Chief Minister Allan Bell has given his strongest hint yet that a major restructuring of government is on the cards.
Questioned in Tynwald about the future reform of the Council of Ministers, he said he intended to brief members on his proposals ‘in due course’ - and it was therefore premature to comment at this stage.
He did, however, rule out a suggestion from Zac Hall (Onchan) that a post of Foreign Minister should be created.
So what changes can we expect?
Mr Bell has already confirmed that there are strong arguments to at least look at the possibility of merging the departments of Health and Social Care.
The two departments were only split during the 2010 government restructuring under the then chief minister Tony Brown.
A merger would reduce the number of Ministers from the current tally of nine.
Mr Bell told Tynwald last month in a statement about government priorities in the year ahead: ‘The idea of remerging Social Care with Health into a Department of Health and Wellbeing is something which is actively under consideration at this moment.’
But another department could become a casualty of the reforms.
There has long been talk of the cash-strapped Department of Community, Culture and Leisure being disbanded, and its functions split between other departments.
However, Mr Bell appeared to hint of another significant reform being planned which could mean the creation of a new department and ministerial post, possible arising out of reform of the Chief Secretary’s Office.
In his statement to last month’s Tynwald he said his proposed changes to the structure of government would start with the Chief Secretary’s Office and the Council of Ministers, telling members: ‘We must have more robust means for developing policies and driving through change if we are to deal effectively with the critical issues our island faces. Government can no longer work in departmental silos.’
In Tynwald last week, he said there was ‘no doubt’ the complexity and increasing volume of external matters had the potential to have a significant detrimental impact on the Manx economy and domestic agenda.
He added: ‘Consequently, the reforms under consideration include looking at ways that this critical and increasingly important portfolio can be further strengthened and supported and I will have more to say about this in my briefing to members.’
Castletown MHK Richard Ronan suggested the current department structure that had served the island for many years has ‘had its day’. He said policy should be centrally driven from ‘top down and not bottom up’. ‘You should be calling the shots,’ he told the Chief Minister
Mr Bell joked: ‘I’m already a dictator in most people’s eyes.’ He added: ‘The department structure we’ve had for the last 25 years has served the Isle of Man exceptionally well. From time to time we need to review that structure.’