Tynwald has unanimously approved £1.6m funding for the refurbishment of the government-owned abattoir – in a move described as a fundamental step for the agriculture sector.

The revamp of the plant will come to just over £2.26m, with an extra £439,000 coming from the Agricultural Development Fund and £227,000 from Isle of Man Meats. Subvention payments have been agreed at £610,000 for 2014, £480,000 for 2015 and £380,000 for 2016.

A new 15-year lease has been agreed with Isle of Man Meats.

Agriculture Minister Phil Gawne told Tynwald the existing facility was now 18 years old and a large amount of its equipment needed replacing. ‘This is really quite a fundamental step for the agriculture sector.’

He said the meat plant provided an important route to market for farmers and without it, the alternative would be live exports.

Speaker Steve Rodan asked whether any consideration had been given to replacing the abattoir with a smaller plant geared just for the local market. Alfred Cannan (Michael) said he would support the move but pointed out it was not a cheap option for the taxpayer.

The Minister admitted the current plant was too big. He said the option of building a smaller replacement plant had been considered but this would have cost three times as much.

Graham Crowe, chairman of Isle of Man Meats, said: ‘This refurbishment is essential to ensure that the business can continue to operate.’

Brian Brumby, president of Manx National Farmers’ Union, said: ‘It is important that Manx farmers have the option of a local meat plant.’

Liberal Vannin leader Kate Beecroft continued her campaign in Tynwald for more answers on the Pinewood deal.

The Douglas South MHK asked Treasury Minister Eddie Teare if he was privy to confidential information which could affect government’s ability to sell its Pinewood shares.

Mr Teare replied there was a ‘lock-in’ agreement which meant that no trading of shares could take place until October this year - and there would be occasions when a shareholder’s ability to deal in shares will be restricted by ‘insider knowledge’. He said he had looked at the share price and ‘we are £9m up’. ‘I would say it’s a measure of success.’

But Mrs Beecroft said that success was theoretical only as the shares could not be sold yet. She pressed the Minister on what other issues might prevent the shares being sold. ‘It depends on circumstances at the time,’ replied Mr Teare.

This year’s Big Tidy Up will take place tomorrow (Saturday).

Douglas Council, which organises it, is urging local businesses, schools, volunteer groups and private individuals to help target litter hot spots around the town.

Council leader Councillor David Christian said: ‘This will be the fourth Big Tidy Up the council has led and every year we are encouraged by the number of people – in particular, the younger generation – who demonstrate their support and last year helped us collect more than 1.9 tonnes of litter.

‘The council’s street cleaning teams do tremendous work but litter is a community problem that demands a community response.

‘The Big Tidy Up provides an opportunity to target those areas which cannot ordinarily be accessed easily by our cleansing operatives, places such as back lanes, alleyways and footpaths where some irresponsible members of the public choose to leave their litter.’

Chair of the environmental services advisory committee Cllr Ritchie McNicholl said: ‘The council is pleased to be leading once again in this campaign that is as much about ridding our streets of litter as it is about encouraging civic pride.

powerful

‘Our cleansing teams perform sterling service year round but we all have a part to play in helping raise environmental standards in our town.

‘The Big Tidy Up is a powerful means to focus attention on litter and, while the campaign may be just for one weekend, it is to be hoped the awareness it raises will stay in people’s minds long after that.’

Cllr Christian added: ‘At a time when trading conditions are difficult it’s important the town presents a positive image, not one compromised by litter-strewn streets.

‘The Big Tidy Up can make a very real difference, bringing the Douglas community together with the council to work towards achieving our shared vision for a cleaner capital.’

The council will provide hi-visibility tabards, gloves, bin bags and litter picker grabs and remove litter collected.

A typical clean-up will last about one to two hours.

Certificates will be awarded to participating organisations and schools.

For more details and to submit details of identified litter hotspots contact event co-ordinator Peter Macken, 696450, pmacken@douglas.gov.im

On March 11, the Isle of Man Examiner included a long feature about the future of the Steam Packet.

We repeat it here below.

The User Agreement between the Isle of Man Government and the Isle of Man Steam Packet Company regulates use of the government-owned linkspan, guaranteeing near-exclusivity for that linkspan for the Steam Packet Company, and outlining the services which the ferry operator must provide for the island. The User Agreement has its critics, with some suggesting it creates an unfair advantage for the Steam Packet Company. However, others believe the guaranteed services it provides brings stability to what is often dubbed ‘the island’s lifeline’. With early negotiations ongoing towards renegotiating the User Agreement, the Examiner spoke with Steam Packet chief executive Mark Woodward.

Why is the User Agreement so important to the Steam Packet? What guarantees does it provide the company?

It’s important to the company for a number of reasons, but also to the Isle of Man. From the company’s point of view, this is a very small market, and the transport industry is very capital intensive. In order to plan effectively we have to plan for the longer term. A lot of the sums involved are very large and you need to look at the period over which you can recoup those costs and earn the profits that you need to invest in future services. It isn’t the sort of industry where you can simply buy a ship off the shelf, run it for a couple of years and move on.

The other thing about the island is that assets suited to our ports and services are not easily portable, so it isn’t a case of purchasing something generic somewhere and using that. We have to build specific ships that suit the routes and suit the harbours, and again that is costly.

The User Agreement gives us a guarantee of near-exclusivity over the government-owned linkspan. It also gives us the right to site our own linkspan. Importantly, it allows us to invest knowing that we have a definite timeframe over which we can recoup that investment.

