A leading figure at UK charity Action for ME has visited the island to raise awareness of the challenges faced by Isle of Man ME sufferers and to also present evidence to a Tynwald Scrutiny Committee.

CEO of Action for ME Sonya Chowdhury presented evidence to the inquiry on the island’s fit for work assessments conducted by the Tynwald Social Affairs Committee.

She said awareness needs to be raised about the condition and on how the process of assessment for the tests can be improved.

Chairman of ME Support Isle of Man, Celia Marshall, said island GPs need more training on ME and personal capability assessors need a greater understanding of the extent of the disability and what effects the assessment has on ME sufferers.

The Queenie Festival – Port St Mary’s annual celebration of the sea – has been cancelled.
Graham Hall, who with Island Seafare’s Tim Croft dreamt up the idea for the festival which was first held in 2009, said its importance is so great it should be revived.

The original concept was to gather all sectors involved in the sea under the umbrella of the festival.

It was successful from the start and attracted thousands of people.

The original week-long celebration, later abridged to a weekend, included cooking demonstrations, music, Manx Wildlife Trust touch tanks, a beach party and the treasure hunt for the golden queenie.

After Mr Hall and Mr Croft stepped back from its organisation in 2013, Rushen MHKs Phil Gawne, Laurence Skelly and Juan Watterson took over; James Gale from Switched On Events joined the team in 2014 and became the organiser.

This year’s festival – renamed Festival of the Sea – was scheduled for July 2 and 3, but was cancelled because of ‘funding issues’ said Mr Gale.

Mr Hall emailed interested parties, including the Rushen MHKs, the festival, ‘was to bring down barriers between fishermen and conservationists, introduce the public to the sea and its great value to the island and to keep the work of the Manx Wildlife Trust Marine Committee high in the minds of the people.’

Given the damaging affect scallop fishing has on the environment, naming it ‘Queenie’ was ‘controversial’. But he added there are initiatives - which include the fishing industry - to limit the impact on the environment, such as current consultation on the proposed zoning of the 0-3 mile territorial waters. There is also the recent UNESCO Biosphere accreditation meaning ‘the fruits of the Queenie Festival are beginning to become very apparent.’

He added: ‘It seems like a huge waste of a very successful initiative to let this event be archived to the history books and old photographs of the island. I believe that we need this event more than ever right now.

‘If reforms of the fishing areas go ahead this year, the Isle of Man will develop large conservation areas and a sustainable scallop industry, the environmental stigma will be completely erased and we can enjoy a long lasting heritage given to us by a festival of the sea, its industry, environment and those who enjoy it.

‘Letting it go may be a commercial decision but there is so much more to this event that is important to our island life and getting the festival through a few difficult times in order to achieve so much more would seem important to the island.’

A meeting will be held soon.

To offer help, email grahamhall@manx.net.

There will be no Red Arrows over Ramsey on Sprint Day this TT Week.

In a letter to the town’s commissioners explaining the reason for the cancellation, the Department of Economic Development said that while it has been pleased to support the Sprint for a number of years, the 2014 Red Arrows display came very close to being aborted due to an incident at Waterworks, which required medical helicopter to attend and last year’s display had to be cancelled at the last minute due to a clash with TT racing on the Tuesday.

‘Having reviewed the past two years and the increasing likelihood of racing taking place on the Tuesday, the department advises that it has reluctantly had to take the decision to not request a Ramsey display.

‘The department recognises that this will be disappointing news, but hopes the commission will understand the reasons behind it.

‘The department remains committed to working with the commission to make both the TT and the Festival of Motorcycling Sprints as successful as possible,’ it stated.

Members voiced their disappointment at the news, but felt there was nothing to be done.

Chairman Lawrie Hooper, on the other hand, proposed that they make their feelings known in the strongest terms.

‘We should very publicly tell them we are very disappointed about this.

‘t’s disgraceful they can do this at the drop of a hat, without any consultation.

They have just gone ahead and done it’, he said.

The display team will be seen over the skies of Douglas on June 7 as part of entertainment for TT week.

Boal & Co founder Gary Boal, who died last year aged 52, has been honoured with a lifetime contribution award at the International Adviser Product & Service Awards 2016.

