Engagement hub

The Cabinet Office asked for the public’s views on the development of updated regulations for both local and national elections.

132 people responded, 120 of whom responded as individuals while 12 responded on behalf of an organisation or as part of a professional group.

The responses to our proposals for the amendment regulations were broadly supportive.

• A large majority of people (94%) were in favour of candidates’ declarations of relevant interest being published online – 84% of people said they thought it was acceptable to publish these declarations as soon as practicable after the close of nominations
   
• A large majority of people (82%) were in favour of the Cabinet Office arranging one pre-election meeting per constituency. People gave a variety of suggestions about what should be considered in arranging these meetings, including accessibility and making recordings available
   
• A large majority of people (86%) said that allowing deputy returning officers to pre-verify postal ballots was a sensible way of making the vote count quicker on election day – 80% of people said that 48 hours’ notice to candidates in advance of pre-verification would be sufficient

We are grateful to everyone who took the time to respond to this consultation. All responses were considered in full, and an anonymised summary of responses has been provided in the Consultation Response document now available online.

The responses to this consultation are being used to help inform the final drafting of the Elections (Keys and Local Authorities) (Amendment) Regulations 2026. Once finalised, it is hoped that these regulations will be put before Tynwald for approval in April or May 2026.  

The Department of Home Affairs invited feedback on the draft National Infrastructure Security Bill.

The public consultation opened on the 1 December 2025 and closed on the 9 January 2026. The Department received 13 responses to the consultation,8 of which were received via the consultation hub. The 13 responses comprised:

• 5 Members of the public
• 4 Private Companies
• 1 Government Departments, Offices or Boards
• 3 Local Authorities

There was a consensus from the responses received on the need for legislation.

Amongst the feedback, there was agreement on the definition of the National and Critical National Infrastructure and the need for a competent and technical authority. Furthermore, it is apparent that further detail on how the legislation would work in practice, some amendments to the definitions of the national and critical infrastructure, together with engagement with stakeholders when drafting regulations was requested.

The Department is grateful to the individuals and organisations who responded to the consultation. All responses received have now been analysed and used to create a consultation summary report, which has been published on this page.  This report also includes commentary in places where relevant and where respondents indicated that their response could be published or published anonymously.

The report summarises the responses received and sets out the next steps the Department intends to take following this engagement. These will include amending some of the definitions of the national and critical infrastructure and continuing to work with stakeholders to ensure that any legislation introduced is proportionate.

The work in this area will help make our Island safer and we are committed to ensuring that those who may be affected have, through this consultation, and will continue to be involved in the detailed proposals. 

The Treasury sought views on the way to implement in the most appropriate and proportionate manner some of the technical recommendations made by the Tynwald Auditor General ('TAG') in his report 'Public Audit Isle of Man'.

The areas of interest were:

• The expansion of the TAG’s remit over private entities receiving significant public funding
   
• The expansion of the TAG’s access to information and documents
   
• The principle of giving the TAG powers to issue guidance to ensure regulatory compliance both in terms of preparation and inspection of accounts
   
• The transfer of post-audit enforcement powers to the TAG

22 responses were received.

Overall, most respondents were supportive of expanding the TAG’s remit over private entities receiving significant public funding and widening his access to information but warned about putting safeguards in place to ensure proportionality and clarity of scope in the use of new powers. The possible adverse impacts identified were:

• Deterioration of commercial relationships with contractors and suppliers due to perception of extended inspection exposure, leading to fewer choice and increased prices
   
• Access to sensitive information in instances where it may not strictly be warranted to assess whether public resources are used economically, effectively and efficiently
   
• Increase in administrative costs for the entities within the TAG’s remit to ensure compliance (in addition to the necessary increase of the TAG’s administrative costs to support this expansion)
   
• Double regulation for charities

A few respondents felt quite strongly against the recommendations, stating that the TAG should focus on the public sector above all else.

The vast majority of respondents also supported the principle of giving the TAG the power to issue guidance in to ensure regulatory compliance.

The Treasury would like to thank everyone who has taken the time to contribute to this consultation, online and offline.

A Consultation Response document has been prepared which provides a summary of responses.

Treasury Minister will be making a statement before Tynwald in March 2026 setting out the next steps the Treasury intends to take following this engagement.