There are lots of different models of agreements, and one of the criticisms I’m aware of is that perhaps the User Agreement isn’t the best model. If you look around the Highlands and Islands of the UK, and other small communities in Europe and further afield, there are several models. One is the public subsidy model, where a government pays the operator an agreed sum to provide a range of services. A hybrid used in some areas is where a government owns the vessels and leases them to the operators on the basis they provide a service. If you take that a step further, the government could own and operate its own completely nationalised service. The beauty about our agreement is that it’s the only service that I’m aware of where the government does not have to give any subsidy funding whatsoever to us, nor does it have to provide capital funds for the company. The service runs entirely on the principle of user pays and guarantees a level of sailing frequency that otherwise would not be provided.

When does the current User Agreement expire, and is there an option to extend it?

It expires in 2020, and there is an option to extend to 2026, which is open to either the government or ourselves. If we want to extend to 2026, it can’t reasonably be refused by government provided we have adhered to the many requirements government demands of us under the agreement.

What stage are you at in terms of renegotiating the agreement?

We have put to government in broad terms a proposal which would give us an extension to the User Agreement and protect loss-making services. In return, we would commit to a sum in excess of £50 million for new vessels and infrastructure.

Obviously, the fine detail needs to be discussed, but that is the thrust of what we are proposing and we think it is a fair compromise. It would give the government, crucially, some certainty over its shipping services for the foreseeable future.

The service we have here, despite the fact that we do get criticism from time to time, does work very well. Not a penny comes to the company from government in the form of subsidy. In addition, we pay for all the costs for operating and using both linkspans, not just our own linkspan. The UserAgreement made us liable for financing the build cost of the government linkspan and financing all of its operating costs and maintenance during its life, and yet we don’t own it.

At the end of the day, government will own a linkspan which has been entirely paid for by a private operator, and that is why it is wrong that competitors think that they should be able to come in and use the linkspan to compete with us. They haven’t contributed to those build costs or ongoing maintenance costs.

There is a clear difference between what government does in relation to the airport and what it does in relation to its sea services. Sea services run entirely on the principle of ‘user pays’. So we are responsible for all the costs, we pay harbour dues of many millions of pounds a year.

The Harbours Division either breaks even or makes a small profit each year. Now contrast that to the airport, which makes a significant loss each year. We think given present numbers, if airlines were treated the same way that the Steam Packet Company is treated, i.e. where costs would have to be spread over the number of passengers the airlines and airport serve each year, there would have to be a substantial price increase in the level of air fares. So there isn’t a level-playing field in that sense.

So the new agreement would effectively replace the existing one?

It could either replace what has already been agreed, or it could amend what is already there. Many aspects of the agreement are working well and I don’t think there is a desire on the part of either party to change them significantly. So it is really a question of us going to the table with a list of things that we would like to see either altered or changed or introduced, and equally I’m sure government will have its own list.

What kind of extension would you be looking for?

Probably something similar to what we have, a 10 plus five-six-year formula. So we would have a guaranteed 10-year period and an option for a further period if we were successful in meeting the requirements. It could be that, if the agreement was substantially changed, it is 21 years from 2020, rather than 15 years from 2026, but possibly with appropriate renewal points in it as well.

If the User Agreement is not renegotiated, will you effectively retain one linkspan and the government will retain the other?

Yes, if the agreement comes to a natural end in 2026; at that point we would be left in a scenario where the government has a linkspan which it is free to do with what it wants, and we would be left with a linkspan which we would be free to do with what we want.

There is a perception in some quarters that the agreement gives the Steam Packet an unfair advantage, or ‘monopoly’. How would you answer these claims?

A monopoly to me is something that gives you an absolute entitlement and there is no possibility of competition from others. In our case, recent events have shown that is simply not the case. We have had competition in the form of a freight service from Mezeron. It didn’t last very long, but it did significant damage to our level of revenues. That does not fit comfortably with any definition of monopoly that I’m aware of.

I think what people don’t realise is the level to which we are susceptible to competition from airlines. We can debate at length the basis on which airline pricing should fairly reflect the cost of operating the airport, but notwithstanding that, the fact is that the North West air/sea market combined has not grown at all in recent years. All that’s happened is that sea has lost passengers to air and for that to happen on the basis of prices which are effectively subsidised by the taxpayer, is probably not the most sensible long-term outcome for the Isle of Man.

We made the point under our submission to the open skies policy debate; the strategy needs to be more joined up between air and sea. Now that we have a Director of Ports who is responsible for air and sea, I would expect to see more movement towards that joined-up strategy.

There is also a perception that the User Agreement allows the Steam Packet Company to cherry pick the services it wants to offer. Is that the case?

There may be a perception, but I don’t understand how people can believe that when they look at the services we do offer. Ben-my-Chree sails twice a day, almost every day of the year. To me that isn’t cherry-picking the market. The fact is, we operate a load factor significantly lower than most airlines would even contemplate and our year-round load factor is only 37 per cent in terms of passengers.

This is a very low number by industry standards, and reflects the fact that demand for sailings in the Isle of Man is very much skewed towards the spring and summer periods.

We do sail with better load factors during the peak TT period, inbound and outbound sailings, and some peak summer weekends, but the rest of the time there is plenty of space on board and I think that is reflected in the fact that we have over 900,000 special offers throughout the course of the year.