Gary won the International Adviser Award for Outstanding Individual Contribution, a special award presented to someone who has made a ‘sustained significant contribution to developing the sector, its products and services to clients’.

Boal & Co CEO Mark Kiernan received the award on Gary’s behalf and paid tribute to his colleague, mentor and close friend of 20 years.

He said: ‘Gary’s sudden death in October was a huge loss, not just to everyone within Boal & Co, but to the wider actuarial and pensions community.

‘It was his drive and passion that saw the company develop into one of the largest offshore actuarial and pension trustee firms.

‘Gary was a great leader and mentor, who wrote extensively for the international media, and it was a real honour to receive this award on his behalf.’

Dylan Emery, group editorial director and co-founder of Last Word Media, said: ‘Gary was one of the best known and most respected figures in the world of cross-border financial services.

‘When we launched International Adviser in 2005 he was incredibly generous with his time and expertise, giving us both commentary on industry issues as well as editorial guidance on the strategic direction of the magazine.

‘The cross-border world is known for housing a wide array of characters: the scrupulous and the serious but also occasional charlatans and chancers.

‘Gary stood out for his absolute honesty and integrity; his superlative technical knowledge; and his fearlessness in both publicising and defending his opinions.

‘It was a joy to have known him, both professionally and personally and he is greatly missed.’

A new planning application in respect of the site of the former Grand Island Hotel, Bride Road, has been submitted.

Ramsey Commissioners objected to an earlier application on grounds that the quality of the design did not match the requirements of such a landmark site.

The developer, Shearwater Ltd. said it had addressed the criticisms and had produced a new scheme for nine individual dwellings, instead of the original 11, with associated landscaping and access.

The layout now includes two large ‘flagship’ properties facing the promenade and a mixture of smaller properties within the main body of the site, all of an extremely high standard.

‘The proposed dwellings complement one another and when viewed in context of the landscaping, open space, boundary treatment and gateway entrance feature result in an exceptional, exclusive and landmark development for this important and prominent site’, said the applicant.

The scheme was favourably received by the commissioners, who raised no objections and hoped it would go ahead soon.

Local commissioners do not accept or reject planing applications in the Isle of Man.

That’s up to the government’s planning department.

But they can submit their views to the planning authorities.

The Grand Island Hotel closed on February 9, 2009, with the loss of 18 jobs as well as an important venue for functions.

Shearwater Ltd originally planned to demolish the complex and replace it with 68 flats. But it later dropped those plans.

A man punched a hole in a car window with his bare fist, wrenched a mobile telephone from the grip of his terrified victim and smashed it to pieces on the ground, Douglas magistrates were told.

Darren Mark Barrow, of Crown Street, Peel, spotted his victim, Alexander Ironside, parked in his Mitsubishi car on the quayside in Peel.

The court heard Mr Ironside was using a mobile phonee when he saw Barrow’s blue Peugeot come to a halt, directly facing his own car.

A statement read out in court said Barrow marched across to the driver’s window of the other car, looking angry, and mouthed something at the victim, before punching a hole straight through the window.

Prosecutor James Robinson said Mr Ironside ducked out of the way just in time to avoid a shower of broken glass fragments. Barrow then swung another punch at him, through the hole in the window, but it missed.

Barrow then snatched the phone from Mr Ironside and hurled it onto the ground, smashing it into pieces.

He was later arrested by police at home and admitted what had happened.

Mr Robinson said the phone was valued at £450 and the car window at £250.

On behalf of Barrow, Stephen Wood said the only punch was the one directed at the car window, thereafter, the pair had ‘grappled’, he said.

Mr Wood said it was not the first time his client had been in court in relation to the same victim.

‘There has been an issue with the complainant and an acquaintance of my client’s friend,’ he said.

‘There were allegations made and he feels he was wronged by the allegations and he feels his friend was wronged as well. It does not justify what happened but it gives some understanding.’

Since the incident, on February 3, he said matters had calmed down and there had been no further offences.

‘The court can take some comfort from that. He is no longer harbouring a grievance against Mr Ironside,’ he said.

Mr Wood said his client had perceived Mr Ironside was using his telephone to take photographs of him.

