annual report 2015-16 0
TRANSCRIPT
Tynwald Annual Report2015/2016
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PP2016/0151
Tynwald Annual Report 2015-2016
CONTENTS
FOREWORD BY THE PRESIDING OFFICERS 5
A YEAR OF COMINGS AND GOINGS 13
THE WORK OF THE LEGISLATURE 25
TYNWALD DAY 29
INTERPARLIAMENTARY ENGAGEMENT 37
EDUCATION AND OUTREACH 46
THE CLERK OF TYNWALD’S OFFICE 51
APPENDIX 55
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Foreword by the Presiding Officers
The Hon Stephen Charles RodanBsc (Hons) MRPharmS MLC
President of Tynwald
The Hon Juan Paul WattersonBA FCA CMgr FCMI SHK
Speaker of the House of Keys
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This report covers the last year of the House of Keys which was elected in September 2011 and dissolved inAugust 2016. In it we pay tribute to former Governor Mr Adam Wood, to the outgoing President, the HonClare Christian OBE, and to the 12 MHKs who left the House this year. In 1881, the Isle of Man was the firstnational parliament to give women the vote in a general election, and this year a record 5 female membershave been elected, 4 of whom are among the 12 new Members of the House of Keys that we welcome thisyear.
As the rest of this report makes clear, it was a busy year for Tynwald, as Ministers and Members strove tocomplete their legislative and other business before the General Election. July saw the appointment of TheHon. Steve Rodan MLC as President and was something of a baptism of fire for him, with his first duty topreside over a marathon sitting with 73 Questions for oral answer and 48 other items of business. Separatesittings of the Keys and Council were also busy during the year, with 13 Bills being introduced. Committeework rose to a peak of intensity with many reports being compiled in time to be debated or at least laidbefore the last sitting of Tynwald before the Dissolution.
In parallel with the formal business of legislation, finance, policy development and scrutiny, the continuingwork of the legislature in the overall field of engagement continued unabated. This area of activity comprisesboth engagement with the wider community in the Isle of Man, particularly young people, and engagementwith people and institutions, particularly parliaments, in other jurisdictions. We regard it as essential to doeverything we can to raise awareness within the Island of the constitutional, legislative, economic, socialand cultural aspects of parliamentary democracy; and at the same time internationally to promote the Isleof Man’s unique parliamentary inheritance.
On the international front this was a year in which interest in Tynwald appeared to go wider than ever acrossthe Commonwealth. We received not one but two delegations from the national Parliament of Kenya; weworked with the Westminster Foundation for Democracy on the development of Hansard services in SierraLeone; and we began a collaboration with the British Council on parliamentary capacity building in KhyberPakhtunkhwa, Pakistan.
Closer to home, the UK voted on 23�� June 2016 to leave the European Union. Although residents of the Isleof Man did not have a vote in the referendum, this is clearly a matter of great significance to the Island. Itwas considered at a special sitting of Tynwald Court on 28�� June 2016 and will no doubt continue to be atopic of concern.
In his review of the functioning of Tynwald, published in June 2016, Lord Lisvane referred to the Isle of Manas a respected international business centre and a centre of excellence and probity for well-regulated financialservices. He commented that this puts a high premium on effective regulation and transparency within awider framework of governance, and concluded that the way in which the quality and effectiveness ofparliamentary government is perceived off-Island and on the wider international stage will be an importantfactor. We offer this Report as a demonstration of how seriously the Isle of Man takes its parliament and welook forward to further developments during the life of the new House of Keys.
WELCOME TO THE TYNWALD ANNUALREPORT FOR 2015/2016
Tynwald and the Isle of Man
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The Isle of Man is justifiably proud of its claim to have the oldest continuousparliament in the world. With an unbroken existence for over a thousand years,the parliament marked significant events this year both looking back to thepast and forward to the future.
HISTORY OF TYNWALD
979
1265
1405
1765
1866
1919
1946
1958
1975
1990 1990
Kingdom of Mannand the Isles English and
Scottish Rule
Stanley Family
Revestment
The Isle of ManCustoms, Harboursand Public Purposes
Act
Executive Council
Movement towardsrepresentative
government
Removal of theJudiciary
First electedPresident of
Tynwald
First ChiefMinister
Norsemen, or Vikings, arrived in theIrish Sea towards the end of the 8��century. By the late 10�� centurythey had established Tynwald,which had celebrated its millenniumin 1979.
In 1405 the period of uncertainty ended whenthe Stanley Family was granted Kingship ofMan by Henry IV in return for paying homageof two falcons per coronation.
After the death of King Magnus in 1265an uncertain period of rule followedduring which the Island was controlled byvarious people appointed by either theEnglish or the Scottish Crown.
The loss of revenue to the British Government,resulting from the smuggling trade through the Island,forced the Lord of Man, the Duke of Atholl, to sell hisrights in the Island to the crown for £70,000 and apension of £2,000 per year. By way of the RevestmentAct, Westminster took responsibility for the Island’sfinances and administration. Tynwald remained buthad no powers over public expenditure.
Some financial powers werepassed back to Tynwald when theKeys became democraticallyelected in 1866.
The constitution of the Legislative Council wasreformed in the Isle of Man ConstitutionAmendment Act 1919.
In 1946 a seven-memberExecutive Council wasestablished to advise theGovernor on all matters ofprinciple and policy.
The second Deemster wasremoved from theLegislative Council in 1965and the first Deemster in1975.
Between 1956 and 1958 variousacts of Tynwald handed oversignificant internal control fromthe Governor to Tynwald.
In 1961 the Executive Council was placed on a statutory basis andTynwald’s board system was extended into areas previously onlymanaged by the Governor. By 1965 many of the Governor’s powershad been devolved.
The Council of Ministers Act 1990 provides for a ChiefMinister nominated by Tynwald, with up to nine Ministersappointed by the Chief Minister. The intention was tocreate a more efficient and authoritative government withgreater accountability and improved co-ordination.
Although the Governor had in 1980 been removed fromthe Legislative Council, Governors continued until 1990 topreside over Tynwald Court. The Constitution Act 1990provides for the office of President of Tynwald, elected bythe Members of Tynwald from among their own number.
Constitution(Amendment) Act
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150 YEARS OF CHANGEReview of the Functioning of TynwaldAt its sitting in June 2015 Tynwald resolved:
“That the Isle of Man Government should establishan independent review using its powers under theInquiries (Evidence) Act 2003 to examine thefunctioning of the branches of Tynwald and toconsider options for reform.”
The Lord Lisvane Review of the Functioning ofTynwald was received at the July 2016 sitting whereMembers agreed to debate the recommendations inApril 2017. The recommendations, if adopted, wouldmean more change.
Marriage and Civil Partnership(Amendment) Act 2016Royal Assent to the Marriage and Civil Partnership(Amendment) Act 2016 was announced on 19�� July2016. The Act enables same sex couples to marryeither in a civil ceremony, in a registry office orapproved premises, or in religious premises (exceptthose of the Church of England) subject to theagreement of the religious organisation in question.The Act also allows heterosexual couples to have civilpartnerships instead of a marriage.
Historical Anniversaries10 years of Voting at 1610 years ago,the age at whicha person isentitled to votein a nationalelection waslowered to 16.This madeTynwald thefirst nationalparliament inWestern Europeto give 16 year olds the vote.
In 2006, only 35% of 16-year-old residents hadregistered to vote, but by the 2011 General Electionthis number had increased to 60%.
In the 2016 election this year,
60 years of the revived Right to seekRedress for Grievance on Tynwald DayThe petition procedure continues an ancient right ofappeal to the King or Lord of Man but by 1900 anypetitions had ceased to be considered by Tynwalditself. On Tynwald Day in 1956 a former member ofTynwald protested because the petition he hadpresent to the Governor has not been accepted.Although the allegations were dismissed, the casedid bring to light the lack of clarity in Standing Ordersregarding the presentation of petitions. The matterwas referred to the Standing Orders Committee,with a view to redrafting the rules to ‘restore thischerished right’. The revised Standing Orders madespecific provisions for presenting Petitions forRedress at meetings of Tynwald in St John’s. Thishelped to revitalise the tradition of petitions, whichremains an important element of Tynwald Day.
“These changes catapult the Isle of Man tothe forefront of legal equality for straight
and gay couples.”Human Rights advocate Peter Tatchell
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100�� Anniversary of EmergencyPromulgationThe Acts of Tynwald (Emergency Promulgation) Act,passed in 1916, provided an emergency procedureenabling an Act to come into force on royal assentbeing announced at an ordinary sitting of Tynwaldin Douglas, subject to its being promulgated fromTynwald Hill within 12 months. This procedure soonbecame the norm and was acknowledged as such inan Act of 1976. In 1988 the time limit forpromulgation was extended to 18 months.
Reform, Redress and Retrenchment
On Tynwald Day 100 years ago, over 2000 men andwomen turned out to protest against the Governor,Lord Raglan. The First World War had caused thecollapse of the tourist industry and massunemployment, but the staunchly conservativeGovernor refused to help. Organised by SamuelNorris, the crowds demanded ‘Reform, Redress, andRetrenchment’ and that ‘Raglan Must Go!’. Althoughthe protest did not lead to immediate reform, Raglandid resign and over the course of the 20�� Century,the Governor’s powers in the Isle of Man weregradually reduced.
135 years of Women’s SuffrageIn 1881 Tynwald became the first national legislatureto give women the vote. As in 1866, eligibility waslimited: the franchise was extended to widows andspinsters over the age of 21 who owned property.This change meant 29% of the population waseligible to vote. Universal adult suffrage based onresidency was introduced in 1919. Although this was
shortly after its introduction in Westminster as far asmen were concerned, it was another nine years untilwomen enjoyed the same rights in the UK.
150�� Anniversary of Popular ElectionsIn 1866 the Isle of Man approved the Bill that wouldmake the Isle of Man a parliamentary democracy. Forthe first time a public election would be held andpublicly elected Members of the House of Keys(MHKs) would be voted into power by the people, toact in the interests of the people.Voting in 1867 was not universal. The franchise atthat time was restricted to males owning real estateworth at least £8 or tenants paying a rent of at least£12 per year. To that extent the reforms of 1866 didnot put in place a truly representative democracy.But that year stands out in Manx history as the yearwhen the principle of popular elections to the Houseof Keys was established.
To mark the centenary of population elections to theHouse of Keys, formal robes were given to theSpeaker of the House of Keys by the House ofCommons in 1966. These robes are still used todayon ceremonial occasions such as Tynwald Day.
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In its long history Tynwald has seen many changesand as a parliament has adapted to the needs of theIsland and its people. One reflection of this is thechange to boundaries and electoral representationacross the Island. The administration of the Isle ofMan was formerly based on six sheadings: Ayre,Garff, Glenfaba, Michael, Middle and Rushen. Since1866 the constituencies and numbers of MHKs havebeen set in statute. The House of Keys Election Act1866 made no attempt to give representation on astrict mathematical basis. In it the Island was dividedinto ten electoral districts and divisions. The townsof Peel, Ramsey and Castletown were representedby one Member each, Douglas by three membersand the sheadings of Glenfaba, Michael, Ayre, Garff,Middle and Rushen by three members each.Over the years, Bills were proposed to change thenumber of Members in constituencies but it was 25years later that the House of Keys Election (ElectoralDistricts) Act 1891 provided for the redistribution ofMembers. It gave Douglas, the newly appointedcapital of the Isle of Man, five members, taking onemember from each of Michael and Garff.The Representation of the People Act 1956 providedfor a further redistribution of seats in line withdemands for recognition to be given to the changingdistribution of the population. The number ofconstituencies was set at 13 with a mix of single, twoand three seat constituencies. Nearly 30 years laterthe Representation of the People Act 1985 changedthe boundaries again to allow for a furtherredistribution of seats and increased the number ofelectoral constituencies to 15. This provided forroughly equal numbers of voters per seat.Population and demographic changes over 30 yearshad created strong public demand to balancerepresentation against population levels. At the June2013 sitting of Tynwald, Members supported amotion to redistribute the number of candidates perconstituency and a move towards more equalityamongst voters in elections to the House of Keys.Members agreed a new structure for the House ofKeys (recommended by the Boundary Review
Committee 2011-2013) where the 24 seats would bedivided across 12 equal constituencies (right) toreplace the familiar mixture of three, two and oneseat constituencies. The new boundaries meant anaverage population of around 7,000 perconstituency, each constituency being representedby two Members of the House of Keys. The newboundaries were implemented by theRepresentation of the People (Amendment) Act2014. Under the Act, the names of the six historicsheadings remain in use although Ayre and Michaelhave been combined to form a single ruralconstituency and Glenfaba has been combined withPeel.
