information Seyrsnys Fysseree

The Treasury Government Office, Douglas Isle of Man, IM1 3PU

Telephone: (01624) 685605 Email: FOI.Treasury@gov.im

Government Website: www.gov.im

Our ref: 817365 13 May 2019

Dear ###

I write further to your request which was received on 9 May 2019 and which states:

"How much is played [paid] out in govt employees pension? Can I have a copy of the latest actuary Report?"

Thank you for your subsequent email, which confirmed that you are interested in information in respect of the 2018-2019 financial year. You will be aware in light of my previous advice to you, that details of pension payments are published in the Detailed Government Accounts, which are available to view through the link given below. For example, the relevant information in respect of the 2017-2018 financial year is found on page 70 of the Detailed Government Accounts for that period. https://www.gov.im/categories/tax-vat-and-your-money/government-accounts/ The Detailed Government Accounts are laid before Tynwald each year, ordinarily in June or July, and they contain financial information in respect of the preceding financial year. The financial information that will be contained in the 2018-2019 Detailed Government Accounts is awaiting verification in order that it can be finalised for publication via Tynwald. As with previous years; this years’ accounts will be laid before Tynwald within the next two months. Given these pre-existing publication arrangements, whilst our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance the information is exempt from disclosure under section 41 of the Act as it is held with a view to being published at a future date. In all the circumstances it is reasonable that the information be withheld from disclosure until that time.

As section 41 is a qualified exemption, it is subject to a public interest test. The public interest must be something that is of serious concern and benefit to the public at large.

Factors in favour of disclosure • There is general public interest in pension payments made by the Isle of Man Government. • Disclosing the information would be consistent with the Treasury's approach to publish data either proactively, or upon request, whenever possible.

Factors in favour of withholding • The assurance process in respect of the data is ongoing and early release of the information may misrepresent the actual figures. • It is not ordinary practice for the Treasury to publish information to be contained in a Government financial report, ahead of its formal publication to Members of Tynwald. Such premature publication could be considered as undermining the role of Tynwald and its Members. In weighting these factors, the Treasury has considered the absence of any urgent public interest needs in respect of disclosing the data, which may otherwise warrant the publication of the information ahead of schedule.

In taking these factors into account the Treasury determined that the factors in favour of maintaining the exemption outweigh the factors in favour of disclosing the information.

Please quote the reference number 817365 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