‘The victim was checking his messages but my client thought he was being filmed,’ Mr Wood said.

The court heard Barrow, who is 30, had had a number of problems but was engaging well and getting a lot out of art therapy classes.

‘He appreciates he could be sent to prison today, as this offence occurred so soon after the previous one, even though he was not technically on bail for the other offence,’ he said.

He suggested one approach could be a financial penalty and another approach could involve a suspended sentence.

‘If he were foolish enough to approach Mr Ironside, with a suspended sentence hanging over him, then the consequences would be well known to him,’ he said.

Barrow admitted two offences of criminal damage and one of using provoking behaviour.

Magistrates’ chairman John Hellowell said: ‘Less than one week after being sentenced for an offence against the same victim, you committed these offences. Because of your previous poor track record, community penalties are not appropriate.’

He received eight weeks’ custody suspended for 18 months. He is to pay £700 compensation to the victim but no costs order was made.

A woman who lost her husband to an uncommon degenerative brain disorder has spoken out to raise awareness of the condition.

Carol Stanton’s husband of 47 years, John, died from progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) in August last year.

The condition is caused by the premature loss of nerve cells in certain parts of the brain.

Over time, this leads to difficulties with balance, movement, vision, speech and swallowing.

Carol, who lives in Ramsey, explained that it took two and a half years and a battle with medical staff for John to be properly diagnosed.

‘Eventually we saw a neurologist from Liverpool who sent us to Addenbrooke’s to see Dr James Rowe, who confirmed John had PSP.

‘I’d never heard of it in my life. It was quite a shock.

‘Although we had a diagnosis, and it’s better to know what’s going on, there’s no cure so it’s not what we wanted to hear.’

Carol and John first met when she was 14. They moved over from Northamptonshire to the island in 1978.

They had a jeweller’s shop in Ramsey and she described him as ‘action-packed and full of life’.

She said John’s early symptoms were a difficulty in speaking and falling over for no apparent reason.

As the condition progressed, John was only able to see straight ahead, was not able to communicate very well, unable to walk so was wheelchair bound and had difficulty swallowing which resulted in having to make the choice of John having a feeding tube fitted.

When Carol was no longer able to care for John at home, she and her family had the difficult decision to make for John to go into a nursing home. ‘It was the hardest decision we had to make,’ she said.

‘As the condition progresses it’s difficult for them to talk. They can take everything in as their brain is fully functional but they can’t respond.’

Carol said they were both grateful for the support they received from social worker Maria Clinton and her team in social services and also the care and kindness of the staff at Brookfield Nursing Home in Ramsey.

She is now using her experience to help other families in the island affected by PSP.

Through the charity PSP Association, she gets referrals from residents, both those who have been diagnosed and their carers.

‘If people want to talk to someone I’m always at the end of the phone,’ she said.

The PSP Association visited the island in 2014 to give a talk for health and social care professionals as well as carers and their families.

Since then Maria has had contact with at least eight people on the island who had been diagnosed with Parkinson’s but after some years had turned out to have PSP.

The PSP Association describes PSP as a very individual condition and symptoms can be experienced with varying degrees of severity and at different stages of progression.

In its early stages, symptoms can resemble those of other neurological conditions.

The charity has a helpline and information service offering information, practical and emotional support. Contact 0300 0110 122 or helpline@pspassociation.org.uk

Pupils at Ashley Hill School in Onchan in the Isle of Man have been evacuated as a security precaution.

A police operation is in place around the school, and members of the public are being asked to stay away from the area.

Some 265 children were evacuated by fire alarm and are now at the recreation ground below Onchan Community Centre, in School Road.

Parents are being asked to pick their children up and take them home.

Police stress no one has been injured and the children are being looked after by school staff.

Sergeant Gavin Callow said: ‘Police will release further information in due course but we would ask the public to stay calm and we can again reassure you that the children and staff are safe.’

One parent said: ‘There has been some kind of security threat. I got a call asking me to pick up my daughter.

‘Everyone is fine and they’re having a good time in the sunshine.’

There was heavy traffic around the community centre as worried parents arrived to pick up their children.

Police were directing traffic and were stationed at each of the entrances to the park.

