The Chief Minister told Tynwald this month that he hopes a Freedom of Information Bill will be published before the end of this year.
In that case I have a question to ask when it becomes law.
What have we got in the Manx Government’s wine cellar?
We, the Good Citizens of Mann, will have paid for it so we are entitled to know what’s in it, what it cost, what kind of fine vintages are there, and how much is drunk annually.
I am prompted to ask the question by a story in the Mail on Sunday about the British Government’s wine cellar and its contents which are maintained to offer excellent hospitality at official functions in the national interest.
It is currently loaded (ho ho ho) by wines which have cost as much as £450 a bottle and government ministers, officials and their guests downed 3,900 of them last year.
The Mail on Sunday gained this information under Britain’s Freedom of Information Act.
I hope to do the same thing on behalf of the Examiner under ours. After all, the Isle of Man is an increasingly grown-up government, on the world stage. It has to welcome VIP guests with sophisticated tastes in proper fashion.
I mean to say, surely we had a snifter or two to offer Scotland’s President-in-Waiting Mr Alex Salmond when he was over. It wouldn’t have looked right if Mr Bell has taken him down to the Saddle on North Quay and expected him to stand his round.
Of course, I am unable tell my readers where the Manx Government wine cellar is. Under Government Office on Prospect Hill seems to be the sensible place.
We must also consider which Manx Government minister will be responsible for keeping it well-stocked. The Mail on Sunday was able to reveal that this is done at Whitehall by Foreign Secretary William Hague.
We in the Isle of Man don’t have a foreign secretary so in the absence of any other information I would suggest that the best man for the job has to be the Treasury Minister, Mr Teare. Certainly he’s the man with our money. But if this is one of his manifold duties, how does he go about it?
For instance, when stocks are running low and some world heavyweights are expected to pitch up, does he get the Treasury’s MasterCard out of his wallet and go down to Winerite with a shopping list signed by Allan Bell? I rather hope not.
People might look askance at Mr Teare pushing full trolleys out into the car park on a regular basis.
It would be even worse if the trolleys are loaded (ho ho ho again) with screwing wine. You know, that cheap stuff with the screw tops.
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Manx Radio was sent a story by Sky News about Westminster MP’s getting a 12 per cent pay rise.
It said: ‘The Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority is expected to say their basic salaries should rise to 75-pounds pounds a year after the next election.’
Is that at compound interest?
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The Examiner carried a story about bowel surgery at Noble’s Hospital with Health Minister David Anderson quoted as saying: ‘Our investigations included an internal review.’
Is there another way?