BOUNDARY CHANGES
11
THE NEW BOUNDARIES
1. Arbory, Castletown and Malew2. Ayre and Michael3. Douglas Central4. Douglas East5. Douglas North6. Douglas South
7. Garff8. Glenfaba and Peel9. Middle10.Onchan11. Ramsey12.Rushen
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2
3
4
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7
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A Year of Comings and GoingsA
yre
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His Excellency Mr Adam Wood,Lieutenant Governor 2011-2016
Adam Wood was sworn into office as LieutenantGovernor on 7�� April 2011 following a distinguishedcareer in the Diplomatic Service.
Spending five years on the Island, the LieutenantGovernor Adam Wood and his wife Katie hostedmany community events at Government House,Official Residence of the Lieutenant Governor,including the presentation of Long Service Medalsto IOM Fire and Rescue Service and the Duke ofEdinburgh’s Award Gold Badges as well as many adhoc celebrations such as the Centenary of theWomen’s Institute.
Shortly before his retirement in March 2016, HisExcellency gave a farewell address to Tynwald Courtwhere he said it had been an honour and a privilegeto serve the Manx people:
“This Island nation has given me the chance todo things that I had never imagined… In all thatI have done I have been impressed by somethingrare in the modern day: a vibrant and nurturingcommunity, one that cares for thedisadvantaged and those who suffer throughillness or bereavement, one that celebrates itscultural heritage, and, one that, through itscollaborative efforts in sport and the arts,cements its cohesion and its identity.”
His Excellency Sir Richard Gozney,Lieutenant Governor 2016
Sir Richard Gozney KCMG CVO was sworn into officeas Lieutenant Governor on 27�� May 2016.
He graduated from St Edmund Hall, Oxford in 1973and joined the Foreign and Commonwealth Office inthe same year. In 1989, after foreign postings thatincluded Jakarta, Buenos Aires and Madrid, HisExcellency was Private Secretary to three Foreignand Commonwealth Secretaries: Sir Geoffrey Howe,John Major and Douglas Hurd.
He was appointed British Ambassador to Indonesiain 2000 and then British High Commissioner toNigeria in 2004. His Excellency’s last FCO postingwas as Governor and Commander-in-Chief ofBermuda from where he retired in 2012.
Attending the sitting of Tynwald in June 2016, hesaid:
“Your welcome reflects, I think, a sense whichmy wife and I have gained around the Island inour first three weeks, in Castletown, in Peel,Port St Mary, Port Erin, in Ramsey and Andreas,as well as here in Douglas and Onchan. Fromtheir nests on the cliffs of Maughold, even thepuffins and razorbills flew out in welcome! I lookforward to visiting all the Isle of Man soon.”
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The Hon Clare Christian OBE BSc,President of Tynwald 2011-2016
Clare Margaret Christian was first elected as aMember of the House of Keys for Ayre in 1980 andre-elected in 1981. She contested Ayreunsuccessfully in 1986 when the constituencychanged from two seats to one. She was elected asa Member of the Legislative Council in 1993 andre-elected in 1998, 2003 and in 2008 until her electionas President of Tynwald on 12�� July 2011.
In June 2016 Mrs Christian announced she was notseeking re-election for the role of President ofTynwald and that her last sitting would be in July2016.
As Presiding Officer The Hon Clare Christian had aneventful last sitting day on 28�� June 2016. In themorning the Members of Tynwald gathered for theunveiling of her portrait by Svetlana Cameron. Anemergency sitting of Tynwald had been convened toconsider the result of the UK referendum on EUmembership. This was followed by MadamPresident’s last sitting of the Legislative Council.
Madam President’s final duty as Presiding Officerwas to preside over Junior Tynwald, the Isle of Man’syouth parliament, on 18�� July 2016.
Madam President thanked Members:
“I wish you all well. I thank you all verymuch for your warm greetings for myfuture. I do not know quite what directionit will take but I am quite sure that youare right, it may well be very busy, and Iam sure that you too will be busy. Bearingin mind that we have an election comingup quite shortly, it is the Members heretoday who will offer the continuity andthe stability when you are dealing withthe issues that we have been discussingthis morning and the other major issueswhich have taken our attention in recenttimes in the Tynwald Chamber. You willbe an anchor: hang on to the bed of theocean and keep this Island stable.”
The Hon Steve Rodan BSc(Hons)MRPharmS MLC, President of Tynwald2016
The Hon Steve Rodanwas elected as aMember of the Houseof Keys in a by-election in 1995 forthe single seatconstituency of Garff.He was re-elected in1996, 2000, 2006 and2011. He was electedSpeaker of the Houseof Keys in 2006, a rolein which he served for10 years.
Following theretirement of Mrs Clare Christian OBE, Mr SpeakerRodan was elected by Tynwald Court to be its fourthPresident on 19�� July 2016 for a term lasting fiveyears.
15
The Hon Juan Watterson BA FCACMgr FCMI SHK, Speaker of the Houseof Keys 2016
Juan Watterson was first elected to the House ofKeys in 2006 and subsequently re-elected in 2011 and2016. He was elected Speaker on 27�� September2016.
He had served from 2011 to 2016 as Minister forHome Affairs and Chairman of the Isle of Man Branchof the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association.
Mr Watterson’s predecessor as Speaker was the HonSteve Rodan, who was elected President of Tynwaldon 19�� July 2016.
Reverend W H Martin, Chaplain of theHouse of Keys
The Chaplain of the House of Keys, the Reverend BillMartin retired in 2016 after nine years as Chaplain.Reverend Martin served his curacy at St German’sCathedral, Peel. He was Vicar of the Parishes ofLaxey and Lonan and was appointed Chaplain to theKeys in February 2007. On his retirement he waspresented with a commemorative art work by localartist Colleen Corlett.
The first Speaker of the elected House of Keys
The first general election was held on the Isle of Man in 1867.Sir John Stenhouse Goldie-Taubman was elected by voters inDouglas, and was subsequently elected to the position ofSpeaker of the House of Keys.
He presided over sittings of the House of Keys in Castletownand following its move to Douglas in 1874.
The Taubman family were influential on the Isle of Man, and SirJohn’s father had also served as Speaker of the House of Keys,prior to democratic elections. His half-brother GeorgeTaubman Goldie played a major role in the founding of Nigeria.
Sir John’s portrait now hangs in the House of Keys chamber,along with the portraits of each subsequent Speaker of theelected House of Keys.
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Hon Allan Bell CBE, Chief Minister2011-2016
Allan Bell first contested an election for the House ofKeys in 1976 in Ramsey. He then served as a RamseyTown Commissioner between 1977 and 1984, whenhe was successful in a by-election. He then defendedhis seat in 1986, 1991, 1996, 2001, 2006 and 2011.
Prior to his election to the role of Chief Ministerfollowing the 2011 General Election, he served asMinister for a number of Departments. He started asMinister for Tourism and Transport between 1986and 1990. He then continued as Minister for Tourism,Leisure and Transport from 1990 to 1994, alsoserving as Minister for Industry between 1991 and1996. From that year until 2001 he served as Ministerfor Home Affairs before taking on the Treasuryportfolio following the 2001 General Election. Heheld this until 2010, at which point he becameMinister of the newly created Department ofEconomic Development until the 2011 GeneralElection.
At the sitting of Tynwald on 4�� October 2016,President of Tynwald Steve Rodan gave tribute toMr Bell:
“When Allan Bell came into politics, theIsland was a very different place: over3,000 unemployed, reserves of barely £1million, a standard of living half that of theUnited Kingdom. In all those years since,he has been passionate about growing theIsland's economy, not just finance andmanufacturing, but diversifying into suchthings as film, e-gaming, space industry.But he has also been equally passionateabout social justice and reform, to ensurenot just economic opportunity, but socialequality for the Island’s people. If theIsland has moved on and up over the past40 years, it is in no small part due to thepolitical passion and commitment of AllanBell, not only at home, but abroad. He hashad the ear and respect of fellow heads ofgovernment, of foreign ministers. He hastaken to the international stage on theIsland's behalf, the promotion of ourgrowing reputation as a top businesscentre, most lately earning praise from theinternational media, and also at home, forspeaking out boldly and unscripted atMay's anti-corruption summit in Londonabout the hypocrisy of nations somewhatbigger than ourselves. Allan Bell can leaveTynwald with pride and a lifetime of publicservice – service recognised and in whichwe also take pride with the award of CBEearlier this year. We as Members ofTynwald extend good wishes to him, toStephen, and his family for long years ofretirement ahead.”
DEPARTING MEMBERS
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Hon Phillip Anderson Gawne, MHKfrom 2003 to 2016
Phil Gawne was firstelected to theconstituency of Rushenat a by-election in 2003,and was returned againin 2006 and 2011. In2016, he stood in thenewly formedconstituency of Arbory,Castletown and Malew,but was defeated.
During hisparliamentary career, he served on a wide range ofcommittees including the Standing Committee onConstitutional Matters, the Tynwald ManagementCommittee and a vast array of select committees.He also served as Chairman for a number ofcommittees and groups, such as Overseas Aid,Human Resources Review, Industrial RelationsWorking Group and South West Regeneration.
Following Department member roles in theDepartment of Health and Social Security andDepartment of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry,he became Minister for D.A.F.F. in 2005. In 2010, heserved as Minister for Infrastructure until the 2011General Election; following which he becameMinister for Environment, Food and Agriculture. In2014, he returned to the role of Minister forInfrastructure and served there until 2016.
He also represented the Isle of Man at a number ofCommonwealth Parliamentary Association eventsincluding regional conferences in Belfast andGibraltar, a study visit to the Scottish Parliamentand the Plenary Conference in Kenya of 2010.
Zac Hall, MHK from 2011 to 2016Zac Hall first stood and was elected in Onchan at the2011 General Election. He did not stand again in 2016.
Having served in the Department of Environment,Food and Agriculture between 2014 and 2015, he alsoserved on a number of committees including the
Environment andInfrastructure PolicyReview Committee,Select Committee onPublic ServiceBroadcasting and theSpecial Committee on thePublic ServicesCommission JointNegotiating Committee.He also served asChairman of the PoliceAdvisory Group between
2012 and 2014, and attended two CommonwealthParliamentary Association study visits: London in2012 and Dublin in 2014.
At the final sitting of Tynwald for the 2015-2016parliamentary year, Mr President said: “You havetaken, I know, particular pride in your constituencywork and your help to individuals. I served with youon the Select Committee on Broadcasting, whichwas your first parliamentary work, and noticed theway you really got enthusiastically into the subject.”
John Ramsey Houghton, MHK from1996 to 2016
John Houghton was firstelected to theconstituency of DouglasNorth in 1996, and wassuccessful in being re-elected in 2001, 2006and 2011. He wasdefeated in 2016.
He was an activemember of Tynwaldparticularly in the fieldof select committees.
His time in Tynwald alsosaw him amass a range of Department memberpositions, including within the Departments ofEducation, Local Government and the Environmentand Infrastructure.
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Jonathan Joughin, MHK from 2015 to2016
Jon Joughin waselected at a by-election in theconstituency ofDouglas East in 2015,having served as aDouglas BoroughCouncillor since 2012,including a period asDeputy Mayorbetween 2014 and2015. The followingyear, he was defeatedin the 2016 GeneralElection.