Civil Defence volunteers were at the scene handing out water.

Fire crews were also in attendance.

Ashley Hill School was cordoned off by police.

Yesterday, 26 schools across the UK were forced to close after a series of anonymous bomb threats.

More to follow.

Dramatic pictures show The Green Bus engulfed in flames on the M6 at 3.40pm on Monday (23/5).

Traffic was brought to a standstill on the northbound carriageway at junction 3A near Birmingham and three of the four lanes remained closed until 7.30pm.

The quick-thinking Eavesway Travel of Wigan driver loaded the school onto his coach and took them to a nearby museum where a replacement bus picked them up.

The Steam Packet Company is promising to invest £170m in new ships, port facilities and fare reductions.

Unveiling its vision for the future of sea services, the ferry operator’s chief executive Mark Woodward also pledged increased year-round passenger capacity, more special offers and a new frequent traveller scheme.

He said the company will invest in two new vessels and will commit to retaining Ben-my-Chree to provide comprehensive passenger and freight back-up to the fleet.

Late last year Manx Government announced it was considering the future of strategic sea services for the island. The current user agreement is due to end in 2026 and the Steam Packet has now outlined its vision for continuing to provide services beyond that date.

Details were presented to members of Tynwald this morning and a printed copy is to be delivered to homes and businesses island-wide.

It is hoped the offer can be taken to July Tynwald for debate.

Mr Woodward said the earlier a decision is made, the sooner investment can begin and residents, visitors and businesses start to benefit.

He said: ‘We are not just a company which serves the Isle of Man; we are part of the Manx community. Our management team lives and works here, we employ more than 300 Isle of Man residents and we spend significant sums in the local economy. As part of the Isle of Man, our interests are fully vested in what is best for our island.

‘Since the start of the user agreement there has been major private investment in vessels, much lower fares (halved in real terms) with improved offers and availability, and significant marketing each year to promote the Isle of Man.

‘We want to consolidate these benefits and provide a platform for further investment and improvements in service delivery for another generation. If a new Strategic Sea Services Agreement, to guarantee services beyond 2026, can be reached this year we will bring forward our planned investment.’

If an agreement is made this year, the Steam Packet is committed to delivering a replacement for Ben-my-Chree by 2019/21 and Manannan by 2022/23 as part of £170m investment.

MV Arrow would be retained as freight back-up until Ben-my-Chree is replaced, after which time the Ben would become the permanent third vessel. This gives the fleet comprehensive passenger and freight back-up, as well as additional capacity and self-sufficiency during the TT and Festival of Motorcycling, said Mr Woodward.

Passenger and freight capacity would be increased year-round to meet the needs of a growing population and there is also a guarantee that more special offer seats are available each year.

A new frequent traveller scheme would be introduced and is expected to benefit 10 times more passengers than the previous scheme which was discontinued some years ago.

There would also be an agreement for the Steam Packet to share extra revenue growth, above an agreed threshold, to fund additional low fare and marketing initiatives. This would mean that a proportion of profits would be ring-fenced and used to target specific potential growth areas of the visitor economy or other initiatives aimed at growing passenger numbers.

The offer also includes the retention of the Manx RPI cap on standard fare increases, a commitment to formal service reviews every three years and a promise to publish Irish Sea fare comparisons every year.

Mr Woodward added: ‘Unlike some ferry firms servicing island communities, the Steam Packet Company does not and will not require any government subsidy. We meet the costs of delivering our services ourselves. We will do this while providing guaranteed standards and levels of service and it is we, not the government or Manx public, that take all the commercial downside risk of doing this.

‘We look forward to further discussions with the Isle of Man Government and the Manx public about the future of island sea services.’

Ashley Hill School in Onchan was evacuated following a bomb threat believed to be linked to similar recent scares across the UK.

Some 265 children and staff were evacuated to Onchan Community Centre this morning as a precautionary measure after a threat was received by phone.

The pupils were picked up by their parents at lunchtime and a search of the school and its grounds by police found nothing suspicious.

In a joint statement released by the police and Department of Education and Children, they said: ‘Police can now confirm that the security threat at Ashley Hill School this morning was believed to be a bomb threat linked to the incidents that occurred in the UK yesterday and today.

