Chief Minister Allan Bell MHK today announced changes to the political membership of government departments as approved by the Council of Ministers.
The Council of Ministers has also agreed other appointments, including the vice chairmanships of statutory boards, which are subject to approval at the July sitting of Tynwald.
The new department memberships come into force with immediate effect. Ministerial positions remain the same.
The reshuffle follows recent changes in the membership of the Legislative Council, and the elections of Bill Malarkey and Ralph Peake as Members of the House of Keys.
The political memberships are as follows:
Economic Development
Alfred Cannan MHK; Grham Cregeen MHK; David Cretney MLC; Leonard Singer MHK; Tony Wild MLC.
Education and Children:
Geoff Corkish MLC; Bill Malarkey MHK.
Environment, Food and Agriculture:
David Cretney MLC; Ralph Peake MHK.
Health and Social Care:
Michael Coleman MLC; Ralph Peake MHK; David Quirk MHK; Tony Wild MLC.
Home Affairs:
Michael Coleman MLC; Chris Thomas MHK,
Infrastructure:
Kate Beecroft MHK; Geoff Corkish MLC; John Houghton MHK; Chris Thomas MHK
Treasury:
David Anderson MLC; Phil Braidwood (who lost his seat on LegCo yesterday but who remains in position until a successor is found); Bill Henderson MLC.
A number of members of Tynwald are not political members of departments.
They include Juan Turner MLC, who was sacked from the Department of Infrastructure last week after he spoke out against it in the Manx Independent on Thursday.
Zac Hall, the Onchan MHK, who joined the DEFA last year, is now no longer on a department.
Peter Karran, the Onchan MHK and Liberal Vannin member, is still not serving on a department, although his party leader, Kate Beecroft, is.
Chris Robertshaw, the Douglas East MHK who quit as a minister a few months ago, said he wouldn’t join a department after he left.
--------------------------------
An MHK or MLC who is a member of a department gets more money.
A Member of Tynwald’s basic pay is £38,771. Members of most departments get 30 per cent more, although they don’t get any extra if they’re a member of more than one department.
Members of the Treasury get 40 per cent more.
Graham Cregeen MHK continues as chairman of the Post Office. Tony Wild takes over a vice-chairman. Its previous vice chairman, Ramsey MHK Leonard Singer, quit in a row over the closure of Crown post offices.
Mr Corkish becomes vice chairman of the Office of Fair Trading. David Quirk continues as chairman.
The ‘Children’s Champion’, who has an interest in ensuring children’s rights across government, is Tony Wild MLC. He takes over from Dudley Butt, who stood down from Legislative Council in February.
{http://www.tynwald.org.im/memoff/remall/Pages/default.aspx|Tynwald Members’ remuneration}