During his tenure in the House of Keys, he servedon the Select Committee of Tynwald on Planningand Building Control, and was also appointed aMember for the Department of Home Affairs in2016.
Peter Karran, MHK from 1985 to 2016Peter Karran first stoodfor election in Middle in1981 and again at aby-election in the sameconstituency in 1985,where he was elected.In the General Electionof 1986, he successfullycontested theconstituency ofOnchan and was re-elected there in 1991,1996, 2001, 2006 and2011.
His 31 year parliamentary career included a numberof Department and Board memberships such as theHighways and Transport Board, Board for ConsumerAffairs, Department of Home Affairs, Department ofEducation, Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and
Forestry and also served as the Chairman of theWater Authority between 1990 and 2003.
Additionally, he sat on an equally broad range ofcommittees during his time in Tynwald, including theEcclesiastical Committee, Tynwald HonoursCommittee, Expenditure and Public AccountsCommittee to name just a few.
At his final sitting of Tynwald in July 2016, MrPresident remarked: “Peter Karran, Hon. Memberfor Onchan, perhaps defied conventionaldescription, but as a parliamentarian for more than30 years he has been a fighter and a champion ofcauses he sincerely believes in, and he has exploitedwith skill every opportunity open to him to speak outfearlessly in pursuit of his political objectives,whether that be the use of questions, motions or thepromotion of legislation.”
David John Quirk, MHK from 2006 to2016
David Quirk first stood forelection in Onchan in1986, and stood in eachsubsequent election untilwinning a seat in 2006. Hewas re-elected at the 2011election, but wasdefeated in 2016.
During his tenure as MHK,he was elected as amember to a range ofp a r l i a m e n t a r ycommittees. These
include the Environment and Infrastructure PolicyReview Committee, Tynwald Standards andMembers’ Interests Committee, EmolumentsCommittee, Standing Orders Committee of theHouse of Keys and the Select Committee on theManx Electricity Authority. In addition to these, healso served in a range of Council of Ministerscommittees, such as Social Policy, Manx NationalEconomic Development and the Chief Minister’sCommittee on recommendations for Queen’s Pier,Ramsey.
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His parliamentary work also included two CPA studyvisits to London and to Edinburgh in 2007, as well asRegional Conferences in Guernsey in 2009 and herein the Isle of Man in 2010.
In addition to being Chairman of the Office of FairTrading and Vice-Chairman of the Water andSewerage Authority, he also served as a Trustee ofManx National Heritage between 2012 and 2014.
He also took on a number of Department Memberpositions during his two terms of office, including inthe departments of Transport, Agriculture, Fisheriesand Forestry, Trade and Industry, Education andChildren, Infrastructure, Home Affairs andCommunity, Culture and Leisure.
Hon Richard Alexander Ronan, MHKfrom 2011 to 2016
Richard Ronan waselected as MHK forCastletown in 2011following the retirementof previous MHK andChief Minister TonyBrown. He did not standagain in 2016.
Having served as aMember in theDepartment of SocialCare, Department ofEconomic Development,
Department of Infrastructure and Department ofEnvironment, Food and Agriculture, he becameMinister for the Department of Environment, Foodand Agriculture in 2014.
He sat on the Tynwald Honours Committee from2011 onwards, as well as chairing the SelectCommittee on Local Authorities: Members’Interests and the Select Committee on PublicService Broadcasting. He also served as Chairmanof the Planning Committee between 2014 and 2015and Vice Chairman of the Isle of Man Post Officebetween 2011 and 2014.
Hon John Philip Shimmin, MHK from1996 to 2016
John Shimmin first stoodand was elected for theHouse of Keys for DouglasWest in 1996 and was re-elected in 2001, 2006 and2011.
Having served in theDepartments ofAgriculture, Fisheries andForestry, Home Affairs andTrade and Industry, hebecame Minister forTransport in 2002, Home
Affairs in 2005, Local Government and theEnvironment in 2006, Economic Development in2011 and of Policy and Reform in 2015.
He also served as Chairman of the Isle of Man PostOffice between 1999 and 2003 as well as sitting ona range of committees including Expenditure andPublic Accounts, Tynwald Constitutional Matters,Tynwald Setting Enhancements Sub-Committeeand the Environment.
Leonard Ian Singer, MHK from 1996 to2003 and 2011 to 2016; MLC from2003-2006
Leonard Singer was firstelected to theconstituency of Ramseyin 1996, and was re-elected in 2001. In 2003,he was nominated andelected to serve as aMember of theLegislative Council. Heheld this position forthree years beforestepping down in 2006.He then stoodunsuccessfully for the
House of Keys in the General Election of that year,
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and successfully five years later in 2011. In 2016, hestood again but was defeated.
During his active parliamentary career heparticipated in a wide array of committees, withrecent roles including the Public AccountsCommittee, Select Committee to Review theCommittee System and the Select Committee on theFirst-Time Buyer Scheme. Between 2011 and 2014,he took on the role of Chairman of the EconomicPolicy Review Committee.
He served as Chairman of the Isle of Man FilmCommission, as well as Vice-Chairman of the Isle ofMan Post Office and the Civil Service Commission.
His Department memberships also offered a rangeof experiences, having held positions in Transport,Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, Trade andIndustry, Home Affairs, Social Care, Health,Infrastructure and Economic Development.
An active member of the Isle of Man Branch of theCommonwealth Parliamentary Association, heattended study visits to London, Brussels, Bermudaand Edinburgh, as well as Plenary Conferences inNamibia, Nigeria and South Africa.
Hon William Edward Teare, MHK from2004 to 2016
Eddie Teare firststood and waselected for theconstituency of Ayrein a 2004 by-electionand was re-elected in2006 and 2011.
He became Chairmanof the ManxElectricity Authorityand a Member ofTreasury in 2005,before becomingMinister for Healthand Social Security in
2006 then Minister for Education and Children in2010. Following the 2011 election, he became
Minister for Treasury, a position he held until hisretirement in 2016.
During his time in Tynwald, he served on the SelectCommittee on Petition of Moorhouse Farm Limited,Economic Initiatives Committee, Select Committeeon DLGE Expenditure, Select Committee on Queen’sPier, Select Committee on Legal Aid in FamilyMatters (Petition for Redress) and the TynwaldSetting Enhancements Sub-Committee.
At his last sitting in Tynwald, Mr President remarked:“You have been known, I think, as a prodigiousworker of long hours, and “Steady Eddie” has beenyour nickname, but certainly within the businesscommunity you have earned terrific respect, as youhave done internationally in the way you havepresented the Isle of Man, not least to financeministers at very important gatherings.”
Tribute to Former Member MartynQuayle (1956-2016)
This year, formerMember of the Houseof Keys for Middle,Martyn Quayle,passed away. Herepresented theconstituency from2001 to 2011.
Mr President Rodansaid: “It is with shockand great sadnessthat we have learnedof the death of Martyn
Quayle following a tragic accident. He was awell-liked and popular Tynwald colleague, andan effective parliamentarian, and a goodminister. He will be much missed by his manyfriends and former Tynwald colleagues. Ourdeepest sympathy goes to Martyn’s family.”
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INCOMING MEMBERS
Alexander John Allinson, MHK forRamsey
Dr Allinson was elected to the constituency ofRamsey in 2016 at his first time standing. He wasappointed Member for the Department of Home
Affairs.
Timothy Simon Baker, MHK for Ayreand Michael
Tim Baker was elected to the constituency of Ayreand Michael in 2016 at his first time of standing. He
was appointed Member for the Department ofEnvironment, Food and Agriculture and
Department of Infrastructure and Chair of thePlanning Committee.
David John Ashford, MHK for DouglasNorth
David Ashford was elected to the constituency ofDouglas North in 2016, having stood unsuccessfullyin a by-election in 2015. He was appointed Memberfor the Cabinet Office and also elected to the Select
Committee on the Organization and Operation ofthe General Election.
Clare Louise Bettison, MHK for DouglasEast
Clare Bettison was elected to the constituency ofDouglas East in 2016, having stood unsuccessfully ina by-election in 2015. She was appointed Member ofthe Department of Home Affairs and Department ofHealth and Social Care and also elected to the Select
Committee on the Organization and Operation ofthe General Election.
22
Daphne Hilary Penelope Caine, MHKfor Garff
Daphne Caine was elected to the constituency ofGarff in 2016 at her first time of standing. She was
appointed Member of the Department of EconomicDevelopment and Children’s Champion. She was
elected to the Select Committee on theOrganization and Operation of the General
Election.
Catherine Ann Corlett, MHK forDouglas Central
Ann Corlett was elected to the constituency ofDouglas Central in 2016 at her first time of
standing. She was appointed Member of theDepartment of Education and Children and
Department of Health and Social Care. She wasalso elected Member of the CPA Isle of Man Branch
Executive Committee.
Rob Edward Callister, MHK for Onchan
Rob Callister was elected to the constituency ofOnchan in 2016 at his first time of standing. He wasappointed Member of the Department of Economic
Development and the Department of Health andSocial Care. He was also elected to the Select
Committee on Free Tram and Train Travel (Petitionfor Redress).
Julie Marie Edge, MHK for Onchan
Julie Edge was elected to the constituency ofOnchan in 2016 at her first time of standing. She was
appointed Member of the Department ofInfrastructure, and was also elected to the Select
Committee on Free Train and Tram Travel (Petitionfor Redress).
23
Lawrie Lee Hooper, MHK for Ramsey
Lawrie Hooper was elected to the constituency ofRamsey in 2016, having stood unsuccessfully in the2011 General Election. He was appointed Memberof the Department of Economic Development andthe Department of Education and Children. He was
also elected Member of the House of KeysStanding Orders Committee.
Martyn John Perkins, MHK for Garff
Martyn Perkins was elected to the constituency ofGarff in 2016 at his first time of standing. He was
appointed Member of the Department ofEnvironment, Food and Agriculture and the
Department of Economic Development. He wasalso elected to the Select Committee on theOrganization and Operation of the General
Election.
Jason Robert Moorhouse MHK, forArbory, Castletown and Malew
Jason Moorhouse was elected to the constituency ofArbory, Castletown and Malew in 2016, having stoodunsuccessfully for the constituency of Castletown in2011. He was appointed Member of the Departmentof Infrastructure and the Department of Health and
Social Care.
William Catto Shimmins, MHK forMiddle
Bill Shimmins was elected to the constituency ofMiddle in 2016 at his first time of standing. He wasappointed Member for the Treasury. He was also
elected Chairman of the Select Committee on FreeTrain and Tram Travel (Petition for Redress) andMember of the CPA Isle of Man Branch Executive
Committee.
Gar
ffThe Work of the Legislature
25
2015/16 was the final parliamentary session before aGeneral Election. The primary role of the legislature,the consideration and enactment of legislation,continued with 13 Bills being introduced into theKeys or Council during the course of the year (theyare listed in an Appendix to this Report). Meanwhile,Tynwald Court continued with its work of scrutinisingpolicy, finance and secondary legislation.
The most high profile Bill introduced this year wasthe Bill to allow for same sex marriage. Originallyentitled the Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Bill 2016,it was amended by the House of Keys to allow alsofor opposite-sex couples to enter civil partnerships.It was therefore as the Marriage and Civil Partnership(Amendment) Act that it reached the statute bookin July 2016.
Another Government Bill likely to have significantconsequences is the Equality Bill. Unusually, this Billwas introduced first into the Legislative Council. Inmoving the final Schedule of the Bill, HM ActingAttorney General delivered one of the longestspeeches heard in the Legislative Council in recenttimes, the transcript of which runs to around 12pages or over 400 lines of text. The Bill passed itsThird Reading in the Legislative Council before theGeneral Election, with the expectation being that itwould be transmitted to the House of Keys after theGeneral Election.