‘The school was searched by specially trained officers and no explosive device was found.

‘Police state there is no specific threat to schools across the island and they will open as normal tomorrow.

‘If the schools on the island receive further threats the police should be notified straight away.

‘This incident will be investigated by Isle of Man Police working with police colleagues in the UK.’

Education Minister Tim Crookall praised the way the situation had been handled: ‘In a difficult situation, the school and Department of Education and Children worked well to ensure the safety and wellbeing of all pupils and staff.

‘The police, other emergency services and the Civil Defence responded efficiently and communicated well with staff and members of the public throughout the incident.

‘I would like to commend them for their commitment to the safety of the public.’

The ManxSPCA has warned Isle of Man residents about the perils of buying puppies from the UK, following a Panorama investigation into the puppy farming industry.

The BBC One documentary, entitled ‘Britain’s Puppy Dealers Exposed’, went behind the scenes at a puppy farm in County Cavan in Ireland.

The undercover footage showed dogs giving birth in confined cages and then crates of puppies being dropped off to the next person in the supply chain.

Juana Warburton, general manager of the MSPCA, said people who are thinking about buying a puppy from the UK should undertake thorough research or adopt a rescue dog from the Isle of Man charity.

‘There are many legitimate breeders both here and in the UK, but the documentary demonstrated that there are also unregistered and unscrupulous breeders who compromise their animals’ welfare.

‘The documentary showed adult dogs being kept in substandard conditions, and puppies being given little or no chance to develop normal socialisation and behavioural skills, thus storing up problems for the future. Very few people would deliberately buy a puppy if they knew it had been raised in substandard conditions and that its parents were deprived, but there is a buoyant “black market” in puppies, with families and individuals acting as fake breeders or intermediaries.’

The Panorama documentary aired last week coinciding with Tynwald’s recommendations for the island’s Animal Welfare Bill.

Animal rights campaigner Roseleen Harrison, of Port Erin, presented a Tynwald Day petition in 2014 calling for legislation to protect our animals equivalent to that in the UK and it was taken up by a select committee. She started campaigning following reports of farmed puppies being brought to the island from Europe and her petition specifically called for Manx law to regulate puppy dealers.

Juana added:‘Adopting a rescue dog from the ManxSPCA means that you are giving an animal, that most probably has arrived at the Society through no fault of its own, a second chance of happiness in a loving, home environment.

‘If you can’t rescue a puppy or a dog from a rescue centre, always make sure you see a puppy and its siblings with their mother and do thorough research on the breeder, and definitely don’t buy your puppy over the internet.’

Carers at Castle View Nursing Home in Peel have been presented dementia training awards by Minister for Health Howard Quayle MHK.

Eleven members of the care team received certificates and badges after they completed the ‘Living in My World’ accredited dementia training course.

It helps carers understand how people living with dementia see the worldd which increases understanding on how their residents can be best supported.

Home manager, John Adair, said: ‘Living in My World puts us in a position to provide an even higher quality of care for our residents with the condition and superior support for their families.

‘We are very proud to be investing in our staff and leading the way in dementia care on the island.’

The Bridge Bookshop officially launches its revamped children’s corner this Saturday, May 28, on what is also Elmer Day – a national celebration in bookshops and libraries of popular children’s character Elmer the Patchwork Elephant.

From 3pm there will be storytelling and crafts as part of the Elmer Day celebrations. Also Adrian Cain, Manx Language Officer, will be translating some of the Elmer story into Manx Gaelic.

Children are invited to come dressed in their brightest colours to reflect the vividly-coloured elephant.

The multi-coloured tiles in the revamped children’s corner of the bookshop are also inspired by Elmer.

Funding for the new carpet and shelving came from a grant from author James Patterson. The grants are given to independent bookshops to highlight the important contributions they make and also to inspire children to become lifelong readers.

Bridge Bookshop received a grant from bestselling crime, children’s author and bookshop devotee James Patterson last autumn. One of the projects the grant funded was new carpet throughout the shop.