The Irish sailings are often referred to when people suggest the Steam Packet is cherry-picking, and one of the claims is that you do not offer enough from Ireland?

We’d all like to have better connectivity, and there is no doubt that the Irish connectivity levels are not as good as the UK levels are - but there is a stark reality here and business to and from Ireland does not justify putting on additional sailings. It is very poor business practice for us and it would be a very poor choice for the consumer ultimately.

If we can put a sailing on to Liverpool we may attract 500 or 600 people during the summer season, and if we put the same sailing on to Ireland we may have between 30 and 130 people on board.

If the User Agreement wasn’t in place, what kind of services would the Steam Packet Company most likely withdraw because they wouldn’t be financially feasible?

For a company operating with a load factor of 37 per cent, in deep winter we can have as few as 20-50 people on board a sailing, which is clearly not a sustainable number of passengers for any commercial organisation, and it could well be the case, on a purely needs basis, that we might sail once every two days.

Clearly, from a freight point of view that is not acceptable, because the ‘just in time’ nature of the service means it would need a daily service during the week. The reality is that we would be forced to compromise and would probably end up with one sailing a day midweek, and perhaps two on a Friday and a Saturday. But those single sailings would have to be biased to overnight sailings to meet the needs of the freight customers because they are the people who are ultimately subsidising the cost of travelling here, and we have made no bones about that.

The Irish services certainly don’t make money, so if you were judging it on nothing other than commercial grounds, you would struggle to justify any Irish services. But we are required to provide them under the User Agreement.

Another perception is that SPC passenger/vehicle fares are high; either compared with other passenger ferry companies around the UK, or comparatively with prices 20 or 30 years ago. How do your prices compare, and what monitoring of them is carried out by government under the User Agreement?

Our prices may at first glance sometimes appear high compared with others – but I think you have to look at the scenario and the companies you are comparing us against.

If you are comparing us with a company subsidised to the tune of many millions of pounds by a government, then you have to appreciate that the reason for that subsidy is to bring down fares or provide a service which commercially would not survive. We don’t receive any subsidy, so our fares have to stand alone.

That’s a conscious decision by the government; it has chosen that it should not use public funds to subsidise fares and it is happy with the principle of ‘user pays’. In the case of the Scottish Islands and the Northern Isles, the opposite applies and their government believes that it should fund fares, by way of subsidy, in order to lower them.

We do monitor these fares on a regular basis because we want to be as competitive as we possibly can be. But you have to understand that it’s not just the subsidy issue, there is also the issue of market size, and the market size in the Isle of Man is very small.

Having said that, when you look at some of the comparisons of cost-per-mile, you realise that we compare very favourably, and if you refer back to the Select Committee investigation, which looked at the issue of fares, they concluded that our passenger fares were ‘very competitive’.

In terms of ‘have prices increased’, I see comments about prices having suddenly gone up or prices being increased massively. It’s not true.

When we went into the User Agreement in 1995 our fares were effectively ring-fenced. For the first 15 years of that agreement, we were not allowed to increase fares by more than Manx RPI less one half a percent. So the maximum fare has fallen by half a percent in real terms every year for each of those 15 years.

So our fares are actually much cheaper in real terms than they were 15 years ago. I think back in 1989 our foot passenger fare was £15. Now, 25 years later, it is still around £18, so to say that fares have increased massively simply is not the case.

I think the difficulty is that because we have such a large number of special offers now, inevitably someone who has got a special offer on many occasions, and for whatever reason doesn’t manage to get a special offer and pays the standard fare – and only 20 per cent of our passengers do pay standard fares – they probably perceive that there has been a huge fare increase because they are paying a standard rather than a special fare.

Today, our price increases are capped at Manx RPI, so we have a half a percent more than we had for the first 15 years of the User Agreement, but it’s still capped, so in real terms our fares can do no better than that.

Are you starting to plan for replacement vessels, and is the investment required dependent on the User Agreement being renegotiated?

The Ben is 16 years old and Manannan is secondhand and a similar age to the Ben. The Ben has had a very large amount of money spent on her mechanically and there is now a programme underway to refurbish. If we were forced to use and operate the Ben until the end of the existing agreement, we wouldn’t have any concerns, and it would still provide the quality of service that we do at the moment.

Equally, with Manannan, although she is older, she had a major refurbishment when we bought her, so she is effectively almost a new ship, and because of the period of use she had with the previous owner, she has had very low engine hours and she is in very good condition, and again we would have no concerns about continuing to use her.

So we don’t anticipate, in the scenario where there was no prospect of a renegotiation, that we would be investing in new ships simply because we couldn’t afford to do it, and there would be no need to if there was no longer term certainty. This business is all about stability, for the company, for government and for residents and visitors.

If the User Agreement is renegotiated, will you look to replace the Ben and Manannan sooner than you might otherwise?

Our preference would be, as part of a renegotiation, to replace the Ben and Manannan with new ships well before the end of the existing agreement. We think that would be beneficial to the business, and in an ideal world we would prefer newer, more efficient and more flexible vessels.

What sort of lead-in time do you need for the design, build and delivery of a new vessel?

I think a three-year lead time from literally starting the project to having the ships delivered, tested and ready to go is not unreasonable. If we were aiming for, say, a 2020/2021 deadline, that brings us into 2017/2018, and bearing in mind we’re now galloping through 2014, we need to get moving.

