Pizza Hut has announced it will open a takeaway in Douglas.

There had been speculation that the restaurant chain would open a full restaurant in the Isle of Man.

But a statement published on its Facebook page indicated otherwise - to the disappointment of Manx fast food fans.

It read: ‘We would have dearly loved a full restaurant, however this was not an option after over 10 years of trying to agree the deal with the Head Office Company.

More on this story in the Manx Independent - in shops Thursday morning.

The Hall Caine Prize for Creative Writing 2013/14 was launched this week, with the theme of ‘heroes’.

The prize, which is in its fourth year, is open to students aged 21 and under who are in full-time education in the Isle of Man. They are invited to pen a short story, a memoir or the opening chapter of a novel.

Judges will look for strong characterisation, good narrative flow and, above all, imaginative story-telling.

Gloria Rukeyser, who is a great granddaughter of Sir Hall Caine and lives at the novelist’s historic home, Greeba Castle, founded and sponsors the prize to foster the love of writing.

The 2012/13, competition, which had ‘journeys’ as its theme, attracted 1,045 entries, nearly double the number it received the previous year, setting judges a difficult task.

Launching the new prize ahead of the island’s second Manx Litfest, Gloria – herself a writer and journalist – said: ‘This year’s theme is particularly appropriate given that 2014 marks the centenary of the outbreak of World War I. But students don’t have to write pieces about the past. They are free to interpret the theme in any way they wish. In the three years the prize has run, what has stood out has been the imaginative way young writers have interpreted the chosen title.’

The prize has four categories: Primary, in which entrants must write up to 500 words, with prizes of £100, £75 and £50; Key Stage 3 – up to 1000 words with prizes of £150, £100 and £50; Key Stage 4 – up to 1500 words with prizes of £175, £125 and £75 and Key Stage 5/Isle of Man College of Further and Higher Education – up to 2000 words with prizes of £200, £150 and £100. Up to 10 highly commended entrants in each category will receive prizes of £25.

Teachers and lecturers at the DEC’s primary and secondary schools, King William’s College and the Isle of Man College of Further and Higher Education English departments will judge the prize.

The closing date for entries is Friday, January 24, 2014. All entries must be accompanied by an entry form and entries themselves must not carry identifying markers, such as the author’s name or school. They must contain an accurate word count. Entries that don’t adhere to this won’t be considered.

Entrants are advised to study the full rules, which will be advertised in all schools and at the Isle of Man College of Further and Higher Education, can be viewed at www.gov.im/hallcaine or can be obtained by contacting jo.overty@gov.im

It is hoped that schools will include the competition in their Island of Culture 2014 activities. The competition is again a validated Children’s University activity and entrants will receive three hours’ credit in their passports for taking part.

Alex Downie MLC says that the island should help other small states develop their economies.

He was speaking after returning from leading a Tynwald delegation of Leonard Singer MHK and the Clerk of Tynwald Roger Phillips to the 59th Commonwealth Parliamentary Association conference, hosted by the Parliament of South Africa in Johannesburg.

They joined representatives from around 175 Commonwealth parliaments and legislatures to discuss issues of mutual concern at the conference, which took for its theme ‘Effective Solutions to Commonwealth Developmental Challenges’, and to hear the President of South Africa, Jacob Zuma, 2013 vice-patron of the CPA, address the audience of some 600 parliamentarians and parliamentary officials gathered in the Sandton Convention Centre.

At the Small Branches Conference sessions Mr Downie spoke about ‘Ensuring Technical and Legislative Capacity for Ethical Tax-raising in Small States’ while Mr Singer spoke on ‘Self-determination, self-sufficiency and self-governance’.

Mr Downie said: ‘I was glad to be able to explain some of the substantial contributions of the Isle of Man in sharing its expertise on ethical tax-raising in small states. The island should play a leading role internationally in showing the way forward for small states in developing their economies. The Commonwealth Parliamentary Association plays an important part in this process.’

Mr Singer added: ‘Both Alex Downie and I have made many useful contacts over the course of this week with influential politicians from all parts of the world, some of whom wish to come to the island to continue the dialogue with us and learn more about the island. This is an indispensable part of ensuring that people understand the real characteristics of the Isle of Man.’

Moore Stephens partner Ayuk Ntuiabane will address more than 100 of the superyacht industry’s key professionals and owners at the Monaco Yacht Show later this month.

He will address Marine Money’s annual Superyacht Finance Forum at the opening of the prestigious event.