The flooring in the children’s corner was skillfully fitted by a local firm, Osbourn’s Carpets, with multi coloured tiles as a reference to Elmer the Patchwork Elephant and so far has been a hit with adults and children alike. Any independent bookshop with a dedicated children’s book section was eligible for a grant of between £250 and £5,000.

Patterson is committed to bringing attention to the important contributions of independent bookshops and he is especially concerned with inspiring children to become lifelong readers.

From worm charming to outdoor film screenings, the authority in Castletown discussed various events that could be held in town.

The brain storming session followed commissioner Jimmy Cubbon’s suggestion, at their last meeting, that members come up with five ideas to attract people to town.

Colin Leather said their ambition is ‘to make as much use of this damned square (which has just been pedestrianised in a regeneration scheme) as we possibly can.’

James Barrow said they could hold ‘a family friendly Disney night,’ revive the markets, have a town crier, and hold a worm charming competition. David Parnell suggested a battle of the bands, a kermesse cycle race and an inter-school playground games. They could hold a teddy bears’ picnic in Poulsom Park, said Carol Quine, organise a 10k run round town, have movies under the stars and a sky at night event. Mr Cubbon said he would like there to be events during the Southern 100 races. Other suggestions were an enduro-style race over the rocks on the beach, a cycle festival and chalk art.

Chairman Richard Macaleer suggested open air theatre, a junior tin bath festival and an open bay swim.

Mr Parnell said: ‘The message is (to anyone approaching the authority about an event) assume we will say yes not no.’

‘We have the staff and can help with amenities,’ said Mr Leather.

Parliament is in uncharted territory over the indefinite suspension of bullying MHK John Houghton.

Chief Minister Allan Bell said that if Mr Houghton wins back his Douglas North seat at the general election, while still suspended, his constituents could argue they have been disenfranchised.

The MHK was suspended last week after refusing to apologise following a standards committee investigation which found that he had lied, bullied and inappropriately interfered in a staff matter. He has also been sacked as member for Infrastructure, although he keeps his basic Tynwald salary.

Mr Bell said last week’s near four-hour debate on the 400-page standards committee report was ‘unedifying’ and it was difficult to see how the situation could be resolved.

He said: ‘I think the whole issue was exceptionally disappointing and the outcome very unedifying. It’s damaging to the credibility of Tynwald court and a reflection on all members of Tynwald that we have ended up in this impasse.

‘Members are elected to represent their constituents and it’s absolutely right they can fight to pursue that representation. But we also have a responsibility and duty of care to staff who work for us.

‘This whole matter could have been resolved very quickly.

‘Notwithstanding Mr Houghton’s belief in what he did was correct, it’s also correct that a simple apology would have resolved things in a matter of minutes.’

He added: ‘We are now in totally uncharted territory.’

Mr Bell pointed out that the ‘whole scenario’ has become ‘vastly more complex’ as we are so close to the general election. He said should Mr Houghton continue to refuse to apologise and he regains his seat in September he cannot be sworn in as he is banned from the precincts of Tynwald. ‘That throws up an entirely new challenge. It’s difficult to see how it can be resolved. If he is re-elected, the people of Douglas North will feel cheated and disenfranchised. It’s a real challenge for Tynwald.’

Mr Bell said there have been similar problems with the conduct of members of Tynwald in the past but there was a fine line between being passionate in your beliefs and this straying into behaviour which could be seen as bullying.

He said: ‘In my 32 years in Tynwald there have been members from time to time who have become bullies and in many ways the behaviour of certain members in the past had been every bit as controversial as Mr Houghton’s.

‘Where does it change from being passionate about delivering an outcome a member wants to tipping over into undue pressure which in effect is bullying?

‘Members get passionate about the issues they are pursuing. Sometime their behaviour gets a bit borderline. In this particular incident, the line has been crossed.’

Mr Houghton has been officially suspended from the Department of Infrastructure after the Council of Ministers agreed the move on Thursday.

It means he’ll lose the extra £11,863 on top of his basic MHK salary of £39,546 for his role in the department.

Speaking on behalf of the Council of Ministers, Infrastructure Minister Phil Gawne MHK said: ‘I have spoken to Mr Houghton and explained to him that owing to his suspension from Tynwald he cannot continue as a member of the department.

