EDUCATION chiefs are remaining tight-lipped about their on-going budget talks.

Tim Crookall MHK, who has been Education and Children Minister since July, said that discussions were ‘just starting to rack up’ with Christmas approaching.

But he said it was ‘too early’ to go into detail about the discussions, saying: ‘We are looking at everything we do, how we do it and why we do it. That will continue.’

He added: ‘It’s going to be a tough challenge, like every department has. There is a figure across government and within the department and we have to work within that budget.’

Director of education Martin Barrow said the department was working ‘very closely’ with Treasury to ensure there was the ‘least impact on what we provide, particularly front line services in schools’.

For 2012-13, the department had a budget of £95.85 million, nearly half of which is being spent directly on primary and secondary education.

Education chiefs won’t know the size of their budget for next year until closer to the main Budget in February.

When asked what his priorities were, Mr Crookall said: ‘Keeping the first-class standard that we have got.

‘We are going to have to work very hard over the next few years to keep the standard we have got.’

He added: ‘We are still recognised as having a first-class education system from early years to school leaving age and we have got to preserve that.’

Mr Barrow said since Mr Crookall became Minister, the DEC was also building up its relationship with the Department of Economic Development.

Mr Crookall said that he was ‘settling in well’ into the DEC, with support from Mr Barrow and chief executive Stuart Dobson and other department staff.

Along with the department’s political members, MLCs Juan Turner and Tony Wild, he is planning to visit all of the island’s schools ‘as soon as possible’.

DEC cuts were announced in February this year as a result of the need to make huge savings.

They included stopping providing a number of services such as pre-school education and the Family and Mobile libraries provision.

Bride Infants’ School, with only a handful of pupils, was closed, and the Primary Modern Language Service was discontinued.

The department also stopped grants to some charities and organisations, and increased the level of contributions for some higher education students.

WESTMINSTER coroner Dr Fiona Wilcox made her first return to the Isle of Man since her days as a house surgeon at the former Noble’s Hospital to give the 2012 Caroline Weatherill memorial lecture.

Organised by the Isle of Man Law Society and sponsored by Appleby the event attracted an audience of more than 180 to listen to Dr Wilcox, who presided over the Gareth Williams ‘MI6 spy in a bag’ case earlier this year.

Dr Wilcox said it was ‘an honour and a privilege’ to have been given the opportunity to come to the Isle of Man to deliver the key lecture in the Law Society’s calendar.

Her presentation described the workings of the coroner’s court and her role as ‘an independent judicial officer appointed by the Crown to investigate violent and unnatural deaths’.

She covers four boroughs – Westminster, Kensington and Chelsea, Merton and Wandsworth – within which are 77 hospitals, two major trauma centres and Wandsworth prison, ‘the largest in Europe’.

It was a demanding, sometimes harrowing, job. ‘From plagues of tourists falling victim to traffic accidents to spies in bags, you just get on with it, which is what I learned as a Noble’s Hospital house surgeon,’ said Dr Wilcox who added that her time there had given her an invaluable breadth of experience.

She went on to explain that inquests were public hearings that posed the questions: Who? How? When? and Where? ‘But “how?” generally causes the most difficulty,’ she said.

Much of her work was aimed at preventing unnecessary deaths in the future and ‘allaying public anxiety.’

Her mission was, she explained, ‘the search for truth’, a legal process that required her to manage the expectations of interested parties ranging from family members to employers, medical practitioners to the police, which prompted her to comment: ‘So if you don’t upset someone in the process, you’re probably not doing your job.’

Families were ‘at the heart of the [coroner’s] enquiry,’ she said. ‘They bring their concerns to the coroner’s office and are very empowered.’

She cautioned, however, that there had to be a balance between the concerns of the families and those of all other interested parties.

Looking to the future Dr Wilcox believed planned changes in legislation in the UK would see more litigation and coroners’ enquiries ‘of greater complexity’ becoming ‘increasingly adversarial’.

Before closing Dr Wilcox spoke of the intense media interest in the Gareth Williams case that had led to barristers speaking faster than usual so they could meet press and TV deadlines and to her witnessing demonstrations of how zipped and locked bags could be opened in under 15 seconds while the zip remained in place.

It was a case that caused her to comment: ‘Just because it’s possible, doesn’t make it probable.’

At the end of the lecture president of the Isle of Man Law Society Jason Stanley gave a speech of thanks and Appleby managing partner Sean Dowling presented Dr Wilcox with a gold pendant of Celtic design, a gift of appreciation specially commissioned by the Society, the design of which is incorporated into a piece of jewellery given only to the Caroline Weatherill memorial lecture speakers.

The evening concluded with a collection for People in Need, the Isle of Man Law Society’s charity that makes donations for specific cases of urgent need to vulnerable members of the community.

The annual lecture was established in 2007 in memory of Caroline Weatherill, an advocate with Dickinson Cruickshank who tragically died at an early age in 2006, leaving husband Lawrence, a practising advocate, and four children. For more information about the Isle of Man Law Society visit www.iomlawsociety.co.im

Police are appealing for information after a white Citroën Relay van belonging to Age Concern was targeted by thieves.

The incident occurred overnight on Thursday/Friday in an off-road car park on South Quay, Douglas.

A number of exterior black plastic bump strips were removed from both sides of the van and the front grill and bonnet were badly damaged to gain access to the engine area where two diesel fuel injectors were removed and stolen.

A police spokesman said: ‘It would appear that this vehicle has been deliberately targeted for its parts and we believe someone will know of a similar van being repaired.’

Anyone with information regarding this incident should contact Lord Street police station.

THE mum of a little boy with achondroplasia, a form of dwarfism, has founded an awareness project on his condition for the Isle of Man.

Kristy Canipa, mum to Finley, who is almost two, has set up Finley’s Footsteps to help the public understand more about dwarfism.