Speaking at the Forum for the third time, Ayuk will present his professional views on optimising yacht ownership and operations in light of the recent VAT changes in the EU including Croatia’s EU Accession, the new VAT regime in France, the Spanish matriculation tax and a round-up of other important VAT trends.

He said: ‘The EU in 2013 witnessed unprecedented changes in value added tax on yachts and yachting.

‘The Superyacht Finance Forum will again be a great opportunity to explore important lessons and discuss strategies to correctly reposition yacht operations in the Mediterranean.’

The Superyacht Finance Forum is in its sixth year and now seen as a ‘must attend’ event on the superyacht industry calendar.

This year’s assembly begins at 8.30am on Tuesday, September 24 at the Auditorium Rainier III and is followed by a networking cocktail reception.

‘The Monaco Yacht Show is a key event for us as a firm and the Isle of Man, so again this year we have a large team attending,’ said Clive Dixon, senior partner in Moore Stephens Isle of Man.

‘Monaco attracts a broad spectrum of people in the superyacht industry – Ayuk opening it all as a key speaker at Marine Money’s Superyacht Finance forum is a great way to launch this year’s event.’

To find out more about Moore Stephens Isle of Man visit www.msiom.com; you can also follow the firm on Twitter www.twitter.com/MSIOM, Facebook http://www.facebook.com/MooreStephensIOM and LinkedIn http://goo.gl/lhsrl.

Creechurch Capital has promoted Arthur Molloy to head of private wealth after the company’s continued success led to the rapid growth of its portfolio management team.

Arthur will lead a team of seven industry professionals and be responsible for managing the company’s private client portfolios after Creechurch Capital added £150m of private client assets in the last 12 months.

John Greenwood, chief executive officer at Creechurch Capital, said: ‘Arthur is an extremely valued member of the team and has shown unwavering commitment, dedication and motivation since he joined us in 2010.

‘It was a clear progression for him and has helped us to develop our private wealth offering. Arthur has an extensive knowledge of investment strategy and has delivered a consistently outstanding level of service to our private wealth clients – something we value highly at Creechurch.’

Arthur said: ‘Creechurch recognises the importance of having a team that shares the same values and dedication – because in a team of this size, each person’s contribution really matters.

‘Starting as a senior member of the private wealth team three years ago, I have been able to build on my previous experience in investment analysis to deliver the best results for our clients.

‘I am looking forward to heading-up our talented portfolio management team and helping the company build on its already sterling reputation.’

Creechurch Capital is a premier discretionary fund manager and has been recognised with a number of leading industry accolades.

The company’s success is underpinned by a commitment to outstanding service and an ability to deliver highly responsive approach to asset management.

In this special article, Greg Ellison, chief

executive of Boston Group in the island gives his views on the future for offshore centres.

In its recent market-sizing report, The Boston Consulting Group (no connection to Boston Group, of which I am the chief executive) highlights a slight decline in the relative proportion of global wealth placed offshore, from 6.4 per cent to 6.3per cent.

But what does this mean for international offshore centres such as the Isle of Man?

 The first point to recognise is that this statistic is relative. During 2012, offshore wealth grew by a very healthy 6.1 per cent and is projected to increase to a predicted $11.2trn by the end of 2017.

That said, there are a few notable changes to the dynamics of the offshore and onshore environments that should be recognised.

 I believe offshore jurisdictions are, and will continue to be, influenced by the following four dynamics:

1) An acceptance that independent jurisdictions have the right to set their own tax rates as long as they can financially stand on their own two (or three) feet and fall in to line with international standards on transparency so that it is clear who is running and who is funding offshore structures.

2)To be competitive, an offshore jurisdiction must offer propositions based on service delivery, expertise and the strength of their legal system. The days of purely tax led propositions are behind us.

3) As organisations within established and developing nations continue to seek global opportunities, and the dynamics of family wealth evolve (particularly in the Middle East and Asia), so will we see increased mobility of capital. This will lead to more cross border international planning opportunities and a latent demand for jurisdictions and organisations to satisfy these requirements.

4) Further development in supra-national co-operation agreements such as FATCA, coupled with support from groups such as the G20 and the Paris based OECD, to reduce tax leakage.

What’s more, for jurisdictions to remain ‘white listed’ they will not only need to sign up to these international agreements, but also have the machinery in place to deliver when called upon.

So, how well placed are we in the Isle of Man?