Two Department of Infrastructure Bills were referredto a Committee this year, in both cases by theLegislative Council. The Council’s Committee on theHighways (Amendment) Bill 2015 was established inDecember 2015 and reported in April 2016, allowingtime for amendments proposed by the Committeeto be agreed by both Branches and Royal Assent tobe given before the General Election. TheCommittee on the Road Traffic Legislation(Amendment) Bill 2016 was not formed until May2015 meaning that this Bill remained before theCouncil at the time of the Election.
Members of the House of Keys continued to exercisetheir right to introduce their own legislativeproposals, with two private Member’s Bills beingintroduced this year. Mr Malarkey’s Bill to rename aconstituency as Douglas South reached the statutebook in time to have effect for the 2016 GeneralElection. Mr Cannan’s Council of Ministers(Amendment) Bill, which concerned the method ofnominating the Chief Minister, did not succeed.Nevertheless, changes were made to this procedureby resolution of Tynwald which were brought intooperation for the first time in October 2016. MrWatterson’s War Memorials Bill 2015 was passed andpromulgated at Tynwald Day 2016.
PRIMARY LEGISLATION
26
The work carried out by the Committees ofTynwald and its Branches is an important part ofthe work of the Legislature.
The Office of the Clerk of Tynwald has three Clerkswho share clerking of the 14 standing committees,the various select committees and any Billcommittees. Information about all activecommittees is published on the Tynwald website,including the committee remit and links to allpublished reports and evidence.
The year began with the consideration in December2015 of the report of the Select Committee to Reviewthe Committee System. This review looked back onthe changes made to thesystem in 2011. It concludedthat the system hadoperated successfully andproposed certainrefinements based on itsfirst three to four years.
The model now used for ourcommittee system requiresa Government responsetwo months after anyreport withrecommendations is laid before Tynwald. This meanta busy end to the parliamentary year before recessin July to ensure that the reports were laid and anyrecommendations could be responded to by theGovernment Department and debated by Tynwald.
We commented in our last Annual Report thatrelatively few investigative scrutiny reports had beenproduced in 2014/2015. The position changed in2015/2016 with 14 scrutiny reports being produced,the highest number in recent years. They covered arange of topics, mainly in areas of social andenvironmental policy but also including some legalmatters. Further details can be found in an Appendixto this Report.
Procedural Developments
We mentioned in our last Annual Report thatMembers had begun reading out their oral Questionsfollowing a resolution of January 2015 and that thishad been agreed for an experimental period of oneyear. At the conclusion of the experiment this yearTynwald resolved that the practice should continue.
Four reports were laid this year by SelectCommittees formed from Petitions of Redress. APetition for Redress is a very particular way topetition Tynwald as it can only be presented atTynwald Hill on Tynwald Day. If the petition is inaccordance with the Standing Orders of Tynwald,
any Member of Tynwaldmay subsequently requestthat Tynwald establish aCommittee to consider thesubstance of the petition.
In December 2015 Tynwalddebated a review of thepetition system which hadbeen undertaken by theStanding OrdersCommittee. TheCommittee concluded that
e-petitions were unnecessary in the Isle of Man butthat more should be done to publicise the availabilityof the existing petitions system. This was duly doneby the issuing in April of revised “Guidance forPotential Petitioners”. This guidance provides clearinformation to the public not only on the widelyknown Tynwald Hill petition procedure but also onthe lesser known “public petitions”, which may bepresented by a Member of Tynwald on behalf of amember of the public at any sitting of Tynwald Courtin Douglas, and which could also lead to theestablishment of a Select Committee.
TYNWALD COMMITTEES
The right to petition Tynwald
The right of an individual to petition Tynwaldis said to have existed from the earliest times.A petition procedure is described in anaccount of Tynwald Day in 1691. By 1900 anypetitions had ceased to be considered byTynwald itself. In 1957 written rules wereintroduced and the right has been exercisedregularly in recent years.
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Review of the Functioning of Tynwald
During the year we were pleased to welcome to theIsle of Man former Clerk of the House of CommonsLord Lisvane, who had been commissioned by theCabinet Office to undertake a review of thefunctioning of Tynwald following a Tynwaldresolution of June 2015. The proceedings of theReview were held in public in the Legislative CouncilChamber during the weeks beginning Monday 16��and Tuesday 30�� May 2016. The sittings were livestreamed via the Tynwald website and weretranscribed by the Tynwald Hansard team.
Lord Lisvane heard evidence from a wide range ofindividuals from inside and outside Tynwald.Additionally, written submissions by members of thepublic were invited.
Lord Lisvane’s report was published in July 2016. Itwas the subject of a short debate at the July 2016sitting of Tynwald, when it was resolved that itshould be debated again in April 2017. Lord Lisvanemade wide-ranging recommendations which, ifadopted, will have a significant impact on the way inwhich Tynwald does its work.
“I am grateful for the warm welcome to theIsland that I have had on every side, and for theready co-operation with my Review fromeveryone I have encountered. I much appreciatethe time and trouble taken by witnesses whogave oral evidence, and by those who submittedwritten evidence. I have been very grateful forthe efficient support for my Review so readilygiven by the Clerk of Tynwald and his staff, andespecially by Ellen Callister, the Editor ofHansard, and her team, and Trudi Thompson,the Deputy Head of Chamber and InformationService, who compiled an extensive range ofdocuments to provide the background to myReview. I have also been grateful for the help ofDavid Kinrade and Nadine Gordon of theCabinet Office.”
Lord Lisvane KCB DL
LORD LISVANE’S REVIEW
The full Review of the Functioning of Tynwaldcan be found online at www.gov.im/about-the-government/departments/cabinet-office/review-of-the-functioning-of-tynwald/
Mid
dle
Tynwald Day
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In contrast to the wet weather seen in2015, a warm and sunny 5�� July in 2016allowed visitors to St John’s to enjoy theceremony and all of the entertainmenton offer throughout the day.
His Excellency the Lieutenant Governor Sir RichardGozney KCMG CVO presided over the Ceremony forthe first time.
Conversely, it was the Hon Clare Christian’s finalTynwald Ceremony as President of Tynwaldfollowing her announcement that she would bestepping down after five years in the position.
The British Armed Forces were represented by aGuard of Honour from the 12�� Regiment RoyalArtillery together with the Royal Artillery Band anda team of fanfare trumpeters from the Band of thePrince of Wales’s Division, and a Guard of Honourfrom the 12�� Regiment Royal Artillery. We wereparticularly pleased to welcome the Royal Artilleryto the Ceremony in their 300�� year. General SirTimothy Granville Chapman GBE, KCB, formerlyVice-Chief of the Defence Staff and currently MasterGunner, St James’ Park attended the Ceremony asone of Tynwald’s distinguished guests.
The Ceremony commenced with a service in theRoyal Chapel. During the service musical
accompaniment was provided by organist DerekCrellin and trumpeters from Rushen Silver Band andthe Manx Youth Band. The singing was once againled by the St John’s Church Choir and the StGerman’s Cathedral Choir, who also performed priorto the Ceremony. Traditionally, the winner of theCleveland Medal, the highest award at the ManxMusic Festival performs a solo. This year Paul Costainsang “Isle of Mona” by John W Gelling to the tune“Blaenwern”. At the end of the service, organist DonRoworth played his own composition “A ManxCelebration (The Ploughboy and the Deemster’sDaughter)” as the congregation dispersed.
Following the procession to the Hill, 14 Acts whichhad completed their passage through the branchesduring the legislative year, were promulgated inEnglish and Manx by the First and Second Deemsters.
There were 17 Petitions for Redress presented to hisExcellency and passed to the Standing OrdersCommittee of Tynwald. On consideration of thepetitions, the Committee found three of them to beout of order.
The four Coroners sworn in for the year includedthree who had appeared at the Ceremony before –Gordon Leece for Glenfaba and Michael, MarkWrigley for Rushen and Kelly Sloane for Middle.The new member of the team was Gareth Leece forAyre and Garff.
30
Guests
Professor Martin Bridson FRS - Whitehead Professor of Pure Mathematics, University ofOxford
Ms Deidre Brock MP
Senator Ian Gorst - Chief Minister of Jersey
General Sir Timothy Granville-Chapman GBE KCB - Master Gunner, St James’ Park
Rt Hon Lindsay Hoyle MP - Deputy Speaker and Chairman of Ways and Means, House ofCommons
Senator Denis O’Donovan - Caothaoirleach, Seanad Éireann
Ms Caitríona Ruane MLA - Principal Deputy Speaker, Northern Ireland Assembly
Mr Jessup Taylor - Political Officer, US Embassy London
The guests are pictured prior to the Ceremony in Cooil y Ree Gardens where they were greetedprior to the Ceremony by Madam President. It is customary for guest to lay a stone on thecairn within the gardens. The Rt Hon Lindsay Hoyle MP is pictured laying a particularlysignificantly stone, being a piece of the House of Commons building.
SPECIAL GUESTS
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This year the Tynwald Honours Committee choose to focus on the 150th anniversary of the House of KeysElection Act 1866 and recommended the addition of three names to the Manx Patriots' Roll of Honour;Robert Fargher, James Brown and Samuel Norris.
The Manx Patriots' Roll of Honour lists deceased persons who have been shown to have disinterestedly orself-sacrificially exerted himself or herself to promote the well-being of the Isle of Man. This year’s threeadditions were deemed to meet the criteria with regard to their contribution to electoral andconstitutional reform.
Manx born journalist Robert Fargher (1803-1863) was a relentless campaigner for democratic elections. Hefounded the Mona’s Herald in 1833 and was imprisoned on several occasions for his views.
James Brown (1815-1881) moved to the Isle of Man in 1846 and founded the Isle of Man Times in 1861,using it as a platform for challenging the unrepresentative nature of the House of Keys. He was famouslyimprisoned by the Keys for libel in 1864 but released after the Court of the Queen’s Bench ruled that theKeys did not have the powers to sentence him.
Samuel Norris (1875-1948) moved to the Isle of Man in 1894 and became a reporter with the Manx Sun. Avocal proponent for institutional reform, including that of the Island’s legal and legislative systems, hefounded the Manx Reform League in 1903. He was jailed in 1915 in connection with his campaign for ratesrelief for tourist businesses. In 1919 he was elected to the House of Keys where he served three termsbefore moving to the Legislative Council. After his death many of his constitutional ideas were adoptedfollowing the MacDermott report of 1959.
This year the Isle of Man Army Cadet Force was selected to receive the award for the best turned out uniton the day and Sea Cadet Morgan Farrell the award for best turned out individual. Lieutenant Daithi O’Reganof the Army Cadet Force and Mr Farrell are pictured receiving their certificates and shields from Mr Presidentat Legislative Buildings.
BEST TURNED OUT AWARDS
THE MANX PATRIOTS ROLL OF HONOUR
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An important part of Tynwald Day,aside from the Ceremony itself, is theprogramme of cultural activities whichtake place throughout the afternoon.Tynwald Day is a Manx Bank Holiday soevents are choreographed throughoutthe day to entertain and inform.
The school located opposite the village green, theBunscoill Ghaelgagh, once again hosted the ‘TakePart in Art’ sessions which included block printing,crochet and mosaic workshops. Children who tookpart in the mosaic workshop could put their namesinto a draw for an opportunity to win the artwork fortheir school. It was lovely to read the positivecomments on the Tynwald Day Facebook page fromparents of the children from the winners, MarownPrimary School:
“Fantastic!! It was such a great ideaand the children really loved it.”
“Beautiful piece of work, well doneto all x”
The Viking village was again a popular spot forfamilies to enjoy the atmosphere and learn about theancient way of life that helped shape the Island’shistory.
The Viking village was set up in Cooil y Ree, a sunkenpark with an ‘Avenue of Time’ leading visitorsthrough thickets of natural vegetation which wouldhave been grown during the Celtic and Vikingperiods. This gradually clears to represent how theIsland became more intensely managed over time.The Avenue of Time follows through to a moreformalised landscaping with an avenue of trees andexotic woody shrubs ending the short park.