She has organised a series of Dwarfism Awareness events this month, Dwarfism Awareness Month, which will not only help increase the public’s knowledge but will raise money for the Dwarf Sports Association and Rebecca House Children’s Hospice.

Kristy, who lives in Westminster Terrace, Douglas, with Finley, her husband Juan and daughters Lucy and Emily Todd, 10 and 12, is maintaining a sporting theme throughout her events, drawing on the recent successes at the London 2012 Paralympics.

In particular, she and her family are keen to highlight the successes of 17-year-old swimmer Ellie Simmonds, who took two golds in the paralympic pool. Ellie also has achondroplasia and is a patron of the Dwarf Sports Association.

Trustee of the DSA Penny Dean will visit the island to give talks about her life and involvement with sport.

And over the Dwarfism Awareness event, there will be a series of talks, bag packs, coffee mornings, public collections, dress down days, displays and fundraisers. People will be encouraged to Go Green, the colour theme for Dwarfism Awareness Month.

Throughout the month special Jaime’s Kitchen sandwiches are being sold through Shoprite and Spar stores. 10p from the proceeds of each sale will go to Rebecca House and the DSA, matched by 10p from the store, making 20p in total for each sandwich sold.

The programme of events includes having an information stand at Noble’s Hospital on Friday, a bag packing event all day at Shoprite, Douglas, on Saturday, and talks to students at Ballakermeen High School on October 25.

In addition there will be a presentation in the Gough Ritchie Education Suite at Hospice on October 26, a coffee morning at Ballakermeen High School the following day, as well as a question and answer session at Noble’s Hospital in the foyer, also on Saturday.

For full details of all of the events, keep a close eye on the Finley’s Footsteps page on Facebook, which also includes Kristy’s own account of her family’s journey from Finley’s diagnosis to the campaign.

{http://www.facebook.com/pages/Finleys-Footsteps/452567481432333|Finley’s Footsteps facebook community page}.

Kristy is passionate about both her son and the subject of dwarfism.

She came up with the concept of the Dwarfism Awareness event herself and has enlisted the help of numerous family and friends in its execution.

She said: ‘Finley is perfect in every way, maybe different from the idealistic image people wish for but, in fact, something far more special, with far more presence, far more than the comedy figure that’s become a tireless and unrealistic picture.

‘We have found far greater empathy and strength of character and determination, far better than anything I could have wished for.

‘Although living with dwarfism has changed the course of our life, without doubt it has changed our life for the better and we have this immense pride as our son reshapes the perceptions of hundreds of people.’

MEMBERS of a Tynwald scrutiny committee raised concerns about the secondment to Sark of a senior official who heads up a key government department.

Giving evidence to the economic policy review committee last week, Economic Development Minister John Shimmin was asked when he was made aware that his department’s chief executive officer Colin Kniveton was going to Sark. He replied: ‘Two weeks last Monday’, but added that he ‘didn’t think that unusual in this situation’.

Committee chairman Leonard Singer said his concern was less about the impact on DED than on the Department of Social Care, which is pressing forward with major welfare reform but is losing its chief executive officer Chris Corlett who will take over from Mr Kniveton while he is in Sark.

‘I personally cannot see that justification. It’s robbing Peter to pay Paul. I think a lot of people are quite astounded,’ said Mr Singer.

Mr Kniveton told the committee that it was the Chief Secretary who had given him authorisation to take leave of absence.

His secondment, which begins in November, is for an initial four months but could be extended to a maximum of six months, and will see Mr Kniveton help create a civil service in the tiny Channel Island which until a fully democratic government was elected in 2006 was Europe’s last feudal state.

Mr Shimmin and Mr Kniveton said the posting would create a favourable impression of the Isle of Man as a co-operative jurisdiction.

Earlier, the witnesses were asked what they had been doing in the last 12 months to attract new income streams to the island.

Mr Shimmin said during these ‘unprecedented times’ the priority was to stabilise the businesses and jobs already here and to identify and encourage new business opportunities existing in the UK and globally that could be attracted to the island.

He said the island’s proposition faced stiff competition from Jersey, Guernsey, Gibraltar and also the British Virgin Islands and the Cayman Islands.

Related article: {http://www.iomtoday.co.im/news/isle-of-man-news/key-government-official-seconded-to-isle-of-sark-1-4961967|Key government official seconded to isle of Sark}.

Related article: {http://www.iomtoday.co.im/news/isle-of-man-news/our-priority-s-still-economic-growth-1-5007010|Our priority’s still economic growth}.

The Minister said many corporate service providers were finding times difficult at the moment and businesses in the finance sector were ‘all feeling the pressure’. He said Jersey and Guernsey were still leading us in this area but with their economies less diversified than ours, they were ‘throwing money at their finance sector’.

He said the proposition the Isle of Man was taking to China, Dubai and elsewhere is not so critically affected by changes taking place in the UK.

Committee member Howard Quayle MHK suggested we should be concentrating on areas where there is a gap in the market.

Mr Shimmin replied that the excellence of our shipping and aircraft registries and e-gaming industry was well recognised. He said no new banking licences had been issued for many years and this was something being actively pursued.

He said radical changes to data protection legislation in the EU was a massive area, and the island could be well placed as a base for data storage.

And he said he was prepared to take greater risks over potential new investment opportunities when they arose. ‘I’m pushing for levels of ‘‘qualified risk’’ to be increased not decreased,’ he said.

Mr Shimmin was asked if the department was looking to encourage high net worth individuals from France where a 75 per cent tax rate for the super-rich has been unveiled but he said this would be ‘counter-productive on an international reputation level’.

• Mr Kniveton’s secondment to Sark is the subject of a question scheduled for today’s sitting of Tynwald. Howard Quayle (Middle) is to ask the Chief Minister whether he was in favour of the secondment ‘in these difficult economic times’.

THE Chief Minister this morning told Tynwald that it wasn’t ‘relevant’ whether he was in favour of a top island civil servant being seconded to Sark.