In my opinion, Allan Bell has done a fine job in taking the lead to position the island at the forefront of international transparency, to drive a more diversified economy, and to recognise when to negotiate and when to fall into line with international expectations.

The onus is now on the business leaders to choose how to respond within this jurisdictional context.

I expect consolidation across the whole of the finance sector, particularly in owner-managed sectors such as fiduciary, where the rising cost and complexity of compliance and regulatory change will require scale to absorb increased costs and maintain profitability.

Further, to be successful I believe organisations need to recognise opportunities to build international reach so that their offering can be part of a global solution for increasingly complex client demands.

Those organisations that are mindful of these factors, and act to change their business models to take account of them, will retain a great opportunity to flourish in the Isle of Man.

This week, IoM Friends of the Earth’s Cat Turner wonders whether Nobles Hospital could take a leaf (possibly an organic lettuce leaf) out of the books of an enlightened Detroit hospital.

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It was Hippocrates (460-370BC) who said it best: ‘Let food be thy medicine, and medicine be thy food’.

It’s hard to overstate the extent to which good, fresh food can boost your health and mood – or how chemical-ridden, nutrient-free stodge can contribute to a really unhappy life.

So it was great, this week, to read about a hospital based in Detroit, which has decided to take matters into its own hands and ensure the best possible diet for its patients and workers.

The facility has hit the news by opening a $1m organic greenhouse and garden, where it’s now producing a truly mind-boggling array of vegetables, fruits, salads and herbs in its 1,500 square feet of space.

The staff are growing at least 5 types of kale alone (and kale is a real powerhouse of nutrition). In addition there are a mindboggling 23 types of heirloom tomatoes, plus strawberries, microgreens (that’s the sprouted seedlings of various plants, which are absolutely harvested at their most nutritious and are absolutely bursting with vitamins), and various types of squash, aubergines, hot and sweet peppers, herbs and much more.

The growing space is being put to other really good uses too –its leafy lobby makes a wonderful venue meetings, entertaining, teaching schoolchildren and musical events. It also gives patients somewhere terrific to hang out in the day, which I imagine is a big morale-booster for long-stay folks who are missing their gardens.

Credit for this inspiring project has to go to the hospital’s CEO Gerard van Grinsven, who decided that the facility should be about ‘well care, not sick care’, and it’s part of a wider range of initiatives he’s started.

It made me wonder why we don’t put all that open space around Nobles Hospital to similar use.

After all, whilst there’d be an initial cost, the list of benefits is persuasive: the Detroit hospital is ensuring its patients get the very best diet they possibly can, and saves a massive amount on bought produce.

In addition, it’s established a farmers market where the surplus is sold and its own café has become a popular destination for diners even when they’ve no hospital business: apparently it’s a real money-spinner. The menu includes a huge and colourful organic salad bar, teas made from the hospital’s own-grown herbs, fresh fruit smoothies and juices and an array of main courses supplemented by vegetables so fresh they’re practically still alive.

The hospital gardeners work closely with the kitchen staff, and they also get advice from those doctors with a particular interest in nutrition – so they can select plants to grow for great taste, but also for particular nutrient quality.

It’s particularly interesting to consider how the produce is used not just for catering purposes, but increasingly also medically (instead of relying on commercially-manufactured pharmaceuticals). Readers might remember that I wrote a fortnight ago about the wide array of hedgerow remedies available to intrepid foragers – but of course there are many cultivated plant remedies too, and they can be at least as powerful as their pharmaceutical equivalents.

I’m not recommending a return to the dark ages here – as recently as the 1930s, around 90 per cent of medicines prescribed by doctors or bought over the counter were derived from herbs, and it’s only since the rise of the big pharmaceutical companies that we’ve been press-ganged into abandoning these for expensive, synthetic alternatives.

For example, a typical treatment for battle wounds in the Fisrt World War involved garlic (a natural antibiotic) and sphagnum moss (which makes a great natural antiseptic dressing).

It’s nice to envisage our local hospital cultivating some of its own treatments, and keeping its funds out of the hands of Big Pharma.

And imagine the difference in food miles!

Aside from the helpful impact on the environment, food that’s freshly picked has a much higher nutrient content than that which has been travelling for several days or weeks before it hits the supermarket shelves.

But of course it’s not just the age of a carrot that destroys its vitamin content (though that plays a big part): just as important is the quality of the soil it’s grown in, and here again the Detroit hospital has scored a big ‘win’, because it’s farming organically, without the use of chemical fertilisers and pesticides which so undermine soil, and therefore plant, health.