This isn’t something that can be left longer term, as you can’t just pick a ship off the shelf and have it suit all of our needs. The build time is probably a year, maybe a year and a half, and it is the planning around that – ports are our biggest concern because clearly we want to remain in Liverpool, the Pier Head is going to be subject to some improvements and we are aware that the landing stage we have at the moment needs improving. It is a fantastic location and we would like to have something that is more modern and more flexible there.

In the longer-term we would like to be able to send a ship in the winter to Pier Head rather than to Birkenhead, which is not our first choice. So those are all things we would like to work on and as soon as we have some degree of certainty we can get moving.

The Steam Packet welcomed some unusual passengers on board Ben-my-Chree as part of its support for the Curraghs Wildlife Park.

Between March 17 and 19, the Ben-my-Chree carried a roul-roul partridge, two ring-tailed lemurs, a kookaburra and two dik-diks.

The Steam Packet is assisting with the transport of the animals, some of which are being moved as part of breeding programme agreements between the island’s Wildlife Park and zoos in the UK and Europe. These are necessary to keep populations genetically healthy.

Curraghs Wildlife Park general manager Kathleen Graham said: ‘We transported a male roul-roul partridge to Lakeland Wildlife Oasis so he can breed with their females, and picked up two female Ring-tailed Lemurs to join our males and hopefully breed. We also picked up a male Kookaburra from Marwell Wildlife Park and then met up with Ekipa, the European zoo removal firm, at Blackpool Zoo to collect two male Dik-diks that had travelled from the Netherlands.

‘Dik-diks are a tiny African antelope and are a new species for us.’

She added: ‘It is very important that animals are moved between zoos to ensure healthy breeding and, on occasion, it is necessary for us to assist other parks and zoos by taking on animals as part of their management. We hope visitors to the Wildlife Park will enjoy seeing our new ring-tailed lemurs, Kookaburra and the dik-diks.’

Steam Packet chief executive Mark Woodward said: ‘We have been very pleased to support the Curraghs Wildlife Park and assist with animal transfers, which last year included an African crested porcupine and a great white pelican, and were delighted to welcome our latest guests on board.

‘Although animals like these are a little unusual on our vessels, we are experienced and prepared to provide transport for all kinds of passengers and freight and are always happy to discuss any special requirements our customers may have.’

Tony Benn, the UK Labour politician who died last week, will be remembered at a meeting and film show organised by the Manx Labour Party.

‘He was a giant of the Labour movement who will be sadly missed,’ said David Carter, Manx Labour Party press officer.

The party is showing the Ken Loach film Spirit of ’45. In it, Mr Benn is interviewed in the film by director Ken Loach about Britain after the 1945 Attlee Labour victory.

‘The film evening will be a social event and an opportunity for anyone who is thinking of joining our party to meet members. But everyone is welcome to come and watch this important film about our social history and the formation of the National Health Service,’ said David Cretney MHK, secretary of the party.

The film is to be shown at 7.30pm in South Douglas Old Friends’ Association, Finch Road, Douglas, on Friday, April 4. Admission is free.

Mr Benn spoke at a meeting at the Gaiety Theatre, Douglas on November 21, 2012.

Douglas Council is hoping as many members of the public as possible will get behind the newly resurrected Douglas Carnival set to take place in July.

The carnival was a huge attraction particularly during the booming tourism periods in the 1950s and 60s with numerous charities, leisure organisations and businesses taking part and supplying decorated floats for the parade along Douglas seafront.

Now the council wants people to come forward and get involved in the new venture, which is on Saturday July 19. Groups can take part in the parade free of charge and there are to be prizes awarded for the best float, best walking group, best band, and for various other categories too.

Councillor Stephen Pitts, chairman of the council’s Regeneration and Community Advisory Committee said the council was to promote the event with advertisements, and sponsorship packages were being sent out to various businesses.

So far, entry forms have gone to clubs and organsiations and are also available online.

The parade is to be followed by an after-event party on North Quay. Plans include erecting a stage in front of the former power station and organisers hope to engage a carnival drummers’ group called Spark to put on a show. A variety of street performers will also be on hand to impress the crowds.

Among the other suggestions put forward for the day were a sandcastle building competition on the beach and possibly even a pram race.

An action plan to address failings highlighted in a damning report on services for children and young people in the Isle of Man is to be drawn up.

Tynwald members voted unanimously in favour of the action plan which is then to be reported back to the court’s May sitting.

The action plan was an amendment put forward by speaker Steve Rodan to the basic motion which called on members simply to accept the report completed at the request of the Council of Ministers between August and October last year. .

The report, by the Scottish Care Inspectorate, found children and young people’s services were weak in five out of nine areas and merely adequate - meaning strengths just outweigh weaknesses – in the other four.

Three priorities for improvement were identified in the report. They were providing effective early intervention and support for children, young people and families; responding immediately to address children who could be at risk of abuse or neglect; and stronger collaborative leadership.

Chris Robertshaw MHK, Minister designate for Policy and Reform and previously Minister for Social Care, insisted the report concluded no child was unsafe.

In the Tynwald debate, Leonard Singer MHK, (Ramsey) said faster consideration needed to be given on whether or not to prosecute in cases of child abuse or neglect. Douglas North MHK John Houghton said the report was condemning.