Allan Bell was asked by Middle MHK Howard Quayle about the secondment of the chief executive of the Department of Economic Development, Colin Kniveton, to the tiny Channel Island.

Mr Quayle wanted to know whether Mr Bell was aware of it and whether he supported the move ‘in these difficult economic times’.

Mr Bell said he was aware the post had been advertised but he didn’t know that Mr Kniveton had applied for the position until the recruitment and selection process had been completed.

He told members: ‘A decision as to whether to apply for any job, whether permanent or short term, is a matter for the applicant.

‘Civil service regulations allow for short-term absences, such as career breaks, studying, secondment and development opportunities and where such a position has been secured through a personal job application and recruitment process, as in this case.’

He added: ‘Whether or not I am in favour of any chief executive being seconded to any other position is not relevant, if that is the wish of the individual concerned.’

The government’s commitment to economic growth had not been diminished or downgraded because of the secondment, he added.

More on this story in Thursday’s Manx Independent.

{http://www.iomtoday.co.im/news/isle-of-man-news/sark-mission-could-rob-peter-to-pay-paul-1-5030885|Previous story on this issue}

Chief Minister Allan Bell today gave a statement to Tynwald about his administration and its priorities.

Among the changes it includes is the end of child benefit for all.

It is going to be means-tested in the future.

Isle of Man Newspapers staff are currently working on a number of stories from Tynwald for publication here and in the Manx Independent.

In the meantime, we reproduce Mr Bell’s statement in full below:

Madam President . . .

This Honourable Court entrusted me with the role of Chief Minister a year ago.

I promised Tynwald and the people of the Isle of Man that I would lead an open and collaborative government.

I promised that Government would focus on three main priorities: stimulating economic growth, rebalancing Government finances, protecting the vulnerable.

In the year since then, Government has:

examined how it will meet the targets of our four-year budget plan;

initiated policy reviews;

sought the public’s views through consultations and community meetings;

assessed external factors that impact on the Isle of Man’s economy;

built partnerships with our local business community;

strengthened relationships with our political neighbours;

implemented an international marketing programme.

In keeping with my commitment to openness, I am beginning this new session of Tynwald with a statement setting out Government’s priorities for the future.

But first, it is important to remind ourselves of our current economic position as we plan for that future.

Not long after this government took up its responsibilities, the Treasury Minister presented his Budget for 2012 -13, not taking a slash and burn approach, but a steady and careful approach to reducing expenditure over a four-year period.

. . . fair, equitable and sustainable, spreading the burden as widely as possible but recognising that the vulnerable should be protected . . .

I believe this measured approach is broadly accepted. Confidence in the economy is being maintained.

The economy is continuing to grow.

The most recent National Income Figures show the Island’s economy overall delivered real growth of 3.4% in 2010-11, up from 2.1 % the previous year.

Given the economic uncertainty we see in the United Kingdom and Europe, this is a significant achievement although I acknowledge that some sectors of our domestic economy are struggling.

Our business community and our Island workforce deserve to be congratulated on the outcome of their efforts.

The Island’s overall unemployment rate remains low at 2.3%, with nearly 500 more people in work in June 2012 than in the previous June.

Since April this year, 250 new jobs have been created to take advantage of the National Insurance incentive announced in February’s Budget.

The finance sector, at 35% of our Island’s GDP, continues to be an important contributor to the Island’s economy.

The e-gaming sector, with almost 50 licence holders, now provides nearly 8% of our GDP.

Our space and manufacturing sectors make significant contributions to the economy as well as to international awareness of the Isle of Man.

It is expected that Island-based company turnover in the space sector will exceed £1.7 billion during the next three years.

Our engineering and manufacturing sector employs nearly 1,500 skilled workers. It has an annual turnover of £190 million and a local spend of almost £27.8 million.

Our specialist registries are earning international recognition for their high-quality services.

The Island’s Aircraft Registry has more than 500 aircraft and has been voted the “Best Aircraft Registry in the World” by global aviation lawyers.

The Shipping Registry has achieved the top place in the Industry’s Flag State Performance table for the past two years.

And it continues to sign up new clients and ships, including four of the largest vessels in the world.

We can be proud of our diverse economy, of our robust and innovative sectors and the skills and talents of our workforce,

-- all factors which contribute to our long-term priority of growing the economy.

Honourable Members,

What I am highlighting today are Government’s key priorities for the future.

My colleagues in the Council of Ministers will be discussing with you, in the months ahead, how we develop and take forward these key issues.

Delivering what is best for the long-term future of the Island and its people has its challenges.

We are facing some hard choices.

We are addressing the changing economic and social nature of our Island.

We are making difficult decisions to ensure the sustainability of Government finances.

The Isle of Man’s economic well-being is highly dependent on its relations with other nations.

If we are to safeguard our national future, Government must put international considerations at the heart of its work.

International bodies such as the IMF, OECD and FATF commend the Isle of Man for its compliance with international regulatory standards.

As a small nation with a competitive tax regime, we continue to be subject to external pressure and scrutiny.

That’s not surprising when the global financial crisis has meant higher taxes and drastic cuts to services in many countries.

Right around the world and across the political spectrum leaders see a fundamental shift in public opinion.

The morality of legitimate tax planning is being questioned and the dominant view is that some people and companies are not paying their “fair share” and that this must change.

This change in attitude is being played out in the media, on the streets of capital cities, and in political actions that we ignore at our peril.

The G20 and OECD are actively advocating a shift away from exchange of tax information on request to automatic exchange of information as the new global standard in international tax co-operation.

The European Commission is expected to progress a second European Union Savings Directive soon to close existing loopholes and prevent tax evasion.

The American Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act, better known as FATCA, will require the automatic collection and sharing of tax-related information with the US authorities.

And it is likely that other nations will look for similar arrangements in the future.