The British Food Journal once published a study which compared the vitamin and mineral content of 20 different types of vegetable, as they were in 1930 against what was available in 1980.

It found that the average calcium content had plummeted by 19 per cent, iron by 22 per cent, and potassium by 14 per cent. Alarmingly, a similar study around the time also found that you’d need to eat eight oranges today to get the same level of Vitamin A that your grandparents would have gained from just one!

So there are lots of persuasive reasons why something along these lines might be considered – from cost savings and job creation, to better patient care, and from new sources of income (farmers market and café) to general wellbeing and loveliness! I’d be in favour of it, wouldn’t you?

David Cameron says the Isle of Man is not a tax haven. He should have seen us when we were shouting loudly about it to the outside world and lots of rich people were coming across the water to us for the good of their wealth. This was in the early 1960’s.

Dave was born in 1966. He missed it.

I didn’t.

We called them New Residents.

They were often the likes of retired British colonial officials used to living and working in foreign lands along with the natives.

In the Isle of Man they tended not to have too much to do with the Manx natives.

They usually settled down in and around Ramsey, for some inexplicable reason, and when it came to socialising they did it largely among themselves and one of them, somewhat wickedly, invited me to attend a Sunday drinks party at his home.

As he opened the door to me he whispered: ‘Don’t let on that you’re Manx. Just listen in to their chat. You might get something out of it.’

I did.

The general conversation, I found, was largely confined to discussion of the merits or otherwise of the guests’ respective accountants and advocates and others handling their financial affairs.

One of the restrictions they faced was that they had to prove that the Isle of Man was their ‘centre of life’, where they made their home, with visits back to the UK strictly limited.

As a result it was inevitable that I, in my undercover role, was button-holed by a lady and her husband who asked me: ‘And how much time are you allowed to spend off the rock?’

I told them I could go off the rock any time I wanted for as long I wanted.

They were taken aback and immediately demanded to know which bright boys in Athol Street were handling my tax refugee status.

‘We must give them a ring,’ the lady said.

It was time for me to break cover. ‘I don’t need people like that,’ I said. ‘ I’m Manx you see. I was born here.’

For a moment they confronted with admiration this masterly piece of advance tax planning and its sheer simplicity.

I thought for a moment that they might ask me how my parents had thought up such a wheeze for me.

They finally came to terms with the fact that they were in conversation with one of the natives.

They were a nice couple. They didn’t move on quickly to more comfortable interlocutors.

They began asking me questions.

Eventually the lady asked me if I spoke Manx.

I told them I knew a few words, like ‘thie veg’.

I explained that this meant ‘little house’ which was the outside toilet at the homes of quite a few Manx people in country areas at the time.

The lady steered around this delicately.

She asked: ‘Do you know enough Manx to translate for me that motto we see with the Three Legs of Man?’ She made a commendable attempt at ‘Quocunque jeceris stabit.’

Now that really threw me.

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Jim Barnaby raises a question of literary style relating to an item on Manx Radio online saying: ‘One thousand 400 operations at Noble’s cancelled.’ He says: ‘Is this the same as 1,400 operations or one thousand four hundred operations?’

I’d like to think that this is a cutting remark.

---------------

I have been sent a list of statements for the pleasure of Lexophiles (lovers of words) which I will slip in from time to time, starting with: ‘A bicycle cannot stand alone: it is two tired.

Lexophiles sound like people who enjoy going to dinner at L’Experience.’

The top post at the Isle of Man College, in Douglas, is being advertised.

The principal’s vacancy was created when Professor Ronald Barr was appointed chief executive of the Department of Education and Children.

In the advertisement in the Times Educational Supplement, it states: ‘Applications are invited for this post from suitably qualified and experienced senior managers with proven further, higher and vocational education experience.’

It continues: ‘The successful candidate would also advise the Department of Education and Children on all aspects of higher education, further education and vocational training.’

The principal will earn a salary of between £89,387 and £103,558.

The closing date for applications is September 27 and interviews are scheduled to take place in October.

It’s hoped that the successful application will take up the post on January 1, 2014. In the interim, Ian Sheard is the college’s acting principal.

Mr Sheard, who took on the role on September 1, said that he was enjoying his time in the post ‘immensely’.

He has worked at the college for more than 15 years as one of the assistant principals.

During that time, his roles have included student support, working with high schools to smooth students’ transition to the college, and giving them guidance and advice to help them move from the college into a job or further education.