Entertainment on the Front Green saw a varied mixof dance, street theatre, silver bands and dog agilitytrials. Music and dance was the focus for theentertainment inside the Royal Chapel. Localmusicians Sarah Hendy, Ruth Keggin and DavidKilgallon performed a set of Manx Gaelic and Englishlanguage folk songs. Owen and Ailish Williams fromPerree Bane, a Manx traditional dance, music andsong group, performed Manx music and dance.Further music was provided by CastletownMetropolitan Silver Band and the Regal Singers. Thisyear we were also joined by internationally renownedScottish harpist, Rachel Hair. Rachel has strong linksto the Isle of Man and to Manx music and we weredelighted that, along with Manx harpist Mera Royle,she was able to perform on our national day.
Tynwald Ted, the parliamentary mascot, made hisfirst appearance at the Tynwald Ceremony, on whathappened also to be his birthday. He was the subjectof the day’s competition “Take a selfie with TynwaldTed”. Entrants could post their selfies to Ted’sInstagram account @TynwaldTed or send them viaemail. A selection of photographs can be seen on theopposite page including the winning entry by ChloeKneale from St John’s who received a gift voucherfrom Tynwald Ted.
The evening finished with a Ceili and a performanceby Ellan Vannin Pipes and Drums on the Hill.
CULTURAL ACTIVITIES
What is a Ceili?
A Ceili or Ceilidh (pronounced ‘kay-lee’) is aScottish Gaelic word but is very close to the Irishword célidhe. Most ceili bands feature aminimum of two players (fiddle and accordion)plus a caller, but most have more players, addingin guitar, drums, keyboards and flute ortraditional whistles.
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Pictured from top left to bottom right: Georgia Shepherd and Sleepy Meow; Chloe Kneale; Kirree Kermode; LileeHannay; Bryony Lillywhite; Hannah Shimmin; Clare Rundle; Maci-Mae Simpson Nash; Abigail Corlett.
Chloe Kneale from St John’s, was chosen by Tynwald Ted as the winner of the photo competition. Chloe received a£50 book voucher for her entry.
TYNWALD TED’S SELFIE COMPETITION
34
35
Freedom of Information Act 2015, which provides for the disclosure of information held by publicauthorities.
Designated Business (Registration and Oversight) Act 2015, which requires the Financial SupervisionCommission to monitor compliance on the part of certain non-financial businesses and professions withanti-money-laundering and counter terrorism legislation.
Legislation Act 2015, which contains general procedural provisions about the making and publication ofManx legislation, and consolidates, amends and repeals other enactments in consequence of itsprovisions.
Interpretation Act 2015, which provides for the interpretation of the Island’s legislation and non-legislative public documents, and which consolidates and amends other legislation relating tointerpretation.
Income Tax Act 2015, which confirms certain temporary taxation orders and amends the Income Tax Actsof 1970 and 1989.
Representation of the People (Amendment) Act 2015, which amends the Representation of the PeopleAct 1995 by making fresh provision about the Electoral Commission, political parties and electionexpenses.
Public Health (Tobacco) (Amendment) Act 2015, which amends the Public Health (Tobacco) Act 2006.
Audit (Amendment) Act 2015, which amends the Audit Act 2006
Representation of the People (Amendment) Act 2016, which renames a Keys constituency as DouglasSouth.
War Memorials Act 2016, which makes fresh provision about war memorials.
Criminal Procedures and Investigations Act 2016, which makes provision about criminal procedures andcriminal investigations.
Terrorism and Crime (Miscellaneous Amendments) Act 2016, which amends certain enactments so as tosecure or improve compliance with international standards and obligations relating to criminalprosecutions, money laundering and the financing of terrorism.
Financial Intelligence Unit Act 2016, which provides for the establishment of a Financial Intelligence Unitand its functions.
Consumer Protection (Amendment) Act 2016, which amends the Consumer Protection Act 1991 inrespect of “cold calling” and the cancellation of certain contracts.
ACTS FOR PROMULGATION
Mic
hael
Interparliamentary Engagement
37
CSPOC
The Conference of Speakers and Presiding Officersof the Commonwealth (CSPOC) is held every twoyears. The President of Tynwald, the Hon ClareChristian, represented the Isle of Man at the 23rdConference held in Kota Kinabalu, capital of the stateof Sabah, Malaysia. Supported by the Clerk ofTynwald, Roger Phillips, Madam President joined 187delegates from 43 Commonwealth countries for theconference, held from 9�� January to 14�� January2016.
There was a special plenary discussion on ‘The LowCitizen Confidence in Parliamentary Institutions –How Can Commonwealth Parliaments Build Trust inLegislatures?’ presented by Associate Professor DrHaidar Dziyauddin from MARA University, Malaysia.Madam President said “the conference provided avaluable opportunity for a candid exchange of viewson the challenges faced by Speakers and PresidingOfficers in today’s evolving Commonwealthparliamentary landscape.”
Opening of the Welsh Assembly
In June 2016 the Hon Clare Christian MLC attendedthe opening by Her Majesty the Queen of the fifthNational Assembly for Wales.
Opening of the Scottish Parliament
In July 2016 the Hon Steve Rodan SHK attended theopening by Her Majesty the Queen of the fifthsession of the Scottish Parliament.
Gibraltar National Day
The Hon Steve Rodan MLC attended the celebrationsin Gibraltar on Gibraltar National Day which iscelebrated annually on 10�� September. The daycommemorates Gibraltar's first sovereigntyreferendum of 1967 when Gibraltarian voters wereasked whether they wished to either pass underSpanish sovereignty, or remain under Britishsovereignty with institutions of self-government.
Pictured with Mr President is Andrew Rosindell MP,Chairman of Westminster’s Manx All-Party Group.
COMMONWEALTH VISITS
CSPOC brings together the Speakers andPresiding Officers of the nationalparliaments of the independentsovereign states of the Commonwealth.
The Conference aims to:■ Maintain, foster, and encourage
impartiality and fairness on the part ofSpeakers and Presiding Officers ofParliaments;
■ Promote knowledge andunderstanding of parliamentarydemocracy in its various forms; and
■ Develop parliamentary institutions.
38
Mexican Ambassador to the UK, Diego GomezPickering was accompanied by Evelyn Vera-Barreto,Head of Education and International Co-operation atthe Mexican Embassy in London.
Croatian Ambassador Dr Ivan Grdešić met the ChiefMinister, Hon Allan Bell MHK, and toured theLegislative Buildings.
The 9th parliamentary elections since Croatia gainedindependence were held in July 2016. A total of 151members of parliament were elected - 140 in the tenconstituencies in Croatia, three elected by thediaspora (Croatian citizens living abroad) and eightseats for representatives of ethnic minorities.
Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath MP, Roger Mullin,visited at the invitation of the Chief Minister, HonAllan Bell MHK, for discussions on how links could bestrengthened to the mutual benefit of the Isle of Manand Scotland.
Six members of the Royal British Legion RidersGroup branch attended Remembrance services inCastletown and St John’s as guests of the RoyalBritish Legion Isle of Man County. The branchmembers were given a tour of Tynwald by theSpeaker of the House of Keys.
The President of Tynwald, the Hon Clare Christian,hosted a visit for Mrs Barbara Praesoody, ProvincialSecretary of the Church of Ceylon in Sri Lanka.
In 2016 the Isle of Man wasrecognised by worldheritage body UNESCO asone of the best places inthe world to explorenature. The Island waschosen to host thebiennial meeting of the
UK UNESCO Man and the Biosphere Committee inJune. The Hon Clare Christian showed the delegatesaround the Legislative Buildings.
VISITORS TO TYNWALDThe Captain-General’s BatonOn 9th May Madam President received HM TheQueen’s Baton on behalf of the Isle of Man peopleand Government to commemorate 300 years of thefounding of the Royal Artillery. The Regimentcelebrated this anniversary with events worldwidewhich fit into a programme named Ubique 300.Ubique 300 was a relay of 60 consecutiveexpeditions, involving over 1000 men and women ofthe Royal Artillery, visiting 30 countries. Theexpeditions across the world carried the Captain-General's Baton, containing a message of LoyalGreeting signed by the Heads of the CommonwealthArtilleries visited.
The Captain-General’s Baton spent the day in theIsle of Man with 103 Regiment Royal Artillery,members of the Royal Artillery Association andrepresentatives of communities in the Island. Thebaton also travelled to the summit of Snaefell in thehands of former Gunner Kate Philp. It was presentedto Madam President by Lt Col Lindsey Forbes in theTynwald precincts with Mr Speaker and Members ofthe Royal Artillery Association in attendance. Thiswas a considerable honour for the Island and marksour long association with the Royal Artillery.
‘Ubique’ means ‘everywhere’. The Royal Artillerydoes not carry standards or colours. Its guns are itsfocal point and in all campaigns the guns areeverywhere. The regiment has the strongestconnection with the Island through 15 Light AirDefence Regiment - The Manx Regiment - whichfought from North Africa to Italy, through D-Day andon into Germany in the Second World War. Thatconnection continues today through the Island’sArmy cadets who proudly wear the Gunners badgeas do a number from the Island’s reserves unit whoare also gunners.
The Royal Regiment of Artillery provided militarysupport to the Tynwald Day ceremony in 2016.
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Left to right from top: Diego Gomez, Mexican Ambassador to the UK meeting Mr Speaker; Royal BritishLegion Riders and Mr Speaker; Dr Ivan Grdešić, Croatian Ambassador visiting Madam President; delegatesfrom UK UNESCO Man and the Biosphere Committee with Madam President; Roger Mullin, Kirkcaldy and
Cowdenbeath MP with Phil Gawne MHK; Barbara Praesoody (second from left) with the President ofTynwald, The Hon Clare Christian, the Bishop of Sodor and Man, the Rt Rev Robert Paterson, and diocesan
mission adviser Gill Poole.
40
Visits to Tynwald from the Falklands,Guernsey, Jersey, Kenya, Pakistan andSierra Leone
This year the Office of the Clerk of Tynwaldcontinued its role as a study host, welcoming visitingMembers and officers from the parliaments of theFalklands Islands, Guernsey, Jersey, Kenya, Pakistanand Sierra Leone. As a small parliament with a longhistory Tynwald is pleased to offer its visitors theopportunity to examine the diverse roles in a smallbut complex legislature. Each visiting delegation isgiven a tailored programme based on therequirements of the visitor.
Our relationship with the legislatures of Kenyacontinued to deepen with not one but two visits fromthat country this year. In December we welcomed adelegation of four Members and five officers fromthe Parliamentary Service Commission headed bySpeaker of the National Assembly the Hon JustinMuturi. His colleague Senator David Musilacommented that the visit reminded the delegationof the close relationship and historical ties betweenKenya and the Isle of Man.
In May we were pleased to welcome a delegationfrom the Constitutional Implementation Oversight
Committee of the National Assembly of Kenya, ourfourth visiting delegation from Kenya since 2011. Thedelegation attended presentations from Isle of ManGovernment officials in the Department of EconomicDevelopment and the Attorney General’s Chambers.The focus of their visit was our legislativeprogramme, governance-related issues, andadministrative practices. Delegation leader andCommittee Vice-Chairman the Hon Richard Moitalelole Kenta MP reported that their week-long studyvisit to Tynwald had been a valuable learningexperience.
In November Simon Ross, Deputy Greffier of theStates of Guernsey visited the Island with Dr MarkEgan who had recently been appointed Greffier ofthe States of Jersey. Dr Egan commented: “Meetingour island ‘neighbours’ is always extremely valuable.We do, of course, share some of the same challenges,not least in matters of parliamentary scrutiny andhow best to serve Members, but there is also theissue of how to make the institution of parliamentmatter to the people and in this Tynwald would seemto be achieving considerable success.”