We need to respond to these changes, not simply because it has been our long-standing policy to meet established international standards, but because a failure to do so will damage our economy in the medium to long term.

And so, as was announced last week, the Council of Ministers has agreed we will negotiate an Inter-Governmental Agreement and an amended Tax Information Exchange Agreement with the United States of America.

When the negotiations have been completed, I will of course bring this back to Tynwald.

A priority for the future must be to continue our constructive international engagement; to be viewed as a highly competitive jurisdiction with a good tax treaty network, with tax and regulatory regimes that continue to meet international standards and are not harmful to our trading partners, whilst maintaining a sustainable, diverse and growing economy and protecting the Island’s own interests.

In this changing international environment, and knowing that we can no longer afford to provide the extensive portfolio of public services in the manner to which we have become accustomed, Government remains committed to stimulating economic growth, rebalancing its finances and protecting the vulnerable.

But determining how we do this will require us, as a nation, to face some hard choices together.

This is why we have been open to the views of the public on such issues as our tax strategy, reform of the social welfare system and the Scope of Government.

In aiming to achieve the objectives I set for this Government a year ago, the Council of Ministers has identified five areas for action:

in taxation and revenue,

in the management of our economy,

in social policy, especially to protect the vulnerable,

in the environment and infrastructure that support business and the community,

and finally, in the way Government runs itself, delivers its services and deals with the public.

Turning first to our priorities in Taxation and Revenue:

We are making good progress in meeting the rebalancing plan outlined in the Treasury Minister’s 2012 Budget.

Three-year-budgets have been set for each Department to ensure that the fiscal deficit is reduced in a controlled manner, in line with the projections outlined in February.

Next year’s deficit will be in line with budgetary predictions, and I remain confident that we will return to a balanced budget in 2015-16.

In December, Treasury will bring forward our revised tax strategy to Tynwald.

It will seek to create an income tax and national insurance system that is fair, simple to comply with, simple to administer and maintains the Island’s competitive position.

The structure for determining rateable values for taxes on property requires reform.

By the end of this administration we will have introduced a fairer and more consistent approach.

We are determined that the “user pays” principle should apply for certain services from both local and central government.

We will identify such services within a year and implement these changes within two years.

Looking now at our priorities for managing the economy:

Further development and innovation of our diversified economy is vital to the success of our island.

So let me tell you what we plan to do to make this happen . . .

We will endeavour to create the environment to foster growth and with it, jobs for our people.

We will help young people to find meaningful employment to give them hope and confidence in a future on our island.

Government will support local businesses to promote the Island in target markets and will reduce bureaucracy for small and medium sized businesses, wherever possible.

We will re-energise the Island’s ability to innovate and create new industries.

We will forge new relationships with target countries and business partners.

We will simplify the Work Permit system in order to align it to economic and population growth whilst protecting vulnerable sectors and individuals.

Looking at Government’s priorities for Social Policy:

The Council of Ministers sees the continuing health, welfare and safety of our community as fundamental to our quality of life.

Government is committed to educating and developing our young people so they have the skills they need to be able to contribute fully to our society and our economy.

We are also committed to ensuring the safety and protection of all our children, taking into account the needs of the most vulnerable.

We recognise that the way we currently provide social welfare is no longer sustainable and needs to be reformed, so we have initiated a wide-ranging review, and held well-publicised consultations.

It is our intention to bring the issue to Tynwald for debate in December.

We will ensure scarce public resources are targeted to those in greatest need, being careful to assess, fairly and consistently, an individual’s needs and ability to pay.

The present system of universal benefits is no longer sustainable.

As a result, the Department of Social Care will introduce means-testing for Universal Benefits, in particular child benefit, from 1st April 2014.

We will define those services which are universal to all and ensure they are high quality while being realistic about what we can afford.

We will aim to maintain key public services free at the point of delivery.

Our strategy will be to encourage self-reliance.

We will provide better support to enable people, including the long-term unemployed, to move away from a culture of dependency.

One of our greatest challenges is to respond to the opportunities and obstacles posed by rising life expectancy.

How the Island responds to the changing age demographic will define the shape of the Island for many years to come.

The commissioning of a review to examine these issues will be announced shortly.

We have already taken steps to protect the combined value of the basic state pension and the Manx Pension Supplement, a move especially important in the face of suggested changes to the UK pension provisions.

In April this year we introduced the new Government Unified Pensions Scheme to ensure sustainability for taxpayers and consistency of provision for pensioners.

Congratulations must go to the hardworking team, on all sides, who delivered this project which has been recognised for its innovation and excellence with a prestigious UK award.

Following extensive review and a public consultation on our housing strategy, we will make recommendations to Tynwald in 2013 that will bring fairness and affordability to public sector housing and first time buyer assistance, and provide a sustainable housing policy for the future.

One of my first actions as Chief Minister was to call for an overall package of reform to modernise the Island’s Criminal Justice system.

A strategy providing a streamlined and efficient Criminal Justice system will be presented to Tynwald in December.

Also a year ago, I also commissioned an external examination of the structures, ethos and working practices in H.M. Attorney General’s Chambers, with particular reference to its prosecution responsibilities, and sought recommendations for strengthening its cohesiveness and improving its performance.

This work has now concluded and all the recommendations are being systematically implemented.

I will be distributing an Executive Summary of the recommendations to Members shortly.

Turning to the Government’s priorities on the environment and the Island’s infrastructure:

We must provide an Island infrastructure that enables people to live, work, travel and to enjoy a good quality of life.

It must also provide the support which new and existing businesses need to flourish.

Another priority is to ensure that the Island’s transport links are protected.

So it is our intention to review the Steam Packet User Agreement by March 2014 and start work on renewing the link span in Douglas Harbour by 2016.

It is our current plan that the Open Skies policy will be reviewed and we will report to Tynwald by June 2013.

Capital construction schemes that further develop our infrastructure and support economic development, as well as assist our currently depressed construction industry, will continue to be given priority.