‘Unsatisfactory means ‘‘major weaknesses’’ and there are four areas that are unsatisfactory. In reality ‘‘major weaknesses’’ means ‘‘useless’’, and ‘‘adequate’’ means ‘‘poor’’ because strengths only just outweigh weaknesses,’ he said.

‘This report means the services has not changed since Adam was a lad: it’s always been useless.’

Douglas South MHK Kate Beecroft criticised the report for making just three ‘rather woolly suggestions’ and said it lacked solid recommendations. Though she said the report was ‘disturbing’ she added the report did not say ‘‘at risk’’ children had slipped through the net.

Chris Thomas (Douglas West) said other services provided by bodies like the Children’s Centre and Rebecca House had been underestimated in the report.

Mr Robertshaw accused Mr Houghton of ‘unfortunate hyperbole’ and he disupted the report was ‘woolly’. He said he felt tremendous hard work was going on, children’s services were improving, and there would be a further inspection in one year’s time.

It was a proud moment for Blackpool as two of the town’s leading names collected honours from Prince Charles.

Gay entrepreneur Basil Newby and fencing luminary Brian Dickinson were both at Buckingham Palace yesterday to receive their awards which were announced in the New Year’s Honours list.

Mr Newby, whose clubs include Flamingos and Funny Girls, was presented with the MBE in recognition of services to business and for his contribution to the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community in Blackpool.

He said: “Prince Charles was really nice and he asked me about Blackpool, and he said he loved it.

“I invited him to visit Funny Girls next time he was up there but he said he would take a rain check on that!

“But he was very jovial and really put me at ease. I feel he has given Blackpool the royal seal of approval.”

Mr Newby, who lives in Singleton, was accompanied by his partner Ian and his sisters at the ceremony.

He built up his empire after opening the Flamingo at the end of the 1970s.

Brian Dickinson, of Preston New Road, Marton, who is president of the Disabled Fencing Association, made the trip to Buckingham Palace with his grandchildren and wife Valerie.

He has been recognised for services to wheelchair fencing.

After collecting his award from Prince Charles, Mr Dickinson said: “It has been quite an honour.

“I must say that it is on behalf of all the people involved in wheelchair fencing, both on the national and international stage.I was very surprised.”

Mr Dickinson has been a driving force in disability fencing for more than 50 years, initially as a multi-medallist at the Paralympic, World, European and Commonwealth championships.

His influence in the sport covers a wide range of areas including competition rules and the design and development of specialist equipment for use in international competition.

He also served on the International Wheelchair Fencing Committee from 1984 until 2005.

There are plans to make Castletown a ‘dementia friendly’ area, the town’s commissioners’ chairman Kevin Weir said last Monday.

He revealed he had met Emer Wiseman, who runs home care provider service Home Instead.

‘She is working with dementia and highlighted some of the things people need help with when they go to the shops,’ he said.

‘She asked if we would support her by letting her put a display in the hall and use the hall.

‘I propose we do that – she wants the town to become a dementia friendly area.’

Dorothy Faragher pointed out Home Instead is a commercial organisation.

Clerk Eddie Convery will get more details about Home Instead’s plans.

Craig Bennett, the UK Friends of the Earth’s director of policy, has been visiting the island this week.

During a three-day trip he gave a talk at Noble’s Hospital held meetings with the Department of Environment, Food and Agriculture, MHK Phil Gawne and the Manx Electricity Authority, and visited Queen Elizabeth II High School in Peel.

Craig said: ‘This is my first time in the Isle of Man – it’s been fascinating touring around seeing the opportunities available on the island.

‘The [QEII] school has some brilliant activities going on, it seems to be one project after another. I was amazed by the incredible things they have been doing – it was really inspiring to see.’

He believes the island has some great opportunies for setting a good example on sustainability.

‘With your own energy infrastructure in place and own government it would be easier to put things in place and move towards renewable electricity,’ he said. ‘You could lead the way with some of these things and become an example of how energy can be used.’

He added: ‘I even discovered some family history while I was here – my great-grandfather used to race in the TT.

‘Around 1910, his name was Charlie “Wag” Bennett, he rode with Walter Bentley. for the Indian motorbike team.’

The government is preparing an employment land review study to inform future allocations of employment land across the island.

Firms are being asked to complete a survey to provide views on the suitability of their existing accommodation along with their likely future requirements.

Minister for Economic Development John Shimmin MHK said: ‘The findings of this study will have an influence on our ability to deliver the aims of Vision2020, the Isle of Man’s plan for its economic future.

‘In order to help achieve the sustainable growth of 3 per cent to 4 per cent per year as forecast in Vision2020 it’s vital that we do all we can to ensure the availability of suitable land and premises to enable businesses to grow.

‘Vision2020 was developed in conjunction with the private sector and it’s important that we gain the same level of engagement from local firms for this study. We need to ensure we appreciate the future requirements for business in the island.’

The short survey can be completed by visiting {http://www.gov.im/elrs|here}

A new shuttle bus service is being planned to operate in Laxey during the summer months.

The move is designed to improve access for visitors wishing to see the village’s range of attractions.

If approved, minibuses will loop around the village, starting at Mines Road, calling at the Salmon Centre, Laxey Wheel access road and Minorca Hill on the way to the promenade, and return to Mines Road via Glen Road and Laxey Woollen Mills.

The service will be trialled following TT fortnight, and Bus Vannin has applied to the Road Transport Licensing Committee to operate the new Service 15 daily from June 9 to August 31.