He has also been involved with staff support in terms of their career development and in-service training.

Prof Barr was principal for three years, and in total worked at the college for more than six years.

Hospice’s Midnight Walk is to take place on Saturday.

The event will include participants from all around the island getting together to walk the five miles from the Royal Skandia building in Onchan to Ballafeltcher Sport Grounds, near Hospice Isle of Man, along Douglas promenades.

Fourteen participants (pictured) are entering from Friends Provident International in Castletown, including two men who are proud to be donning the pink gear and stepping out for Hospice Isle of Man.

Chewing gum recycling bins are on trial in Douglas, to stop people dropping their gum on the streets.

Douglas Council has installed 32 Gumdrop bins outside schools and in the worst-affected areas.

When full, the bubblegum-pink bins – and contents – will be recycled and converted into more bins.

About 6,000 gum deposits were removed from Well Road Lane in two days using the council’s GumGo machine.

Council leader David Christian said: ‘Chewing gum-stained streets project a damaging image of the capital.

Councillor Ritchie McNicholl said the only long-term solution to the problem was to encourage people to change their behaviour.

A one-off artist’s proof of a charging black rhino by Dr Jeremy Paul is one of the items being auctioned to raise money for the endangered species.

The fundraiser is being organised by Angie Goody, who was volunteering at Kariega game reserve in South Africa in 2012 when three white rhinos were attacked by poachers who took their horns for use in Asian medicine.

Two of the rhinos died from their injuries, but the third, Thandi, survived and the event, Thandi’s fundraiser, is named in its honour.

The auction, which includes a hog roast dinner, takes place at Vagabonds Rugby Club, in Douglas, from 7pm on Saturday, September 21.

Money raised will pay for tracking collars and anti-poaching patrols for the Chipembere Rhino Foundation, to make their future safer.

Angie said scientifically, rhino horn is made up of hair and nails tissue and has no medicinal benefits.

The artist’s proof is entitled Time to Move. On the back, Dr Paul has explained that the rhino ‘came charging through the bush towards us. My guide simply said: “Time to move”. We were in a Land Rover.’

To boost the total, Angie will be shaving off her hair on the night. ‘All I’m worried about is raising more funds,’ she said.

Angie will return to South Africa in January for five months. She will train as a ranger and hopefully place tracking collars on some rhinos.

Tickets for the event cost £15. Call Angie on 481786 or email ad.goody@hotmail.com

Anyone interested in having a talk about rhinos and why they are poached is also asked to get in touch. It highlights that after 50 million years, they could be extinct in just 10.

She will be giving talks at the Royal School of Veterinary Studies in Edinburgh and Edinburgh Zoo in November.

For more details go to the ‘Thandi’s Fund Raiser’ Facebook page.

An independent review team will carry out their first inspection of Noble’s Hospital on November 26 - and their findings will be made public.

It will be one of three pre-announced one-day visits a year carried out by a dozen-strong review team over the next three years.

Health Minister David Anderson announced in July that the West Midlands Quality Review Service had been commissioned to carried out an independent external inspection of all of the island’s health services, beginning with critical care at Noble’s Hospital.

Concerns over patient safety at Noble’s were raised by consultants in October last year and this summer backbench MHKs have called from the Minister to step down as they had no confidence in the Department of Health’s management.

But WMQRS director Jane Eminson, on a informal visit to make arrangements for the inspections, said politics would play no role in this review.

She said: ‘This is an independent review, providing an external assessment of the health services here.

‘Over three years, we will carry out three review visits a year, each visit reviewing a number of linked pathways of care. The first one on November 26 will look at critical care services. The rest have yet to be decided.

‘My understanding is that the Department of Health is committed to making our reports public. We will send our reports to the department to put in the public domain and then put it on our own website.’

She said each visit would take just one day in order to minimise the impact on the clinicians. ‘So long as we plan it properly, we can review a service in a day,’ she insisted.

She said there would be a multi-disiplinary team 10 to 12 strong, made up of clinicians relevant to the area of service being reviewed.

Reviewers will talk to staff and patients.

Ms Eminson said: ’We are planning the best way to get patients’ views into this programmes. It may be different for different reviews – you can’t interview patients in clinical care for example.’

She confirmed that all the visits could be announced.

‘Some people think unannounced visits are very important. What you see on a visit is what people think is good. The Care Quality Commission used to do unannounced visits but they are moving away from that.

‘But reviewers work in the same areas. They know what to look for, they know if they are being hoodwinked.’