Our commitment to Government’s Town Regeneration scheme is ongoing and we aim to provide stronger support to local agencies to ensure dilapidated properties are repaired and improved.

We will continue to develop the policy, legislation and regulation surrounding planning to further support economic development.

This will include a review of the all-Island Strategic Plan.

It also expected that the Communications Commission will introduce legislation to develop an innovative and modern telecommunications and broadcasting sector on the Island which will support further economic development.

Of course, we must use our natural resources sustainably and ensure we respond to the global challenges and opportunities which food security, energy security and climate change present.

Work has commenced on a long-term marine spatial plan to guide future use of our territorial seas.

We will report on proposals for sustainable ways to reduce the cost of energy for businesses and consumers in the medium to long term, including options for renewable energy use and the refinancing of the MEA.

We will actively support local food businesses, and by the end of 2013 we will develop a realistic strategy for food security in the Isle of Man.

An extensive review of the Island`s local government structure has been ongoing for several months and the Council of Ministers expect to receive an interim report in December outlining possible options for modernisation.

I am grateful to those who have put a great deal of effort and thought into this much-anticipated exercise.

In providing the Isle of Man with good government:

Government is too large and cannot be expected to provide for every service requested, as it has in the past.

The Council of Ministers must lead the cultural change and do this in partnership with our staff, the Trade Unions, our business community and the Third Sector.

As part of this new direction, the Civil Service Commission will take on a broader role which reflects its expertise in Human Resources matters.

The Commission will become the agent for the Council of Ministers in respect of the development of, and consultation on, HR policies and procedures across both the public service and the civil service.

It will also have responsibility for oversight of the work of the Office of Human Resources, to ensure improved governance for the work which the Office performs on behalf of Government employers.

I believe that both these changes will help to improve the way we manage our staffing resources and provide the foundations for the future.

Our vision for smaller, simpler Government is based on providing essential services in a sustainable, cost-effective and efficient manner, using new options for service delivery where appropriate.

This work is being led by our Transforming Government Group.

It is disappointing that there has been resistance in a number of areas where change is being proposed.

It is my intention to restructure this Group and give it stronger and more focussed political leadership to remove those barriers and provide a more streamlined delivery of public services – which we all seek.

We will strive to contain Government’s employment costs for the next three years.

We will reduce government bureaucracy wherever possible and improve transparency by routinely making more information available in anticipation of the introduction of Freedom of Information legislation.

We will improve customer service and reduce administrative costs.

I believe that the Annual Report we are all familiar with is no longer fit for purpose and so I am driving forward a new approach.

We will report to the public on our corporate performance, through an easily accessible and dynamic public website which I expect to clearly show the Government’s priorities, values and targets, as well as regular performance reports against those targets.

This will allow the public to clearly see where this Government is targeting its resources, what we are trying to achieve at a national level, what we are achieving, how we are measuring performance, as well as areas where we are not performing.

We expect to launch the website early in the New Year.

Although this is a significant step forward, representing a major change across government, it may take some time for information from all departments to be included.

I want to thank everyone who contributed to the robust public discussion on the Scope of Government Report and I want to assure contributors, from whatever source, that the Council of Ministers is considering all suggestions in the process of identifying a workable new structure.

I expect to bring this matter back to Tynwald for further debate in the near future.

To support Government’s overall objectives, the Council of Ministers has identified a number of Bills it wishes to introduce in this parliamentary year.

Honourable Members will have been informed about these in this morning’s written response to a question from the Hon Member from Onchan, Mr Hall.

The response will also be published on the Tynwald website where members of the public will be able to see it.

In addition, we remain committed to our ambition to remove outdated and redundant legislation and introduce a “one in, one out” policy, wherever possible.

In 2008 the world changed and we must recognise that all our old certainties have to change with it, if we are to ensure a stable future for our Island and our people.

Choices taken during the life of this Government will define the basic principles of fairness, social justice and economic sustainability that will shape our society for decades to come.

I believe that our three guiding priorities of rebalancing public finances, stimulating economic growth and protecting the vulnerable are essential to deliver that long term ambition.

To achieve that, as I have said on many occasions, I cannot support a slash and burn approach to Government services and finances as favoured by some.

Indeed this approach is now being heavily criticised by many world economic commentators as being the cause of increased social and economic instability.

The Isle of Man is a small community and to achieve the changes we have to deliver requires a well-informed, well-researched and constructive debate, avoiding the demonization of any section of our community in the process.

I am aware that some people, including some Honourable Members, believe that we should be moving more quickly towards the implementation of change. Whilst I am sympathetic to those views, I must stress that a great deal of hard work is taking place across Government to prepare the way for change.

The Council of Ministers is currently preparing a more detailed statement for Honourable Members. It will form the basis of a wide-ranging series of policy debates, starting from next month, both in this Honourable Court and in more informal sessions, such as we had when we considered the Scope of Government report.

Your input into policy development, through these opportunities, will be vital.

Honourable Members, we have embarked on the most fundamental reform of Government`s relationship with our community for at least 25 years.

Our Agenda for Change will cover at least the lifetime of the current administration and probably beyond. The issues which I have touched upon today are only some of the challenging and possibly painful issues we will have to consider during that period.

As Chief Minister, I do not have all the answers and so it is vitally important for us all to put partisan and parish pump politics behind us and work together to deliver the sustainable and cohesive future our Island community deserves.

We have all had twelve months to settle in and understand our various responsibilities.

Now, the hard work to deliver our Agenda for Change begins.

TWO defendants have been acquitted of conspiracy charges relating to the 2010 Douglas East by-election.

The jury was directed by Deemster David Turner to return not guilty verdicts on Cathryn Elizabeth Liggins, aged 26, of Summerhill Road, Onchan, and Geoffrey Andrew Callister, aged 51, of Ballakilley Close, Port St Mary, at the close of the prosecution case.