It is proposed it will operate half hourly every day starting at 10.20am.

The last departure will be 2.20pm on school days, 3.20pm on non-school days and 3.50pm at weekends.

Standard bus fares will apply on the shuttle buses with Explorer and Saver tickets also accepted.

The new Service 15 is one of a number of applications Bus Vannin has made to the RTLC.

Full details of route changes will be announced prior to implementation when approved by the RTLC.

Schedules of all services will be included in a new bus timetable due to be published in May.

The number of people who did not bother to turn up for hospital appointments has dropped.

Missed appointment slots, often referred to as ‘Did Not Attends’ or ‘DNAs’ push up waiting time for other patients as missed slots have to be rescheduled and consultants are left twiddling their thumbs waiting for patients who never arrive.

Overall outpatient Did Not Attends (DNAs) reduced from 11.6 per cent to 9 per cent, representing about 8,000 missed appointments during 12 months.

A reduction in the rate of DNA occurrences has been sustained from January 2013 to January 2014, which along with other waiting time management initiatives, has seen an overall increase of 4,100 clinic attendances, up 5.4 per cent.

The DNA average percentage for new appointments (i.e. non follow-up appointments) with a consultant has reduced to 7.9 per cent in the same period. These percentage rates compare favourably with the UK, where the DNA rate for new appointments is 14.5 per cent and the average overall rate is 14.3 per cent.

The creation in January 2014 of an Outpatient Appointments Bureau at Noble’s Hospital as a one-stop shop for the public to make, reschedule and cancel appointments, as well as providing an outpatient clinic check-in service for those arriving at Noble’s Hospital, was part of the work to identify ways to reduce the number of patients failing to attend their appointment.

This in turn has led to more effective appointment management, allowing cancelled slots to be quickly reallocated by a single team which has an overview of all appointments at the hospital.

The implementation of the ‘opt-in to appointments’ initiative across Noble’s Hospital outpatient clinics, requires patients to opt-in for their appointment following referral, so that they have to confirm that they can and will attend, rather than only having to advise if they are unable to attend.

What do you think?

Should people who don’t turn up to appointments be fined?

A graduation ceremony with a difference takes place at St German’s Cathedral in Peel in May.

All those wearing gowns and mortarboards and proudly celebrating their achievements will be aged five to 14.

The children invited to attend are the second cohort to graduate from the Children’s University, which was launched in the island two years ago.

On Wednesday, May 7, they will celebrate clocking up hundreds of hours of Children’s University learning.

Children’s University rewards young people’s participation in activities that take place outside the school day. Children buy passports and gain stamps by visiting validated ‘public learning destinations’.

Certificates charting their progress are awarded at graduation ceremonies.

Children also gain stamps by attending their own schools’ lunchtime and after-school activities, provided their school is a Children’s University partner.

Membership of Children’s University gives passport-holders access to accredited learning destinations and events across the UK and beyond.

Carys Lloyd, manager of Children’s University in the island, said there were more than 600 passports in circulation since the university was launched locally and there are now more than 50 learning partners, offering, between them, hundreds of exciting destinations and activities.

Carys said: ‘I am really looking forward to seeing some of our 2013 graduates again, as they have clocked up even more hours’ learning, and I can’t wait to see some new faces graduating for the first time this year.

‘This year we have graduates who have clocked up more than 500 hours’ learning outside of the normal school day.’

Attending the graduation will be Ger Graus, the chief executive officer of the Children’s University Trust, local trustees Professor Ronald Barr and John Gill and Isle of Man Children’s University chancellor, Dr Jeremy Paul, a renowned artist.

Sponsors include Intelligence (Webtech), which set up and hosts the website, Scottish Widows, which sponsored the children’s caps and gowns and Shoprite, which has donated towards the cost of refreshments, and Fancie That, which is helping to decorate the hall for the reception that follows the formalities.

Carys said: ‘We are always on the look out for new learning destinations.’

Items from the home of bankrupt business tycoon Graham Ferguson Lacey are to be sold later this month as the contents of his house go under the auctioneer’s hammer.

The sale, through Murray’s auctioneers, takes place at Gladstone Way salerooms in Ramsey on March 28 and will cover the entire contents of Walton House in Ballasalla, his former home.

The sale is arranged on the instructions of the Rushen coroner Mark Wrigley and includes antiques, furniture, art work and collectables.

‘It includes all contents: furniture, ornaments, paintings and general bric-a-brac. We are not really talking Chippendale, just normal family furniture. It was a large and well-furnished house and there are some nice paintings among the lots, though the artists are not particularly well-known,’ Mr Wrigley said.

He added Mr Ferguson Lacey had down-sized from Bishopscourt to the property in Ballasalla but anyone expecting to see the contents of a stately home would be disappointed.

Mr Wrigley said the house itself had already been sold by the liquidator and this had precipitated the sale of contents.

Mr Ferguson Lacey, former executive chairman of the Sefton Group was declared bankrupt in the Manx courts, and had already successfully applied for bankruptcy in the UK, in 2013. The ruling in the Manx courts followed a request from the Manx company Stilwell Ltd to whom he owed money.

At the court hearing last autumn Deemster David Doyle accused Mr Ferguson-Lacey of being ‘more focused on his own personal self-interest rather than on the best interests of his creditors.’