‘A key part of the role of a departmental member is to support the passage of legislation through Tynwald and its branches, a function Mr Houghton cannot currently fulfil.’

A seminar organised by Crowe Clark Whitehill to provide an update on the changing Financial Reporting Standards required under the new UK GAAP, (Generally Accepted Accounting Practice in the UK), has been hailed a success.

More than 150 accountancy professionals gathered at the Claremont Hotel, Douglas, for the seminar which built on the firm’s introductory UK GAAP ‘call to action’ session held in May 2015.

Director Debbie Clague said: ‘Crowe Clark Whitehill strongly believes in supporting clients and industry in whatever way we can.

‘We saw this seminar, which we offered free of charge, as a means to help clients and professionals alike with the complexities of these latest FRS (Financial Reporting Standards) requirements.

‘You want to be able to rely on your accountants to fully understand and apply the new standards, and we wanted to share our experiences in dealing with their application so far.

‘Financial reporting is continually changing and Crowe Clark Whitehill is here to help clients and companies respond to those changes.

‘By arranging this seminar, Crowe Clark Whitehill’s aims were to bring clarity to the key issues, identify areas of common concern and alert clients and professionals to the consequences and implications of the changes to UK GAAP to help them to make informed decisions.

‘Judging from the level of positive feedback we’ve received, we have hopefully succeeded in achieving those aims.’ www.crowecw.im

They are known as the ‘quiet men and women of the boardroom’ who calmly and efficiently deal with the day to day issues of business with little fuss.

So it was no surprise that members of the ICSA: The Governance Institute did not panic when they gathered for their recent conference in the island.

A number of planned speakers failed to get to the event on the day because flights from London had been delayed or cancelled because of the weather in the south of England.

But the plucky members of the Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators lived up to their reputation for getting on with challenges.

Simon Osborne, the chief executive of the organisation travelled across to the island the night before with his wife.

He told Business News: ‘We managed to put together a very interesting one hour panel discussion on cyber security.

‘And then I was pressed into service to do a keynote address on the limits of regulation in establishing improved governance.

‘Bearing in mind the programme has not gone exactly the way it was originally planned it has still been a success.’

A talk by Roxanne Oldham, director policy and legal at the Isle of Man Financial Services Authority went ahead. She gave a regulatory update from the FSC.

Mr Osborne said: ‘That was very interesting.’

‘We had 65 people here and we were pleased with that. We are pleased wth the numbers of people getting involved with the ICSA but it would be good to see the numbers grow even more.

Karen Ramsey, of the Isle of Man GovernmentCabinet Office kept members informed of the latest MONEYVAL assessment.

Mr Osborne said governance is the ICSA’s raison d’etre and he was congratulated by delegates for helping to keep things moving.

A plaque erected at Noble’s Hospital to commemorate an air ambulance crash 16 years ago had been branded insensitive.

But following calls from the family of a couple who died in the tragedy, the Health Minister has agreed to look at replacing the plaque with one that includes the names of those who died.

There were no survivors when the twin-engine Piper light aircraft crashed into the River Mersey just seconds away from landing at Speke Airport in June 2000.

Stephen Charlton, 53, of Douglas, who was being transferred to Walton Hospital in Liverpool for tests, died in the crash along with his wife, Lynn, 50.

The disaster also claimed the lives of Noble’s deputy ward manager Karen Cowan, 37, of Castletown, 21-year-old medical student Hannah Hollinshead, of Inskip, near Preston, and the pilot Keith Whyham.

A plaque in a courtyard at Noble’s Hospital dedicated to the loss of the air ambulance does not list the names of the victims.

But following lobbying by David Cretney MLC on behalf of the Charlton’s children that looks set to change.

On his Facebook page, Jonathan Charlton said: ‘Sixteen years ago my family were left devastated by the air ambulance crash that killed both of my parents.

‘I also have to put up with what I can only call a disgraceful plaque at the hospital which reads ‘dedicated to the loss of the air ambulance’ which sounds like the government are sad they lost the plane.’

A spokesman for the Department of Health and Social Care said: ‘The devastating loss in June 2000 of the five people on board an air ambulance was deeply felt by their family, friends and colleagues as well as the community as a whole.