The WMQRS, which is based at Sandwell Hospital in West Bromwich, was set up in 2009 as a collaborative venture by NHS organisations in the West Midlands to improve the quality of health services by undertaking reviews of clinical services.

It carried out more than 200 reviews in 2012/13. The island is not the first non-UK health service to be reviewed, the WMQRS having previously carried out a similar exercise in Guernsey.

The review aims to provide an assessment to the Manx public, politicians and the Manx NHS itself of the quality of care provided to patients.

It will identify areas where services are in need of improvement, particularly if there is an unacceptable risk to patient and/or staff safety and it will also comment on the sustainability, or otherwise, of services currently provided in the Isle of Man.

A service is to be held this morning in memory of policewoman Fiona Bone, who grew up in Port St Mary, and colleague Nicola Hughes.

The constables were killed a year ago today while they investigated a suspected burglary in Hattersley, Greater Manchester.

The service will take place at Hyde police station and the force will hold a minute’s silence at 10:53am, the time when the officers were killed.

Fiona’s family, who live in Port St Mary, have this week placed an in memoriam notice in the Isle of Man Examiner.

It reads: ‘One year on the pain remains. We miss your smile, we miss your laugh, we miss your voice, we all miss you.

‘You live on in our hearts. You will never be forgotten.

‘Love Mum, Dad, Vicky, Mark, Clare and Jessie.’

Dale Cregan, aged 30, was given a whole-life sentence in June for the murders.

Family, friends and colleagues of the PCs will be attending the service.

Greater Manchester Chief Constable Sir Peter Fahy, said: ‘The last 12 months have been a difficult time for the force, but it is testament to the professionalism and dedication of our officers and staff, who since that day have continued to go out and serve the public to the very best of their ability.

‘“We think of the families of Fiona and Nicola, of their friends and colleagues and the people of Hattersley. We remember our two young officers, who had their whole lives ahead of them but were taken cruelly from us doing the job they loved. We will never forget their great sacrifice.’

Fiona was educated at Castle Rushen High School in Castletown.

Six members of Tynwald have so far agreed to join patient safety walks at Noble’s Hospital following an invitation issued to all members by Minister for Health David Anderson MHK.

Mr Anderson has faced a tough time recently as his department has faced a lot of criticism.

Ten members of Tynwald have signed a letter to Chief Minister Allan Bell MHK calling for him to be removed from his position as minister.

{http://www.iomtoday.co.im/news/isle-of-man-news/backbenchers-want-anderson-to-go-1-5964840|Click here for a reminder of that story.}

The Department of Health said that the invitations were designed to give the politicians a closer understanding of the patient safety measures long embedded within normal operations at the hospital.

Onchan MHK David Quirk was the first member to undertake a visit, and five others have also accepted the invitation.

He Quirk said: ‘I was delighted to visit the Radiology Department at Noble’s Hospital for a patient safety walk and I was particularly pleased to have the opportunity to speak to patients and to front line staff who clearly felt at ease to talk freely with me.

‘One patient, originally from Derbyshire, commented on how Noble’s Hospital was much better than his old local hospital in England.

‘Overall it was a very positive experience.

‘I’m glad to see just one of the ways that patients and staff are given a voice and that lay people, such as myself who don’t have that clinical experience and knowledge, can ask questions and challenge where necessary.’

The other five members who agreed to take part were Graham Cregeen MHK, Mike Coleman MLC, Laurence Skelly MHK, Kate Beecroft MHK and Chris Thomas MHK.

Dudley Butt MLC, a political member of the Department of Health, said: ‘I am pleased that some of my Tynwald colleagues are making time to learn more about the sort of work we do to involve frontline staff, patients and relatives in improving care and safety.

‘There has been a great deal of talk about patient safety at Noble’s Hospital over the past several months.

‘I think it is important that all members of Tynwald come and see for themselves some of the patient safety and service improvement activity that goes on at the hospital.

‘To clinicians and management this is simply part of the routine, but it is vital that Tynwald Members and the public understand that the concept of patient safety is not new and has always been at the top of the priorities of management and staff and is something that is completely engrained within patient care at Noble’s Hospital.

‘I hope those members who have not yet replied will avail themselves of this opportunity to see what actually happens on the frontline of patient safety.’

Patient safety walks are carried out each month at Noble’s Hospital, with the area selected only receiving 20 minutes’ notice.