Dr Egan’s visit from Jersey was followed in April by avisit from another officer of the States of Jersey, CaroTomlinson, who works as part of the Scrutiny Office
TRAINING AND STUDY VISITS
Parliamentary links between the Isle of Man and KenyaSeptember 2010 - 56�� CPA plenary conference held in Nairobi, attended by Phil GawneMHK and Juan Watterson MHK with Clerk of Tynwald Roger Phillips
April 2011 - five officers from the national Parliament visit Tynwald
July 2014 - five Members and two officers from the County Assembly of Laikipia visitTynwald
December 2015 - four Members and five officers from the Parliamentary ServiceCommission visit Tynwald
May 2016 - three Members and one officer from the Constitutional ImplementationOversight Committee of the National Assembly visit Tynwald
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Left to right from top: Simon Ross, Deputy Greffier of the States of Guernsey and Mark Egan, Greffier of theStates of Jersey; the first Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly delegation; Sir Paul Grice (Chief Executive) and
Tracey White from the Scottish Parliament; the Sierra Leone delegation; the first Kenya delegation includingSpeaker Hon. Justin Muturi MP; Caro Tomlinson, States of Jersey Scrutiny Office.
42
in support of Jersey’s Public Accounts Committee.She found her visit extremely useful and said she wasimpressed by the professionalism and hard work ofthe people she met in the Isle of Man.
Later in April we welcomed from the ScottishParliament Sir Paul Grice, Chief Executive, andTracey White, Head of Chamber and Reporting.Against a background of imminent elections inScotland and a prospect of increased powers beingtransferred to Holyrood, notably in matters oftaxation, Sir Paul said: “In this we can learn from theIsle of Man as it enjoys greater fiscal autonomy, so issome considerable way ahead of us. Scotland’smoving in that direction, though, so to have beenfortunate enough to observe economic businessbeing debated was particularly absorbing.”
By chance our second delegation from Kenya hadthe opportunity also to meet a visitor from theFalkland Islands while they were in the Isle of Man.Cherie Clifford, Deputy Clerk of the LegislativeAssembly of the Falkland Islands, said: “I was mostimpressed by the Chamber and Information Service,especially the Tynwald website, which provides sucha wealth of up-to-the-minute information. That levelof immediacy may not be possible to achieve in ourLegislative Assembly, given that we are three innumber with limited resources, but it is certainlysomething to which we aspire.”
In September we welcomed two officers from SierraLeone to study they way in which we produceHansard. This visit came about because in December2015 we were contacted by the WestminsterFoundation for Democracy, building on a contactmade when Mr Speaker had headed an ElectionObserver mission to the British Virgin Islands earlierthat year. Through the ensuing dialogue a projectwas identified by which Tynwald would offer supportto the parliament of Sierra Leone specifically relatingto the production of Hansard. In May the Clerk ofTynwald, Roger Phillips, had made a preparatory visitto Sierra Leone.
September also saw the first of a number of visitsplanned from the regional parliament of KhyberPakhtunkhwa in northwestern Pakistan. The British
Council had been working on capacity building withthe UK and Scottish Parliaments and decided to getin touch with Tynwald as well. The plan is for all 124members of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly tovisit the Isle of Man and Scotland in ten groups ofabout 12 over the course of a year and a half.
Commonwealth ParliamentaryAssociationThe Commonwealth Parliamentary Association iscomposed of over 180 Branches formed inLegislatures in Commonwealth countries whichsubscribe to parliamentary democracy. CPABranches are grouped geographically into nineCommonwealth Regions for representation on theCPA Executive Committee and for the organizationof regional conferences and seminars onparliamentary practice and procedure. The Isle ofMan Branch is part of the British Islands andMediterranean Region (BIMR). An active participantin the Association’s activities, the Isle of Man benefitsgreatly from working with the BIMR and with SmallBranches in all Regions.
Along with the Isle of Man, the other branches thatmake up CPA BIMR are: Alderney, Cyprus, FalklandIslands, Gibraltar, Guernsey, Jersey, Malta, NorthernIreland, St Helena, Scotland, Wales and the UnitedKingdom.
CPA BIMR Jersey
In February the 46th BIMR Conference was held inJersey. The recently appointed Secretary-General ofthe Commonwealth Parliamentary Association, MrAkbar Khan attended the conference, his first in hisrole as Secretary-General. Tynwald delegatesincluded Geoffrey Boot MHK and Jon Joughin MHKboth of whom had been elected for the first time atby-elections in 2015, and Bill Malarkey MHK who hadbeen elected at a a by-election in 2015 but had also
43
served from 2006 to 2011. Head of delegation wasHon Tim Crookall MLC and the conference was alsoattended by the Clerk of Tynwald, Roger Phillips.After attending the workshops, and acting asrapporteur for some, the delegates reported back atthe CPA Isle of Man branch meeting. All reaffirmedthe value of the CPA BIMR conference in discussingissues affecting all parliaments and in sharingpossible solutions.
Commonwealth Women Parliamentarians’Conference
Recognizing the need of increasing women’srepresentation in political institutions, theCommonwealth Women Parliamentarians (CWP)was founded by women delegates at the 1989plenary CPA conference so women at futureconferences could discuss ways to increase femalerepresentation in Parliament and work towards themainstreaming of gender considerations in all CPAactivities and programmes. In 2004 the group wasformally recognized in the CPA Constitution and itselected Chairperson became part of the CPAExecutive Committee.
Within the BIMR , Madam President served as amember of the CWP Steering Committee. In thatcapacity she attended the Conference of the BIMRCWP held in Guernsey in February. The conferencewas also attended by Kate Beecroft MHK.
The theme of the conference was Influencing Policiesand Legislation for the Empowerment of Women.Issues discussed in plenary sessions included GenderBudgeting, Health and Social Care (including unpaidcare) and Employment policies (including Pensions,Working Hours and Maternity benefits).
After Madam President’s retirement in July 2016 MrsBeecroft was the only remaining female Member ofTynwald. Following the 2016 General Electionhowever, Mrs Beecroft was returned along with fournewly-elected female Members. They are: ClareBettison (Douglas East); Daphne Caine (Garff); AnnCorlett (Douglas Central) and Julie Edge (Onchan).
CPA UK provides the secretariat for the BritishIslands and Mediterranean Region
Commonwealth Women Parliamentarians group
www.uk-cpa.org/about/cwp/
Delegates of the British Islands and Mediterranean Region Commonwealth Women Parliamentarians’Conference Guernsey, February 2016
Gle
nfab
aEducation and Outreach
45
Members of Tynwald support the students andrepresent Government Departments. The sittingtook place on the Monday of the final week of theschool term. Year 12 students from the Island’s fivestate secondary schools assumed the roles ofMembers of the House of Keys and the LegislativeCouncil to question Government Ministers andMembers on a range of issues important to them.
This provides an opportunity for young people todiscuss the issue of concern about their society anddemocracy, to meet the Members of the House ofKeys and to find out about the work of Tynwald andits branches.
The Junior Tynwald sitting follows procedures similarto those in Tynwald Standing Orders and thePresident of Tynwald presides. Students submittedquestions in advance of the sitting which wereanswered by an appropriate Minister or Member.
This year, questions were on a range of topics fromimplications for the Isle of Man of the publication ofthe ‘Panama Papers’, the EU referendum and asustainable energy strategy for the Island.
The two motions debated this year were:
Abortion Laws
● That Junior Tynwald is of the opinion that thecurrent abortion laws are outdated and need tobe reviewed.
Unemployment Benefit
● That Junior Tynwald believes that in an effort toencourage a more sustainable benefits systemand to stimulate economic growth on the Island,the rate of unemployment benefit should bereduced.
The former chair of theScottish Youth ParliamentJordan Linden was invitedto Junior Tynwald as aguest speaker. Jordanpraised the Isle of Man forrecognising ‘theimportance of youngpeople’s voices and viewin politics’ referencing theIsland’s decision in 2006to give 16 year olds thevote and concluded bysaying:
JUNIOR TYNWALDSupported by the Isle ofMan branch of theCommonwealthParliamentary Association,the Clerk of Tynwald’sOffice in association withthe Department ofEducation and Childrenarranges a morning sittingfor a youth parliamentevery year.
‘Let’s not dismiss the views of our young people but embrace them andtheir ability to create a better and fairer future for all of us.’
46
The Isle of Man branch of the CommonwealthParliamentary Association is keen to supporteducational outreach to increase young people’sawareness of parliament and democracy, and toengage young people in politics and the legislativeprocess.
To this end the CPA funds a number of external visitsfor young people to travel internationally and learnabout the Commonwealth. On a local level, theCommonwealth Parliamentary Associationencourages student and youth groups to visit theTynwald Chambers and learn more about our richhistory.
Commonwealth Day Youth Observance -London
Alexander Price and Nicholas Hawkes were selectedby the Isle of Man Branch Executive Committee toattend the Youth Observance of CommonwealthDay in March 2016. The theme “An InclusiveCommonwealth” resonated with our representativesas they had the opportunity to attend this annualevent with more than 1,000 other young people fromacross the Commonwealth. The opportunity to applyfor a place was offered to all Manx students aged 18to 24 and the Executive Committee selected fromanonymous applications. We were again pleased tobe represented by two students with such a passionfor politics.
Commonwealth Youth Parliament - Darwin
Manx advocate 26 year old Andrew Newton travelledto the Northern Territory Legislature to join morethan 50 other young people from theCommonwealth participating in the 7��Commonwealth Youth Parliament.
Andrew had an intensive parliamentary experiencetaking on the role of leader of the opposition andbecoming Chief Minister within the space of a week!He reported back that “the week was a fantasticopportunity and enabled me to develop myknowledge of standing orders, which I profess tohave been completely ignorant of, and build a hostof connections and relationships within theCommonwealth network.”
Chairman of the Isle of Man Branch of theCommonwealth Parliamentary AssociationExecutive Committee Hon Juan Watterson MHKpraised the opportunity offered by theCommonwealth Parliamentary Association, andsupported by local branches: ‘Andrew’s accountvividly illustrates the aims of the CommonwealthYouth Parliament, which seek to provideopportunities for young people to benefit fromexposure to parliamentary proceedings and also forestablished parliamentarians to learn something ofhow the next generation might approachparliamentary politics. I am pleased that Andrew notonly found the experience valuable but also that herepresented the Isle of Man with what was clearlyconsiderable élan.’
47
YOUTH DEBATESLocal youth groups are encouraged to learn aboutpolitics by arranging their own debates in theLegislative Buildings.
At the end of January the third Primary FairtradeConference took place as part of Fairtrade Fortnight.Fairtrade Fortnight is an annual promotionalcampaign, co-ordinated by the Fairtrade Foundationin which people come together to talk about andraise awareness of Fairtrade.
The Isle of Man Primary Fairtrade Conference invitesstudents from all the Island’s primary schools to plantheir own activities for Fairtrade fortnight. Sixteenschools took part this year, each sending 4 delegates.Madam President welcomed the children to theLegislative Buildings. A key feature of the event is aformal debate on a fair trade topic held in theTynwald Chamber.
Voices in Participation was created as a forum in July2009 for young people in care aged from 11 to 25.They held a session in April; the topics they chooseto debate were:
● the Department of Health and Social Care shouldconsider partially funding driving lessons for alllooked after children in line with the legal drivingage for the Isle of Man.
● the Children’s Champion position should be heldby a political member; and that this should beimplemented as a matter of urgency.
SCHOOL VISITSAs part of Tynwald’s educational outreachprogramme all primary schools are invited to visitTynwald with various tour options including thechoice to take part in a scripted House of Keys sitting.
This year Tynwald Ted, the parliamentary mascot,welcomed 389 students from 13 schools across theIsle of Man.
On a scripted tour, Year Six pupils assume the rolesof Members of the House of Keys and learn aboutthe process of asking questions, debating and theimportance of being able to vote. Tynwald Ted wasvery involved in some of the sittings and even worea wig and gown to act as Secretary of the House.