‘As a result of legal submissions I have made rulings in respect of Liggins and Callister and the case against each of those will not proceed further,’ Deemster Turner told the jury.

The case for the defence opened today (Tuesday) in respect of the remaining two defendants Kerry Louise Rothwell, aged 26, of Clifton Terrace, Douglas, and Gail Rosemary Corrin, aged 40, of Cronk-y-Berry Avenue, Douglas.

More on this story in the Manx Independent, on sale on Thursday morning.

The board of the Isle of Man Adoption Service (IOMAS) and The Children’s Centre have started discussions about an amalgamation under the umbrella of The Children’s Centre.

The Reverend Les Lawrinson, chairman of IOMAS, said: ‘After much consideration the board have concluded that following the rapid expansion of the charity over recent years, it would now benefit from the support of a larger organisation. The board is committed to ensuring the continued provision of a first class service to the Isle of Man adoption community in the future.’

John Knight, chief executive of The Children’s Centre, added: ‘The Children’s Centre is able to provide a support network that is not readily available to IOMAS as a smaller, independent charity.

‘The Children’s Centre provides a range of services to children, young people and families across the island, and shares with IOMAS an understanding of the unique issues that arise on the island and the resulting problems that can face families.

‘Under the umbrella of The Children’s Centre the IOMAS will not only be able to maintain the current level of care offered to families, it will also be able to make use of The Children’s Centre’s resources, such as the Community Farm, to develop further services for the adoption community on the Isle of Man.’

The Department of Social Care supports the merger.

THE official opening of St Ninian’s Lower School takes place on Friday.

And on Saturday (October 20) the public can tour the £33.8 million school at Bemahague in Onchan.

Staff and students will be on hand to lead groups around the building from 10am-1pm. There is no need to book.

Education and Children Minister Tim Crookall MHK said: ‘The new school will offer generations of young people a superb environment in which to learn and its formal opening will be a real milestone occasion for education in the Isle of Man.

‘I’d like to pay tribute to the politicians before me who initiated this project, to the DEC staff who have overseen it, to all involved in the design and construction for completing such a massive project on time and within budget, and, not least, to the staff and students of St Ninian’s for making such a seamless transition between the old building and this wonderful new one.’

The school opened to 650 students in years seven to nine (ages 11 to 14) last month and replaces the 118-year-old Park Road building, which is being handed over to the Department of Social Care.

PLANS for a new diesel engine for the heritage railway are back on track - with an order placed with an American locomotive manufacturer.

Delivery of the machine is expected in the spring.

Community Culture and Leisure Minister Graham Cregeen MHK said the price of the new engine was within Tynwald funding approval.

Tynwald voted in July to approve funding of £350,000, on top of £50,000 already agreed, for a second hand diesel from Romania.

But a late bid was submitted by an American manufacturer that offered a better deal.

The original plan was to spend £750,000 on designing and building a new engine, a proposal which was heavily criticised and indeed overshadowed this year’s Budget.

The order has been placed with Motive Power and Equipment Solutions, based in Greenville, South Carolina.

Featuring a cab at both ends it will be capable of speeds of up to 40mph and will be powerful enough to recover rakes of stranded carriages in the event of a breakdown by one of the line’s historic steam locomotives.

Other duties will include shunting, maintenance and lineside firefighting operations. It will also be possible to use the new diesel for commuter services in future.

Its frames and electric traction motors will be reconditioned second hand but it will have a brand new power unit and bodywork.

Delivery of a new diesel will mean an extra steam locomotive does not have to kept on standby to recover broken down trains.

Heritage railway bosses say the new loco will pay for itself in 13 years and help make savings of almost £40,000 a year.

It is one of 25 similar machines being built by Motive Power and Equipment Solutions.

But Peter Maddocks, engineering manager for Isle of Man Railways, said: ‘It is being built to bespoke requirements to run on our unusual 3ft gauge track.

‘It will have a cab at each end providing good forward visibility and meaning it can be operated by one person. Delivery is due in April next year.

‘The frames and the electric traction motors are remanufactured and indeed re-engineered.

‘The power unit and generator are all new. The balance between new and remanufactured parts is about the same as was the case for the Romanian locomotive, but we believe that this option offers a fundamentally better technical solution.’

Mr Cregeen said: ‘Expressions of interest were sent out but this one came in after the motion had been put on the Tynwald order paper.

‘We get an extended warranty on this engine which give us a lot more comfort than the Romanian one.’

ITEX has a new master accredited solutions expert in IT storage solutions.

Jon Bishop, senior technical consultant at Itex has recently passed a number of HP storage qualifications gaining an impressive 97 per cent and 100 per cent in two of his exams.

His success means he now has the Master ASE certification and joins the team of other Master ASEs including James Cochrane who achieved his Master ASE - Storage Solutions in June this year.

The certification is the premier accreditation for designing, deploying and managing enterprise storage solutions using the latest flagship technologies including SAN, NAS, 3PAR and Cloud storage solutions.

Jon is very pleased with his achievement and at the same time relieved the studying is over.

‘It was a tough six months of intense classroom training, web-based learning and self-study but having attained the Master Architect status makes it all worthwhile,’ said Jon.

Alyson Hamilton Lacey, Itex Isle of Man managing director was delighted with Jon’s success: ‘Specialist knowledge of IT storage is an integral part of disaster recovery and business continuity planning – something we are talking about with clients on a regular basis.

‘Jon’s accreditation ensures that Itex continues to maintain its leading position in the delivery of corporate IT services and underlines the company’s commitment to on-going employee training and development. Jon’s achievement is well deserved after all his hard work!’

THE minister in charge of the bus network said he is still hopeful a negotiated settlement can be reached with the drivers over the issue of pay.

And he refused to give details in Tynwald of any contingency arrangements for a possible strike because he did not wish to ‘inflame’ the situation.