The groups are made up of a small number of people, so as not to disrupt the normal working of the clinical area or ward.

The walks usually involve a senior clinician, a lay representative from the hospital’s Patient Safety and Quality Forum as well as a senior officer or political member from within the department such as the minister or chief executive.

The walks are designed to enable both senior clinicians and lay public/patient representatives to identify any issues within the ward or clinical environment; primarily matters of patient safety, but also other aspects such as communication and comfort.

As well as inspecting the area, patients and relatives are also asked for their feedback and views on all aspects of care. Staff are also consulted, with all the feedback drawn together and, where necessary, rapid action taken to ensure any issues are quickly resolved.

Director of nursing, midwifery and therapies at Noble’s Hospital, Bev Critchlow, said: ‘Patient safety walks are just one measure that ensures an ongoing programme of monitoring and scrutinising of clinical care takes place. ‘It is an ideal way of ensuring senior leaders, both clinical and managerial, as well as patient representatives are able to engage with staff and patients regularly about patient safety and care issues which matter most to them.’

A Maughold commissioner and former police officer has spoken of the moment he found ‘a jungle’ of cannabis plants growing in the open.

Today’s Manx Independent has the story.

The main picture on page one is of 10-year-old Mark Lalor-Smith.

You might remember that he was involved in an horrific accident in Turkey.

{http://www.iomtoday.co.im/news/isle-of-man-news/manx-boy-flown-back-to-the-uk-after-accident-in-turkey-1-5740090|Click here for a reminder of that story}

This week we report on how he is doing and his family thank the many people in the island who have supported them.

Inside the paper, we visit Ballakermeen High School, Douglas. Pupils there are being rewarded for good results in and outside the classroom with rewards such as mobile phone top-up cards and sandwiches from Subway.

Earlier this week, iomtoday.co.im revealed that the government was now considering whether Douglas’s bus station should be built in Lord Street, where the bus station used to be.

{http://www.iomtoday.co.im/news/isle-of-man-news/should-we-build-a-bus-station-on-the-site-of-the-old-bus-station-1-6054471|Click here for a reminder of that story}

The Independent looks more at the proposal and talks to one politician with strong views about it.

The paper also follows up iomtoday.co.im’s story about {http://www.iomtoday.co.im/news/isle-of-man-news/pizza-hut-takeaway-plan-disappoints-manx-fast-food-fans-1-6057807|Pizza Hut}. More details are due soon.

After the figures for the TT were released, the Manx Independent crunches the numbers and also looks at Ronaldway’s apparently bumper August.

The paper also meets a coffee-maker from a shop in Douglas who could win a top award.

Our 12-page Island Life section has all the news from the entertainment world and includes the island’s two-page What’s On guide.

Sport has comprehensive coverage of the rally and Mark Cavendish’s latest success.

The Manx Independent is in the shops now.

Five Isle of Man-based businessmen have been named in a match fixing hearing which could cost a top snooker player his career.

The disciplinary hearing by the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association (WPBSA) was told professional snooker player Stephen Lee breached the body’s rules on match fixing in relation to seven matches in 2008 and 2009.

He did this by identifying matches he may well lose then going ahead and losing them, in some instances by a particular score, and losing the first frame of specified matches he was confident of still winning.

The WPBSA hearing was told Mr Lee’s then manager and four associates, all based in the Isle of Man, had placed ‘extraordinary’ bets on the matches in question, which ‘could not be explained by reference to usual betting market activity.’

The WPBSA report goes on to say: ‘On the balance of probability the betting was reflective of the associated bettors or the lead person of each group not only having been given inside information as the the likely outcome but having been given comfort that the player himself would be striving to achieve that outcome.’

Evidence was presented, for example that the parties had placed unexpectedly high bets and their betting was most active at the time of the matches in question. Betting on snooker was in itself unusual for the bettors within the group and the type of bets placed - on the outcome of a first frame or the degree by which a match would be lost, for example - were also out of the ordinary.

Two other groups based in the UK were also found to have followed similar voting patterns to the Isle of Man group on those matches.

Group members placed multiple bets both on-line and using the internet. Overall, the Isle of Man group, made approaching £35,000 just from their on-line bets for Mr Lee to lose matches.

All the bettors apart from two in the Isle of Man group made an overall profit from their bets on Mr Lee.

The report from independent dispute service Sport Resolutions says Mr Lee will discover his penalty at a later hearing.

There were 140 responses – including 67 from landlords and 10 from letting agents - to a public consultation on legislation to improve standards in the private rented sector.