Each year all newly qualified teachers attend an afterschool session held in Legislative Buildings at thestart of the Autumn term. We take the opportunityto show the new teachers around the Chambers andprovide an education guidebook which we hope theycan use back in the classroom.
Reflecting on the tour for Willaston School, year sixteacher Mary Thompson said:
‘The tour has really opened our eyes to whathappens in the three chambers, how the votingsystem works and the role of MHKs.
‘The experience of a scripted tour not onlyprovides an opportunity for the children tolearn about the Manx parliament, but it alsohelps to build confidence in speaking in formallanguage in a public place. It’s been a fantasticinsight.’
48
Jonathan King, Deputy Clerk, together with NicolaCowsill, the Parliamentary Intern, gave apresentation to King William’s College Year 12students with the aim to inform students about
As a landmark building in the centre of Douglas, weare often asked by youth groups visiting the Island ifwe can provide a private tour. We tailor the tour tothe group making the request and provide a smallmemento of their visit on behalf of the Isle of ManBranch of the Commonwealth ParliamentaryAssociation.
The North American Manx Association (NAMA)presents awards each year to under 25-year-oldsnominated for their creativity, language skills andcommunity involvement. Organised by theDepartment of Education and Children, youngpeople receive awards for their exceptionalcontributions to Manx culture, language and thecommunity. The tradition dates back to 1979, themillennium of Tynwald, when NAMA established theawards.
Work ExperienceThe Clerk of Tynwald’s Office offers a structuredwork experience programme allowing pupils fromthe Island’s schools to undertake various aspects ofparliamentary work. Three students completed theprogramme in the last parliamentary year.
Recent work experience student Sinead Stevensfrom Castle Rushen High School said:
“I thoroughly enjoyed spending my workexperience at the Clerk of Tynwald’s office, largelybecause everyone there was so friendly. I was withthem just over a week before the Island voted inits new MHKs , and since I had gained so much newknowledge of Tynwald during the week, I wasmuch more attentive of the general election.”
Free ToursScheduled tours are held twice a week and privatetours arranged on request. Tynwald also takes partin the Isle of Man Heritage Open Days. This event,organised by Manx National Heritage, runs over twolong weekends when historic properties, lands andbuildings on the Isle of Man are open for the publicto visit and tour. Our events are always fully booked,often by Manx residents who take the opportunityto visit the building on a weekend.
NAMA students receiving their awards
Niamh Baggesen-Cox
Kate Lamming
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The Tynwald Library is located on the ground floorof Legislative Buildings. The library area on theground floor is open to the public and comprises agiftshop and a small exhibition area. The exhibitionspace provides schools, youth, community andsporting organisations, as well as private individualsand commercial enterprises, with a secure, easilymanaged area in which to mount Manx-themeddisplays.
Managed by the Chamber and Information Service,the library aims to provide a comprehensive readyresource of information and documentation relevantto the work of the legislature of the Isle of Man,specialising in legal and parliamentary material.
The books and periodicals provide a broad range ofmaterial for any parliamentarian or general legalstudent with particular focus on the Isle of Man, UKand Europe. This includes Manx law, Debates of theLegislature since 1888, most reports of theLegislature and Executive Government that havebeen laid before Tynwald since 1906, Manx Statutesfrom 1417 and secondary legislation from the 18thCentury to date, English Statutes and Halsbury’sLaws. Since 2013 the library has housed the Isle ofMan Law Society Library collection alongside itsown. As a public library, the counter is alwaysattended and members of staff are available to assistmembers of the public with general queries and theirown research; the library area is open to all to be usedas an information area with access to Wi-Fi and aquiet study area.
Information Online
The Tynwald library provides the public with accessto documents that are being debated in theChambers making items accessible for those whodon’t have access to the material online on theTynwald website.
The Tynwald website has an education section withthe aim of educating primary and secondarystudents. It also provides information on how toarrange a tour (for which financial assistance isavailable from the Isle of Man Branch of theCommonwealth Parliamentary Association).
The Hansard transcripts of Tynwald Court andthe Branches are available online dating from
October 1887 to date.
www.facebook.com/Tynwald
THE TYNWALD LIBRARY
www.tynwald.org.im
instagram/tynwaldted
@Tynwaldinfo@TynwaldLive
Rus
hen
The Clerk of Tynwald’s Office
51
The Chamber and Information Serviceprovides Members and Officers of Tynwaldand Parliamentary Committees withimpartial research and analysis to supporttheir work in scrutinising Government,proposing legislation, and supportingconstituents. This service is largely demand-led and may be in response to specificrequests from Members, in respect ofpolicies, issues and legislation. In-depthanalysis and/or longer studies, and in-personbriefing to individual Members on any issuerelating to their parliamentary duties may beprovided.
As a singular body for independent parliamentaryresearch, the Chamber and Information Serviceprovides Members with a reliable non-partisanresource. In Tynwald, most of the Members areindependent, so the research service offers a supportstructure for Members where questions can be askedin confidence and research undertaken with no bias.
A small parliament with limited resources means theteam of eight work across varied streams of work anddepending on priority, will focus on set researchpieces or other information based projects.Incorporating the parliamentary research functionwith the Chamber/Table function allows the team torespond to the peaks and troughs associated withthe Table Office and in recess, manage on-goingdigitisation and research work.
When managing requests from many parliamentaryclients, it is paramount that all requests are managedequally. A central research mailbox is used to processrequests, managed by a senior member of staff. EachInformation Executive looks after a Policy ReviewCommittee and additional work is allocated basedon priority and workload. The team managesubscription-based digital resources to ensure accessto a wide variety of world-wide publications.
Information gathering, and the ongoingmanagement of that data, is a large part of the workundertaken by the Chamber and InformationService. Again, standing as independents, Membersrely on the research service to source data andprovide information as the corporate memory ofTynwald.
“Back in 1991 there were very few libraryor research facilities for members and itoften proved difficult to obtain informationfrom other jurisdictions. Tynwald now hasa library and support staff that we can feeljustly proud of as information is a keyfactor in all decision making procedures.This information is also available to thepublic which is an important issue in thesedays of openness and transparency.”
Former Member Mr Alex Downie, 2015
A demand we face is to provide information andmaterial in a useable digital format to Members andthe public. The challenge is exacerbated when theinformation we hold is accessible but not necessarilydigitised, nor indexed. Converting physical datasetsinto electronic format is an on-going programme inthe Office of the Clerk of Tynwald and the on-goingmanagement of the large amount of data created isa continuing challenge. The current focus is workingon the production of a secondary legislation dataset.There are an estimated 40,000 separate pieces ofsubordinate legislation currently in existence, notnecessarily easily accessible. The research team hasprioritised work on tracking down gaps among theolder pieces of legislation, and populating theinformation as a complete dataset with the aim ofpublishing in an open data format online.
To contact the Chamber and Information Service Tel: (01624) 685520 Email: [email protected]
INFORMATION SERVICES
52
The Clerk of Tynwald’s Office is a small team with 24 full-time equivalent post occupied by 30 individuals. The Officeis entirely independent of the Isle of Man Civil Service and isoverseen by the Tynwald Management Committee, aStanding Committee of Tynwald Court.
There were a small number of changes in the Clerk ofTynwald’s Office staffing during the year. In November wesaid goodbye to Margaret Pettener who had held theposition of Security Guard for a number of years. She wasreplaced by Dot Peverall who joined the team in time for theJanuary sitting of Tynwald Court.
In January Nina Lowney, Head of the TynwaldAdministration Office commenced a period of maternityleave. Kirree Ronan has been seconded from the Chamberand Information Service and taken up the position in herabsence for a limited term. Consequently, Francisca Galewas recruited to the position of Information Executive tocover the position vacated in the Chamber and InformationService.
During the year Clerk of Tynwald Office staff took part in anumber of conferences and events. Joann Corkish andJonathan King attended the UK, Irish and Islands Clerks’Seminar held at the Scottish Parliament. Jonathan Kingattended Westminster for a visit of the Anguilla PublicAccounts Committee coordinated by CPA UK as part of aParliamentary Partnership Programme (PPP). Joann Corkishand Ruth Donnelly attended the Committee SecretariatNetwork in Dublin. Ruth Donnelly and Trudi Thompsonattended the 11�� annual conference of the Inter-Parliamentary Research and Information Network inEdinburgh.
Nicola Cowsill completed her one year internship in Augustand has taken up employment in Edinburgh working in theUniversities Scotland committee secretariat supporting. Shehas been followed in the position by Charlie Shimmins,Tynwald’s third parliamentary intern.
PERSONNEL
Dot Peverall
Francisca Gale
Charlie Shimmins
53
The intern role was designed to provide anopportunity for a person to gain experience of arange of activities undertaken in a smallparliament. The Office has long supported workexperience for shorter one-week and two-weekperiods. The one-year programme has beendeveloped to give a more comprehensiveexperience in a parliamentary office.
The post of parliamentary intern in the Office of theClerk of Tynwald was introduced in 2014 and we havebeen glad to see that the two individuals who havecompleted their internships have so far beensuccessful in their subsequent careers. NicolaCowsill, intern for the 2015/2016 parliamentary year,wrote:
This year I have fully embraced my internship inthe Office of the Clerk of Tynwald and I am so gladthat I took the time to apply (and even happier thatI was successful!) in my application! Even afterspending three years at university, I feel like thisyear has been a complete learning curve and thatI have never learnt as much information as I havein the past year. To say I was rather naïve of Manxpolitics is an understatement; this system iscomplex, unique and even more special than Iimagined. I could not have envisioned a better firstjob than this one and in an exciting year of changein Manx politics.
Being the intern in the last year of a parliamentaryterm has been very exciting as there has been a lothappening, and I have had opportunities to takepart in things that only happen every five years. Ithink what has made it especially interesting forme is Lord Lisvane’s Review of the Functioning ofTynwald. Being involved in the research side,listening to the evidence and reading the report hasallowed me to develop a deeper understanding ofthe Manx parliamentary system, its developmentover time together with the checks and balancesput in place by various administrations.
The highpoint of my year was being able to shadowthe Clerk of the Social Affairs Policy ReviewCommittee. I have enjoyed this immensely, somuch so that I have chosen to further my career inthe area of committee secretariat work. With thisCommittee I have been on a site visit, assisted inwriting a report and undertaken correspondenceon behalf of the committee. The experience ofhaving a mentor, the Deputy Clerk Dr JonathanKing, to develop my skills as a committee clerk wasinvaluable and I appreciate the time and effort hehas made to help me during this period.
During my time at the Clerk of Tynwald’s Office Iwas asked to undertake the Secretary position atthe Tynwald Advisory Council for Disabilities(TACD). TACD is an independent body andoperates as an advisory body to various public andprivate organisations across the Isle of Man. Thecouncil comprises three Lay Members and twoTynwald Members and the Secretary role. Thisopportunity, for me, was a reflection of the truepurpose of the internship here at Tynwald. It gaveme the opportunity to run a Committee, with thefull support of team members in the office, whichhas given me the experience to help me decide onmy potential career path. I feel fortunate to havebeen part of TACD for the last nine months and Iam proud to have been able to help the Council intheir important work.
I have successfully applied for a role at UniversitiesScotland which is the representative body ofScotland’s 19 higher education institutions. Itdevelops policy on behalf of the university sectorand campaigns publicly on higher education issues,I am looking forward to the next stage in my careercombining my interests in education, policy andcommittee work.
I am so grateful for this year as an intern here atTynwald; it has been better than I could haveimagined and I shall miss the Office of the Clerk ofTynwald greatly.