Graham Cregeen MHK, Minister for Community, Culture and Leisure, had been asked by Middle MHK Howard Quayle about whether he has prepared a contingency plan to maintain this ‘vital public service should the problem escalate to industrial action’.

Mr Cregeen replied: ‘The department still remains hopeful that it can reach a negotiated settlement with the drivers on this issue of their pay.

‘The department has been in negotiations with the union since March 1, 2012 and cannot afford to let the matter remain unresolved indefinitely.

‘However, it is clearly a very significant and serious issue and I hope I have made it clear that my department will continue to try and find a negotiated solution to this situation until the very last moment.’

He added: ‘I can confirm that my department is aware of the need for contingency plans and to liaise with other departments of government so that the day-to-day business of the people of the Isle of Man can carry on with as little disruption as possible.

‘Members will, I hope, understand that I do not wish to provide detailed briefing on the possible arrangements, as I would not wish to inflame any situation which I still hope can be resolved before industrial action is called for.’

He said that the detail of any contingency plan will have to be tailored to meet the impact of any potential difficulties faced but he said all government departments and members of the public would be fully briefed on the options available in the event of disruption to services.

John Houghton (Douglas North) asked how a negotiated settlement could be reached when notice had already been served on all 100 drivers.

Mr Cregeen said there was still time until the first notice period ended. ‘We are looking until October 25,’ he said.

Peter Karran (Lib Van, Onchan) asked for details of drivers’ wage scales and benefits.

The Minister replied that the drivers were paid an average of between £30,000 and £45,000 including overtime. He said the department had removed more than £300,000 worth of managerial and administrative roles already. He said drivers currently had a guaranteed 42-hour week which included five hours of paid lunch.

Under the new terms and conditions which drivers are being asked to agree to, drivers’ lunch breaks will no longer be paid, sick pay will reduce to being based on 37 hours per week and maximum driving time will increase from 3 hours 45 minutes to 4 hours 10 minutes. The Unite union twice recommended acceptance of the new terms but members voted against the offer.

A COLBY man has accused the island of having a laissez faire attitude to unsightly buildings.

James Richmond, who lives at the Level, has accused the authorities of failing to exercise their powers to make his neighbour tidy.

Mr Richmond said he had consulted the guidelines and in his view the property breached them, but he said the inspectors disagreed.

‘In 2010 I contacted the commissioners. I’ve asked several times and nothing has been done.’

Mr Richmond said he had also contacted John Howie of the environmental services department.

‘He said it was no worse than the works depot across the road, but you can’t compare the two. He said he couldn’t do anything about it.’

But Mr Richmond said guidelines – produced by Mr Howie himself – were quite precise in his view.

‘If long term maintenance is needed they can take action so it’s incomprehensible why they do nothing.

‘No one seems to care about anything, it’s laissez faire. No one seems to do anything at all.’

The situation has prevailed since Mr Richmond moved into his own house. ‘But you don’t think that six years later it will be still going on,’ he said. ‘There’s work going on inside and stuff has been dumped outside.

‘The final letter I have from the commissioners says they have exhausted all the possibilities. The commissioners are ineffectual: six years is long term mismanagement.’

Gill Kelly, clerk to Rushen commissioners, said she had some sympathy but they were acting on the advice of the Environmental Health department.

‘They advised the property was not in a state to warrant action,’ she said. ‘The owner is doing work to it himself so it is taking time.’

She added when a building receives planning permission to make alterations it remained for four years during which time the work had to start. But once work began, there was no time limit on its completion.

‘He is doing the work,’ she said.

Mr Howie, manager of the environmental health unit, said they acted as agents for the local authorities on such matters. Since 2010 he said decisions of that type had been made at local level using guidelines, mostly written by him.

‘They are very detailed and even include pro-forma letters,’ he said.

‘As regards this particular property, the commissioners went and they have said it is not actionable but they would speak to the owners. I have been there twice and I think they are right.

‘We make our judgment based on whether it is injurious to the local amenity.’

He said the guidance was provided by the Local Authorities (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1984 which governed ruinous, dilapidated or neglected buildings, and also by the Building Control Act 1991.

Decisions are made after looking around the area and making comparisons with others.

‘You have to treat everyone equally. If you walk past and say ‘‘my God that looks awful...’’ then that could be actionable.’

Owner Tom Spiers said the house was undergoing renovation and building work was already under way when Mr Richmond bought his own property.

‘It had been derelict for years when we bought it and it’s being renovated,’ he said. ‘It’s not suddenly gone down hill, it’s improving all the time.’

He said work so far included plastering, plumbing, paving, new windows and a garage, rendering and new floors.

‘It’s on the way up, not on the way down but it was never going to be an overnight process.’

A property in Laxey which has lain empty for years is something of a mystery according to commissioners’ clerk Peter Hill.

Santos, a large property with a loop drive on Croit-y-Quill Road in the village is partly hidden from view, however, and has not attracted complaints.

Mr Hill said: ‘It has magnificent views towards Cumbria but it has been completely let go.

‘Someone expressed concerns about a possible leaking oil tank there. We investigated and found it was in poor condition but fortunately it was also empty.

‘No one really likes to see empty houses but if no one complains we don’t really have the time to pursue it.’

A ROAD has been closed in Ramsey after a gas leak.

The road between West Quay and Parliament Street will be shut until further notice while Manx Gas investigates the source of the leak.

Manx Gas sales and marketing manager Gary Cregeen said: ‘Our engineers are on site investigating reports of a gas smell. We would like to apologise for any inconvenience caused and will endeavour to re-open the roads as soon as possible. We will of course notify the public when the situation is resolved.’

SEVEN sites in the island have been recommended for stargazers.

Port Soderick Brooghs, Axnfell Plantation, Smeale Nature Reserve, Niarbyl, The Sound, Fort Island and Sulby Reservoir car park have been designated ‘dark sky discovery sites’ under an international scheme operated by the UK Science and Technology Facilities Council.