The court heard he owed £1,572,000 to HSBC in Douglas, £59,372 to the Manx Treasury and £4,729,107 to a number of unsecured creditors. He stepped down from the Sefton Group in 2010.

A packed St Peter’s Church in Cregneash listened to the arguments for, and argued against, the church inviting Manx National Heritage to use the building.

‘I know who this church belongs to,’ began Archdeacon the Venerable Andrew Brown. ‘It’s your church.’

He explained the Diocesan Advisory Committee (DAC) ‘did not believe’ that removing the church furniture, to do remedial damp proofing and electrical work and replacing it, was ‘not proper use of the money.’

He said the church was ‘living off capital reserves’ and they were running out.

‘Congregations are down’ he said. ‘Nearly all churches are standing empty six days of the week.’

Change was ‘painful’ he said. There must be ‘difficult decisions to save it’.

He urged the congregation to ‘grasp the nettle for the future of the church’. Otherwise they may be ‘condemning this to closure’.

Grants would fund necessary work. He said: ‘No change, no grant.’

Rushen parish vicar Joe Heaton said: ‘I asked for this meeting back in January. It was always my intention to invite the archdeacon to come and talk and this [meeting] is not as a result of the media coverage. MNH is not calling the shots. It has no intention of muscling in here. They want it to be a church for a worshipping community. We approached MNH for their advice.’

He was ‘saddened’ he was not approached about this by people. ‘I have an open door.’

Joyce Corlett, a member of the Parochial Church Council, said several years ago the committee identified work that needed doing and £46,000 was raised.

‘Several times we were turned back (by church authorities),’ she said.

Costs had since increased and the money raised had gone into the ‘general pot’ to which people were less interested in contributing.

One congregation member said she had raised funds for upkeep of the church.

‘You have prevented us from doing that,’ she said, before adding the claim that the wainscoting needed removing to repair the damp problem was a ‘red herring’.

Rev Heaton said it was damp. ‘I fear for my life every time I switch the light switch on,’ he said.

HEARTS

One man said: ‘If people come from Canada or US this is one of the first places they come to and this has a very special place in their hearts.’

A priest said: ‘When people come to the church, it’s for the timelessness, things do not alter ... churches are empty because they have been pushed by the fashion of the time.’

A congregation member said the church,‘has paid its way – people all over the world are willing to give money.’

‘At St Peter’s we keep our head above the water,’ added another.

One man said St Peter’s was built as a church. He was raised in Cregneash and went to the church and Sunday school.

He added: ‘MNH has destroyed a living village. I would hate to see them desecrate our church. We all have all sorts of activities here, do not turn it over on a whim. Several times you have talked to us, but you do not listen.’

He added: ‘People do not want association with organisation [that runs] pagan activities [such as Halloween].’

Archdeacon Brown said he respected the leadership of MNH.

He said: ‘They are good and thoughtful men who work to ensure heritage flourishes.’

‘Just walk round Cregneash and look at what they have done to it,’ the resident who said he was brought up in Cregneash replied.

‘The only thing alive is the church. Nearly all the houses are empty.’

Church warden Harry Dawson asked: ‘Are you prepared to meet and listen to the congregation? Are you prepared to put on hold any decision that may have been made?’

Rev Heaton said: ‘I hope this is one of many meetings.’

Rushen MHK Laurence Skelly said the community had raised funds in the past. They would raise more in the future.

The archdeacon said: ‘I have heard loud and clear from this community.’

He said he would take on board their views and speak to the PCC.

They would contact grant organisations and ask if they would continue to offer the church grants under ‘different circumstances’ (ie, without MNH involvement).

A congregation member said: ‘There is a lot of good work going on. We are very passionate about this church, it is very important to us.’

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Edmund Southworth, director of Manx National Heritage, told the Manx Independent: ‘It is extremely disappointing that allegations have been made and rumours repeated in relation to St Peter’s Church without the basic facts being checked.

‘Some extraordinary and extreme language has been used to describe our alleged involvement.

‘MNH works closely with church authorities across the island to find solutions to the complex issues facing historic places of worship.

‘We were approached some time ago specifically to advise on the historic fabric of St Peter’s Church, which is in need of major intervention to tackle severe damp and decay.

‘We want Cregneash to be a living village as well as a museum. We want to be good neighbours and so we want to work together with the church.

‘We were delighted with the special church service in connection with the Island at War event last year and have built on this with the development of the 5,000 Years of Faith Walk around the village and surroundings on Easter Saturday.

‘Next week we’ll also be celebrating the opening of the newly-refurbished Quirk’s Croft and our guests will meet at St Peter’s by kind permission of the church.

‘Talk of MNH using the church as a museum interpretation centre is completely incorrect.

‘What we have offered is that, once the repairs were carried out, we would be happy to work with the parish to identify further ways of working together which might encourage new use and provide a sustainable future.

‘These might include more music, educational activities, language, art and craft workshops which draw on the rich Christian heritage of the island. Much of this would depend on how the building was laid out and how flexible it was, although the internal layout of the church is entirely a matter for the parish and the diocese.

‘Our view was that any space used for modern worship would be suitable for other forms of secular community use and we are not seeking or suggesting any specific changes. We have every sympathy for the church and congregation in these difficult times when resources are scarce and tough decisions have to be made.’

The Isle of Man College of Further and Higher Education has held its annual health fair with college students, sixth formers and the public all getting the chance to find out about health.