‘A courtyard at Noble’s Hospital was dedicated as a permanent memorial to the tragedy so that the loss would never be forgotten and in the hope of bringing some comfort to all those who loved, worked with and knew those on board. A plaque was erected with the very best of intentions and the department regrets any upset the wording has caused, which is the very last thing anyone would want.

‘The Minister for Health and Social Care, Howard Quayle MHK, has agreed to look at replacing the plaque with one including the names of those who lost their lives, where family members give their consent.’

An inquest into the tragedy returned verdicts of accidental death on all five victims and heard how Mr Whyham may have become disorientated. It emerged he was suffering from a heart condition which hadn’t been detected during a medical six weeks before the crash.

Mr Charlton is calling for an independent investigation into the crash, believing there are still questions to be answered. He said after the crash his family had been sent a bill for £8,000 for the cost of bringing the bodies of his parents home.

Mr Cretney said: ‘I strongly believe in justice – sometimes it takes a long time.

‘The families have waited for such a simple thing for too long. I am very thankful that after I made representations to the DHSC, Minister Howard Quayle has confirmed to me that this will be put right with a new plaque recognising the victims. I hope this brings some comfort to Jonathan and his family and the other families involved in this sad matter.’

Ministers knew that Manx householders would end up paying significantly more than the UK average when they agreed to introduce the sewerage rate.

Minutes of a CoMin meeting in September 2014 when proposals were discussed to replace the £50 flat rate toilet tax with a charge based on rateable values have been made public following a Freedom of Information request by Peel resident Trevor Cowin.

Mr Cowin has submitted more FoI requests than anyone else since the Act was introduced in April – and he believes the release of the CoMin minutes shows his persistence has paid off.

The minutes of the meeting, which was attended by Manx Utilities Authority chief executive Phil King, state: ‘Council noted that due to the vociferous public opposition to the sewerage charge, the board had concerns that the authority would not receive Tynwald approval of a sewerage charge order seeking to increase the charge from £50 to £100 per property from April 1, 2015.’

CoMin also noted that the board’s preferred approach was a sewerage rate based on a rateable value of a property ‘which was considered to be a fairer method of raising the required income’.

But the minutes also reveal: ‘Council further noted the proposal was broadly comparable to the average cost of water and sewerage services in the UK but that there would be disparity in future years with the Isle of Man model resulting in a significantly higher rate being charged than the UK industry average.’

But MUA chairman Alfred Cannan MHK made no mention of this when he made a statement to Tynwald the following month in which he announced the proposal to introduce the ‘more equitable’ sewerage charge, initially at a rate of 62p in the pound - although he did say charges would have to rise year-on-year.

Last November Tynwald narrowly approved a 50 per cent increase in the rate, to 92p in the pound. Withdrawn explanatory notes on the Sewerage (Amendment) Bill 2014, seen by the Isle of Man Examiner, show the charge is due to rise to 169.35p in the pound by 2020-21.

It also lists the impact of the combined water and sewerage charges on ratepayers in different bands of property.

Someone in a low rateable value home will see charges increase from £189 to £268 in 2020-21, while a medium rateable value householder will see annual bills rise from £567 to £804. A high rateable value home will see bills rise from £755 to £1,072.

Mr Cowin told the Examiner: ‘I wonder how many people are aware that in four years’ time, if they are living in a mid-range property with a rateable value of £200, they will be paying £733.68 for water and £333.70 for sewerage, a total of £1,072 and their sewerage charge will have increased by £283.70 over six years?’

MUA chairman Mr Cannan insisted Tynwald members had known all along that the charge would rise year on year to £300 if the authority’s £7m shortfall, caused by the withdrawal of Treasury funding support, is to be met. He said: ‘It has always been made clear that Treasury are removing the £7m grant that previously paid for “free” sewerage and the £50 per year rises are collecting about £1.5m in revenue.

‘Thus the Treasury planned reductions in grant mean that the average sewerage bill will be at least double what it is now by 2019. That is if the new government choose to carry on with current arrangements and somehow I very much doubt that. Certainly that’s why I voted against the budget this year because the continued charging was too much.’

He said the toilet tax was unveiled before the MEA and Water Authority were merged and he became chairman.