NASA astronaut Nicole Stott, whose husband Chris Stott is Manx and a pioneer in the space industry, said: ‘I tried on many occasions to identify the Isle of Man from orbit, but I had great difficulty because it is so dark. I eventually captured an image and it shows how wonderful the night skies in the island are.

‘I had a great time on the Island last year looking at the night sky through a telescope. The Manx skies are fantastic for astronomy - great from both above, on board the International Space Station and from below, on the Island.’

Manx National Heritage will now be working with government, the voluntary sector and the private sector including with the Isle of Man Astronomical Society to ‘maximise opportunities’ from the island’s dark skies status.

Edmund Southworth, director of Manx National Heritage, said: ‘We are delighted that so many sites have been awarded this special status on the Isle of Man. This puts the island firmly on the map as having the largest concentration of dark skies sites in Britain.’

TESCO has been refused an alcohol licence for a proposed store in Castletown, for the second time.

When she refused it, Deputy High Bailiff Jayne Hughes, who chaired the licensing court, said the court was ‘shocked’ by the current ratio of alcohol licences in Castletown to residents.

The full story will be in Monday’s Isle of Man Examiner.

USE of reserves to balance public finances is very much a last resort, Chief Minister Allan Bell told Tynwald.

He said the only alternative would be a slash and burn approach to public expenditure which would risk destabilising the economy.

Some £92 million – about a quarter of the reserve fund – is being used to rebalance public finances in the wake of the VAT bombshell over the next three years with the biggest draw, £55 million, being made this financial year.

Zac Hall (Onchan) said: ‘In light of the fact that reserves are diminishing to prop up the Budget, does the Chief Minister believe all other measures and options were exhausted?’

Mr Bell replied: ‘Obviously the use of reserves is very much a last resort.

‘The alternative, though, to taking this particular action would have been a very drastic slash-and-burn approach to wider government public expenditure. We have to have a measured approach, a balanced approach, to ensure that in the process of rebalancing our Budget, we do not destabilise the economy as a whole and create the misery which we see in parts of the UK for our workforce and our people.’

He said the current level of government reserves stands in excess of £1.5 billion.

Mr Hall said it was disingenuous to say the island has substantial reserves and no external debt, given that reserves are being ‘raided’ to support ‘unbalanced budgets and speculative share purchases’ and there was about ‘£200 million of off-balance sheet debt in the name of local authorities, £400 million or so in the name of the MEA, and approximately £2 billion in actuarial liability for public sector pensions’.

Mr Bell replied: ‘Of course we have these other liabilities but they are covered in other forms.’ He confirmed that reserves available to draw on totalled £300-400m.

A PEEL couple received the shock of their lives when a bolt of lightning struck their house.

Ron and Jeanette Dobbie, both aged 71, were in their house in Ramsey Road when it was struck by lightning.

It caused a two-foot hole in the roof.

Jeanette said: ‘I was in the bedroom and my husband was in the bathroom.

‘There was thunder and lightning and hailstones and then there was just an almighty bang.’

She said: ‘I was absolutely terrified. I was shaking because at first I didn’t realise what it was.’

It happened at about 10.05am. With a strong smell of burning, the couple could tell it had blown the electrics.

Jeanette added: ‘It’s come down with such a wallop there’s bits of plaster everywhere.

‘At least we are alright. The house can be sorted.’

A survey will be carried out to assess if there was any additional damage.

She said a nearby house had also been bit, but not as badly damaged, and that neighbouring properties had lost their phone lines.

The wet and windy weather caused havoc around the island.

Mill Road in Peel was closed due to flooding and police warned that Leigh Terrace in Douglas was ‘passable with care’.

The Steam Packet’s afternoon’s Manannan sailing to Liverpool, and the return journey, were both cancelled.

Both Manx Electric Railway and Snaefell Mountain Railway services were suspended for the day.

There were also power cuts in Greeba, East/West Baldwin, Crosby, Union Mills and Marown.

A Met Office spokesman said: ‘We have had just about everything you can possibly imagine weather-wise today, stopping short of snow.

‘There was heavy rain, thunderstorms and hail mixed into that. On top of that there has been some coastal flooding, certainly in Castletown.’

Meanwhile, a waterspout – a funnel-shaped cloud occurring over a body of water – was pictured over Douglas Bay by iomtoday reader Ben Brooker.

Ben, who lives in Spectrum Apartments, on Central Promenade, Douglas, and runs office delivery service be.FOOD, said: ‘It touched down and kicked up some spray.’

A DOUGLAS cabbie has lost his case for compensation over a disputed parking ticket.

Stewart Douglas, originally from Los Angeles, moved to the island 11 years ago and had worked as a taxi driver here for the last nine years.

On June 30 last year, he was given a fixed penalty notice for parking the vehicle he uses for his carpet cleaning business in a taxi rank space outside Colours nightclub on Central Promenade.

Mr Douglas, 50, of Woodbourne Road, refused to pay the £40 fine and lodged an appeal, insisting the painted signs on the road indicated it was only a taxi rank between 8pm and 4am Friday to Sunday.

The parking administration officer in the Department of Infrastructure initially stood by the decision to issue the ticket.

But following the intervention of his MHK, Brenda Cannell, the then Infrastructure Minister Phil Gawne asked his officers to investigate. After concluding the signage and road markings were confusing, the fixed penalty notice was withdrawn.

Mr Douglas appeared in the small claims court, seeking compensation of £249.50 for costs he says he incurred in fighting his case.

But the court found the department had no power to pay compensation or expenses and that it did not owe Mr Douglas a duty to prevent him from incurring expenses.

A spokesman for the department said: ‘Whilst we are satisfied with the outcome of this case, individuals who believe they have received a fixed penalty notice unfairly are able to appeal to the department and where their claim can be justified, the department will cancel the notice.

‘This case confirms that the department is not liable to cover an individual’s expenses for making such an appeal which must be made at their own expense.’