This is the 16th fair and this year’s had the theme ‘Looking after the whole you’.

It was opened by Education Minister Tim Crookall MHK and had 28 local agencies attending to address a wide range of topics with interactive games, quizzes, competitions, displays and activities.

Among the activities was netball with the Isle of Man Netball Association inviting students to try out their goal scoring skills with the top six shooters winning various prizes.

Marie Skillicorn, of the Netball Association, said: ‘There was such a good audience today, such a variety of people took part in our challenge, staff, students, experts and novices.’

Motiv8 Addiction Services also attended to discuss the risks associated with the social media craze, ‘Neknominate’.

Lyndsey Smart from Motiv8 said: ‘We thoroughly enjoyed today. We had lots of students talk to us about this issue who were keen to learn the risks associated, particularly about overdosing.’

There were also representatives from the genito urinary medicine clinic at Noble’s, talking to students about sexual diseases and contraception, and the Sports Development Unit, which brought a treadmill and discussed the benefits of running.

The college hair and beauty students offered a wide range of treatments, while the community police were on hand to give out information about personal safety.

Sami-Jaine Martin, student president, said: ‘There was such a positive atmosphere, the physical challenges were excellent, there was a lovely mix of chatting, giggles and serious conversation.’

The sixth annual National Ferry Fortnight got under way on Saturday, March 15.

Organised by Discover Ferries under the auspices of the UK Chamber of Shipping, it is a celebration of the ferry travel industry from and around the British Isles, which each year serves some 38 million passengers.

To mark the fortnight, Isle of Man Newspapers is speaking to six members of the Isle of Man Steam Packet Company team, who are integral to the daily operation of the oldest continually operating passenger shipping company in the world. Today we meet:

Name: Juan Qualtrough

Post: Technical superintendent/sailing chief engineer

Age: 53

Juan can trace his family’s association with the Steam Packet all the way back to the 1800s, and he proudly continues that tradition of helping to maintain the island’s lifeline.

He said: ‘My great uncle was a former superintendent marine engineer and at my grandmother’s funeral in the mid-seventies he asked my father what I was going to do when I left school. My father replied “engineering”, and great uncle Cecil said to leave it with him.

‘Shortly afterwards I had an interview for an apprenticeship, at the old Fort Street workshops, and I was successful, but I had to wait a year to start in October 1977, so I went back to school for a year.

‘Great uncle Cecil’s father, my great, great grandfather George Kenna, was a second engineer/chief engineer in the company from 1883-1914. Great uncle Duncan, Cecil’s brother, was also a chief engineer on the old steam-powered cargo vessel, Conister. Although not fully certificated, he operated the vessel on a dispensation.’

Juan joined the Steam Packet in 1977 as an apprentice and served as a fitter and third engineer over the next decade. In 1987 he moved to shipping company MAERSK to further his career before returning to the Steam Packet in 1999.

Career highlights include obtaining his chief’s ticket in June 2005 and taking up the technical superintendent position in January 2009. As technical superintendent, Juan deals with all technical issues on Ben-my-Chree, including maintenance, ordering spare parts and ensuring the vessel passes its annual safety certificate. He also serves on board both Ben-my-Chree and Manannan as chief engineer for periods of the year.

He relishes the challenges his job presents and is proud of his work.

Juan recalls: ‘One of the most memorable moments was getting the Ben out of dry dock just in time to resume normal service after some major components were delayed.

‘They returned just in time to be fitted and tested so we could get the vessel back into service later that same day.

‘I enjoy helping to maintain a reliable island lifeline service, but also ensuring repairs are carried out to a high standard and approved by Class and Flag administrations.’

As National Ferry Fortnight is marked, Juan said it is the convenience of ferry travel which people enjoy.

He explained: ‘Ferry travel allows passengers to bring their vehicles to reach their destinations, without the use of public transport, there are no restrictions on the amount of luggage, there’s unrestricted movement on board in good weather conditions, and a good selection of food and beverages, as well as a choice of areas to sit, including cabins and lounges.’

Over a 37-year career in shipping, Juan has witnessed many changes.

He explained: ‘When I started in 1977, most of the passenger ferries were steam-powered and quite old. Today they are all diesel-powered. Cargo and freight has changed from craning loose cargo and containers to Ro-Ro.

‘Cars and bikes had to be craned on and off the Mona’s Isle and Manxman at certain states of the tide, now it all rolls on and off via stern doors and linkspans.’

It has become the envy of emergency service providers across the world.

Emergency Services Joint Control Room (ESJCR) marks the 10th anniversary of its launch on Sunday April 19.

Most countries have separate control rooms to deal with police, fire and ambulance 999 calls, but everything is handled under one roof in the island. This can improve the co-ordination of multi-agency emergency incidents, reduce response times and ultimately help to save lives.

Since it became operational in April 2004, the purpose-built facility in Douglas has handled 332,520 emergency events, more than 184,000 emergency 999 calls and almost 4.5 million non-999 calls.

The severe weather and tidal flooding experienced at the beginning of the year once again brought the work of the control room into sharp focus and highlighted the benefits of an integrated approach. Similarly, the central co-ordination of police, fire and ambulance resources helped ensure a swift response to some major events in 2013, including the snowstorms in March and the incident on Bray Hill during the Senior TT.

The ESJCR, which is managed by the Communications Division of the Department of Home Affairs, has attracted interest from the UK, Channel Islands, Europe and the Middle East.