PARLIAMENTARY INTERNSHIP
Appendix
55
Concessionary Travel Schemes - to enable the Department of Infrastructure to make concessionary travelschemes. (Royal Assent announced)
Consumer Protection (Amendment) - to amend the Consumer Protection Act 1991 in respect of cold callingand the cancellation of certain contracts; and for connected purposes. (Royal Assent announced)
Council of Ministers (Amendment) - to amend sections 2 and 4 of the Council of Ministers Act 1990 so asto provide that the Chief Minister shall be appointed by the Governor on the nomination of and from themembers of the House of Keys and that the House of Keys can pass a vote of no confidence in the Councilof Ministers. (Did not complete Legislative Council stages)
Criminal Procedure and Investigations - to make provision about criminal procedure and criminalinvestigations. (Royal Assent announced)
Equality - to reform and harmonise equality law; to increase equality of opportunity; to make furtherprovision about reemployment law; and for connected purposes. (Introduced in Legislative Council andcompleted Legislative Council stages)
Financial Intelligence Unit - to establish a Financial Intelligence Unit; to confer functions on it; and forconnected purposes. (Royal Assent announced)
Local Government and Building Control (Amendment) - to amend certain enactments in relation to localgovernment rating and building control and to provide for the introduction of fixed penalties in connectionwith statutory notices and byelaws. (Signed in Tynwald)
Marine Infrastructure Management - to make provision for a consenting process for certain activities inthe Island marine environment; and for connected purposes. (Royal Assent announced)
Marriage (Same Sex Couples) - to make provision for the marriage of same sex couples, for civil partnershipsof opposite sex couples, for permitting marriages according to the usages of belief organisations to besolemnised on the authority of a registrar’s certificate; and for connected purposes. (Royal Assent announced)
National Health and Care Service - to provide for national health and care services; to make provision forprivate care; and for connected purposes (Royal Assent announced)
Police (Amendment) - to amend the Police Act 1993 and the Police Powers and Procedures Act 1998. (RoyalAssent announced)
Preferential Payments (Amendment) - to amend the Preferential Payments Act 1908 so as to provide theamounts owing by debtors in respect of certain deposits are preferential debts for the purposes of that Act;and for connected purposes. (Royal Assent announced)
Terrorism and Crime (Miscellaneous) - to amend certain enactments so as to secure or improve compliancewith international standards and obligations; and for connected purposes. (Royal Assent announced)
BILLS INTRODUCED IN THE 2015/16 LEGISLATIVE YEAR
Graham Derek CregeenMHK
Arbory, Castletownand Malew
Jason Robert Moorhouse MHK
Ayre and Michael
Alfred Louis Cannan MHK
Timothy Simon Baker MHK Catherine Ann Corlett MHK
Douglas Central
Christopher Charles ThomasMA (Oxon) MHK
Ramsey Onchan Rushen
Lawrie Lee Hooper MHK
Alexander John Allinson MHK Rob Edward Callister MHK
Julie Marie Edge MHK
Laurence David Skelly MHKJuan Paul Watterson
SHK (Rushen)
Roger Ian SextonPhillips
Clerk of TynwaldSecretary of theHouse of Keys
Speaker of theHouse of Keys
Claire Louise Bettison MHK
Douglas East
Christopher Roy RobertshawMHK
Douglas North
David John Ashford MHK
George Ralph Peake MHK
Douglas South
Kathleen Joan Beecroft MHK
William Mackay MalarkeyMHK
Garff
Martyn John Perkins MHK
Daphne Hilary PenelopeCaine MHK
Geoffrey George Boot MHK
Glenfaba and PeelMiddle
Ray Karl Harmer MHKWilliam Catto Shimmins MHK
Robert Howard Quayle MHK
Membership of the House of Keysat 30�� September 2016
58
Hon. TimothyMark Crookall
MLC
Robert WilliamHenderson
DipMgt MCMIRMN (Ret) MLC
Charles GeoffreyCorkish MBE
MLC
Tony Peter WildCDir FIoD ACIB
MLC
The Rt. RevRobert Mar
Erskine PatersonMA Lord Bishop
59
John Louie MarieQuinn MLC
Acting AttorneyGeneral
Jonathan King LLB MADPhil LRSM
Deputy Clerk of TynwaldClerk of the Legislative
Council
Juan RichardTurner MLC
The Hon. Stephen CharlesRodan Bsc (Hons)MRPharmS MLC
President of Tynwald
Michael ColemanLLB (Hons)
(Open) CEngFBCS CITP MLC
David CliffordCretney MLC
David MooreAnderson MLC
Membership ofthe LegislativeCouncil at 30��
September 2016
60
In the year up to dissolution of the House of Keys on 11�� August 2016
COMMITTEE REPORTS
Standing CommitteesEcclesiastical Committee
Chair MembersDavid Anderson MLC Alfred Cannan MHK
Geoffrey Corkish MLCSeptember 2015 First Report 2015-2016 [2015/0123]
Economic Policy Review CommitteeChair MembersMichael Coleman MLC Ralph Peake MHK
Juan Turner MLC
Emoluments CommitteeChair MembersSteve Rodan SHK David Anderson MLC
David Cretney MLCHoward Quayle MHKDavid Quirk MHKChris Robertshaw MHKJuan Turner MLC
July 2016 First Report 2015-2016 [2016/0111]July 2016 Second Report 2015-2016 [2016/0112]
Environment and Infrastructure Policy Review CommitteeChair MembersTony Wild MLC Graham Cregeen MHK
David Quirk MHKOctober 2015 First Report 2015-2016 [2015/0133]May 2016 Second Report 2015-2016 [2016/0065]July 2016 Third Report 2015-2016 [2016/0106]
61
Public Accounts CommitteeChair MembersAlfred Cannan MHK Geoffrey Corkish MLC
Michael Coleman MLCDavid Cretney MLCTony Wild MLC
October 2015 Annual Report 2014-2015 [2015/0134]December 2015 First Report 2015-2016 [2015/0171]February 2016 Second Report 2015-2016 [2016/0014]
Social Affairs Policy Review CommitteeChair MembersDavid Cretney MLC Geoffrey Boot MHK
Steve Rodan SHKMay 2016 First Report 2015-2016 [2016/0072]June 2016 Second Report 2015-2016 [2016/0098]July 2016 Third Report 2015-2016 [2016/0103]
Tynwald Standing Orders CommitteeChair MembersSteve Rodan SHK Geoffrey Corkish MLC
Peter Karran MHKHoward Quayle MHKJuan Turner MLC
November 2015 First Report 2015-2016 [2015/0146]
Tynwald Ceremony Arrangements CommitteeChair MembersClare Christian MLC Allan Bell MHK
Phillip Gawne MHKSteve Rodan SHK
Tynwald Honours CommitteeChair MembersClare Christian MLC Geoffrey Corkish MLC
David Cretney MLCSteve Rodan SHKRichard Ronan MHK
June 2016 First Report 2015-2016 [2016/0099]
62
Tynwald Management CommitteeChair MembersSteve Rodan SHK Clare Christian MLC
Geoffrey Corkish MLCDavid Cretney MLCPeter Karran MHK
Tynwald Members’ Pension Scheme Management CommitteeChair MembersClare Christian MLC Allan Bell MHK
Steve Rodan SHKEdward Teare MHK
Tynwald Standards and Members’ Interests CommitteeChair MembersSteve Rodan SHK David Cretney MLC
Howard Quayle MHKDavid Quirk MHKChris Robertshaw MHKTony Wild MLC
March 2016 First Report 2015-2016 [2016/0052]May 2016 Second Report 2015-2016 [2016/0073]
House of Keys Management and Members’ Standards CommitteeChair MembersSteve Rodan SHK Howard Quayle MHK
David Quirk MHKChris Robertshaw MHK
House of Keys Standing Orders CommitteeChair MembersSteve Rodan SHK Alfred Cannan MHK
Peter Karran MHKDavid Quirk MHKJuan Watterson MHK
October 2015 First Report 2015-2016 [2015/0132]
Legislative Council Standing Orders CommitteeChair MembersClare Christian MLC Geoffrey Corkish MLC
John Quinn HMAAGTony Wild MLC
63
Select CommitteesAnimal Welfare (Petition for Redress)
Chair MembersKate Beecroft MHK David Cretney MLC
March 2016 Report 2015-2016 Volume 1Report 2015-2016 Volume 2.1Report 2015-2016 Volume 2.2
[2016/0005(1)][2016/0005(2.1)][2016/0005(2.2)]
Civil Legal ProceedingsChair MembersJohn Houghton MHK Steve Rodan SHK
Tony Wild MLCJuly 2016 Report 2015-2016 [2016/0117]
First-Time Buyer Arrangements at Harcroft Meadow (Petition for Redress)Chair MembersDavid Anderson MLC Raymond Harmer MHK
Leonard Singer MHKApril 2016 Report 2015-2016 [2016/0054]
Funding of Nursing and Residential CareChair MembersChris Robertshaw MHK Peter Karran MHK
Juan Watterson MHKJuly 2016 Report 2015-2016 [2016/0120]
Operation of the Jury SystemChair MembersChris Robertshaw MHK Peter Karran MHK
Bill Malarkey MHKJune 2016 Report 2015-2016 [2016/0100]
Planning and Building Control (Petition for Redress)Chair MembersChris Thomas MHK Jonathan Joughin MHK
Steve Rodan SHKMarch 2016 Report 2015-2016 [2016/0076]
64
Registration of Land (Petition for Redress)Chair MembersMichael Coleman MLC Alfred Cannan MHK
Geoffrey Boot MHKMay 2016 Report 2015-2016 [2016/0078]
Review of the Committee SystemChair MembersJuan Watterson MHK Leonard Singer MHK
Chris Thomas MHKNovember 2015 Report 2015-2016 [2015/0149]
BillSelect Committee of the Legislative Council on the Highways (Amendment) Bill 2015
Chair MembersJuan Turner MLC Michael Coleman MLC
Geoffrey Corkish MLCTony Wild MLC
Select Committee of the Legislative Council on the Road Traffic Legislation(Amendment) Bill 2016
Chair MembersJuan Turner MLC Michael Coleman MLC
Bill Henderson MLCThe Lord Bishop
Commonwealth Parliamentary AssociationCommonwealth Parliamentary Association Executive Committeee
Chair MembersJuan Watterson MHK Clare Christian MLC
Steve Rodan SHKAllan Bell MHKKate Beecroft MHKGeoffrey Corkish MLCTim Crookall MLCRichard Ronan MHKMr Noel Cringle
65
Roger PhillipsClerk of Tynwald
Secretary of the House of KeysCounsel to the Speaker
Registrar of Members’ Interests
Staff of the Office of the Clerk of Tynwald at 30�� September 2016
Jonathan KingDeputy Clerk of Tynwald
Clerk of the Legislative Council
Chamber andInformation Service
Ruth DonnellyHead of Chamber &Information Service
Trudi ThompsonDeputy Head of Chamber
& Information Service
Andy CookeGraeme Jones (p/t)
Francisca Gale (Contract)Information Executives
Sharon KanesHelen Peet (p/t)
Information Officers
Charlie ShimminsParliamentary Intern
Barbara Taylor (p/t)Temporary Administration
Officer
Official Report
Ellen CallisterHead of Hansard
Pat BlackburnDeborah Pilkington
Lottie RayDeborah Smith (p/t)
Louise TrimbleHansard Executives
TynwaldAdministration Office
Kirree RonanActing Head of Tynwald
Administration Office
Sandie BougourdShirley Hughes
Julie Wild (pro tem.)Administrators
Helen Cain (p/t)Finance Administrator
Joann CorkishThird Clerk of Tynwald
TynwaldSecurity and Facilities
Paul DoughertySeneschalTynwald
Keith FlemingGarry Homer
Fiona McDonaldDorothy Peverall
David SteeleRoger Lawrence(occasional p/t)
Messengers/SecurityGuards
66
BUDGET 2016/2017Extracted from the Isle of Man Budget 2016/2017 (GD 2016/0001)
The High Court of Tynwald is theparliament of the Isle of Man andhas an unlimited, but notnecessarily exclusive, legislativecompetence.
Published by: Clerk of Tynwald’sOffice
Printed by: Mannin Group
Date: December 2016
All photographs: Paul DoughertyTynwald Seneschal