The proposed Landlord and Tenant (Private Housing) Bill would create a centralised register of private sector housing landlords ensuring that they, and their properties, meet a set of minimum standards.

Some 61 per cent of respondents to the consultation, 52 in total, said the Bill was fair to tenants but just over half said it was not fair to landlords.

Critics said the Bill would mean more bureaucracy, fines were excessive, registration fees too high and there was no protection for landlords from poor tenants. They argued government should also introduce a tenant register and landlords should be able to decide who they rent their properties to,

But there was overwhelming support for the principle that landlords and their dwellings should comply with minimum standards.

Stephen Moore, spokesman for the Manx Landlords’ Association, said he was disappointed with the low number of responses, given there are some 7,000 landlords in the island.

He said: ‘We would say the figures clearly demonstrate there is no need for new legislation - the current legislation is working well. The number of unfit properties is reducing.

‘A lot of landlords are starting to experience difficulties in finding tenants and some are reducing their rents. It’s disappointing that in an economic slump the government wants to place a bigger burden on landlords.’

But he added: ‘We’ve had meetings with representatives of the department and we are trying to come to a common accord before it comes to Tynwald.’

Following a review of the voluntary registration scheme, the Department of Social Care says it will change the wording of the minimum standards and the application form to ensure it is clear and simple to complete.

Social Care Minister Chris Robertshaw said: ‘The consultation produced a good response.

‘Respondents showed strong support for landlords and their dwellings complying with minimum standards. Although, concerns were raised that the legislation may create additional bureaucracy for landlords. This legislation is not about creating another layer of bureaucracy. I recognise there have been some unfounded concerns around how the legislation will operate but I’m confident the report provides adequate detail to address those concerns.’

Two A-level students who spent a fortnight at the NASA United Space School in August have been praised as being great ambassadors for the island.

Alex Eaton and Christopher Clarke-Halewood, both 17, were awarded scholarships to the Space School at the University of Houston, joining young people from a number of countries.

ManSat sponsors two Manx students attending the programme each year, in conjunction with the Department of Education and Children.

ManSat finance director Ian Jarritt praised the pair, saying: ‘Opinion universally was that you put on a good show and upheld the traditions of the Isle of Man, which have always been good.’

Alex and Christopher attended lectures given by industry experts, astronauts and NASA scientists. They included former NASA astronaut Dr Franklin Chang-Diaz, who is developing a plasma rocket thruster and they got to see where it is being tested.

The students also worked on a future proposed mission to Mars. They were part of a team looking at what astronauts would do once they landed.

Christopher, a student at Castle Rushen High School, described the scholarship as a ‘trip of a lifetime’. He said it was difficult to choose just one highlight but said he had enjoyed making friends with people from around the world.

Alex, a Queen Elizabeth II High School, said: ‘The Isle of Man has so many opportunities in this sector it’s good to see how we relate compared with the rest of the world.’

He said it made a nice change that people at Houston had heard of the Isle of Man.

In November, Mr Jarritt will go into secondary schools to promote the scholarship for 2014. Candidates write three essays on space topics, which are assessed by NASA representatives.

The first student to attend, sponsored by ManSat, was in 2000.

From 2001-2006, one year 12 student (ages 16-17) was selected each year. Since 2007, two students have made the trip each year.

It’s celebration time for Thomas Miller Miller Investment (Isle of Man) Limited, a member of the 128 year old Thomas Miller Group of companies.

It has announced that the TMI sterling liquidity sub-fund and the TMI US dollar liquidity sub-fund have both maintained their Standard & Poor’s (S&P) ‘AAAf’ fund credit quality rating and ‘S1+’ fund volatility rating following the annual review of the funds by S&P.

The fund’s "AAAf" rating signifies the strong protection that the fund's portfolio holdings provide against losses from credit defaults, and is the highest possible credit rating assigned by S&P.

The funds "S1+" volatility rating recognises that the fund demonstrates low sensitivity to changing market conditions, and it is the lowest possible volatility rating S&P can assign.

Carolyn Gelling, head of collective investment funds, Thomas Miller Investment said: ‘The fact that these funds have maintained top ratings and first quartile performance against a testing backdrop for cash and liquidity investments is testament to the continued work of strong investment research and a credit committee process that provides clients with a diversified and risk adjusted return profile on their investments.’

Thomas Miller Investment manages £2.6bn for insurance mutuals, charities, pension schemes, governments and private clients.