A bill aimed at preserving the island’s war memorials in good repair passed its second reading in Keys this week.
The War Memorials Bill, proposed by Home Affairs Minister Juan Watterson, defines what constitutes a war memorial and places a statutory obligation on the owners of war memorials to maintain them.
Asked by Onchan MHK Peter Karran what would happen if an owner did not have the means to keep a memorial in good repair, Mr Watterson said there were various avenues of recourse.
In some cases he said private land owners were custodians of the memorials, but he said bodies such as the local authority and the War Memorials Trust, a UK organisation with a remit in the Isle of Man, could also be approached for help.
He said some memorials were in church grounds and the bill also provided guidance for what would happen to it if a church closed, for example, allowing for a possible relocation.