We Asked, You Said, We Did

Below are some of the issues we have recently consulted on and their outcomes.

We asked

The Treasury sought views on the Sanctions Bill 2022.

You said

12 responses were received.

Overall no major issues with the Bill were raised.  The issues raised are set out in the consultation response document.

We did

The Treasury is grateful to all who responded to the consultation.

A Consultation Response document has been prepared which provides a summary of responses and corresponding amendments to the Sanctions Bill 2022.

The Treasury plans to finalise the revised Bill and introduce it to the branches of Tynwald in 2023.

We asked

The Treasury sought views on 10 key policy proposals concerning the Public Sector Payments Bill.

You said

58 responses were received.

Each of the policy proposals set were supported by the majority of respondents. Issues raised by respondents are discussed in detail in the Consultation Response document.

We did

The Treasury is grateful to all who responded to the consultation.

A Consultation Response document has been prepared which provides a summary of responses and proposed next steps.

We asked

We asked for views on the draft secondary legislation to implement the Authority’s new fee structure as part of plans to move to a predominantly industry-funded model from 1 April 2023.

You said

We received 12 responses to the Consultation Paper. Overall, no major issues with the draft secondary legislation were raised. The majority of responses sought clarification around the application of fees for their particular businesses. Some responses queried certain aspects of the fee structure.

We did

We prepared a Consultation Response, which provides a summary of responses and corresponding changes to the fee structure along with changes to the draft Fees Orders and Regulations 2023 and the Funding Model document.
We plan to finalise the revised draft secondary legislation ready for laying before Tynwald for approval in the first quarter of 2023 for commencement on 1 April 2023.

We asked

The survey was published on the Government Consultation Hub and ran from 21.09.22 to 16.11.22.  It was publicised by a number of methods including Press Release/Social Media, Reference on planning decision letters sent out and E-mails to the opt-in Planning User Group.  The survey included a number of questions about topics including which services people used and how they rated the service received, finding information (including about our reception and website) and suggestions for improvements.

You said

There were 110 responses to the survey, including 71 from members of the public and 27 from Developer/Applicant/Agent/Architects.  This report sets these out in more detail, but a number of key issues/themes can be identified:

  • Speed - The importance of timely decision making and correspondence;
  • Consistency - The importance of consistent advice and consistent service standards;
  • Communication - The need to ensure effective communication, including keeping people up-to-date with applications; and
  • Purpose – differing views about the purpose of officers/the planning system and consequently questions about the broad approach taken to service delivery.

We did

The survey results are very helpful in understanding what aspects of the service are particularly valued for people, what is currently done well and what areas are priorities for improvement.  The results of the survey have been discussed with staff and a number of actions have been identified.  Some of these are about informing how we progress/prioritise activity already planned as part of the BERP and some of these are additional actions.  The results and our response are set out in more detail in the consultation response document provided.

We asked

The Treasury sought views in relation to National Insurance reform proposals.

You said

332 responses were received, 194 of which were from employed individuals.

The responses indicated an overarching desire for fairness and strong support for the initial reform of National Insurance.

Further information on the feedback received can be found in the Consultation Report – summary of response below.

We did

The Treasury is grateful to all who responded to the consultation.

As a result of the consultation the Department proposes to: 

  • merge the payment of Class 2 and Class 4 National Insurance and
  • address fairness in relation to Owner Managed Businesses

Further details, including a delivery plan, can be found in the Consultation Report – summary of response below.

We asked

The Department for Enterprise sought views on a number of proposals relating to reforming the legislative framework for whistleblowing. The consultation set out proposals for amendments to the existing whistleblowing regime, and sought views on more far reaching reforms, including creation of an Office for Whistleblowers.

You said

47 responses were received.

There is strong support for a number amendments to the existing whistleblowing framework to clarify and improve the law for whistleblowers and employers.

Many respondents also expressed support for many of the proposals based on the Irish Protected Disclosures Bill. However support for those proposals was more mixed. It is likely that the practicalities of the proposals will require further consideration as to whether they are appropriate to the Isle of Man’s circumstances. Further, some of the proposals, such as the creation of an Office for Whistleblowers, would require specific resources to be identified by Government.

Further information on the feedback received can be found in the consultation review report below.

We did

The Department for Enterprise intends to bring forward the following changes in an Employment (Amendment) Bill:

  • public interest test for protected disclosures;
  • vicarious liability to prevent detrimental treatment of whistleblowers by employees etc on behalf of an employer;
  • remove requirement that a disclosure be made in good faith, but enable Tribunal to reduce compensation where it is determined that the disclosure was not made in good faith.
  • provision to make clear that a protected disclosure has been made;
  • power to make regulations to require prescribed persons to report on whistleblowing cases;
  • power for interim relief.

These changes require primary legislation and will be included in the same Bill that includes the proposals regarding family leave.

The Department will however further consider, and discuss with interested parties, the proposals contained in section 2 of the consultation. Therefore legislation relating to these distinct proposals will not be brought forward at this time.

Similarly, recognising the comments made in connection with increasing the maximum compensatory award, the Department accepts that this requires further consideration as part of a separate consultation process which may extend to broader matters around unfair dismissal.

We asked

The Department of Home Affairs undertook public consultation on the Regulations proposed to be made under the Liquor Licensing and Public Entertainments Act 2021, along with the associated Code of Practice and other matters connected to licensing.

The consultation document set out a brief overview of each Part of the Regulations and highlighted any key issues, along with setting out specific proposals for consideration. To ensure that the consultation content was accessible, detail around the proposals was highlighted wherever possible within the consultation and the content of the consultation was indexed accordingly.

You said

The Department received 28 responses, of which:

• 18 were received via the online consultation survey; and

• 10 were received in written form direct to the Department.

As well as a written consultation, the Department also hosted four public consultation sessions in the North, South, East and West of the Island. These sessions took place at intervals throughout the consultation period, to allow people to attend at a location and time that best suited them. Among the attendees at those sessions were individuals, business owners and representatives of various organisations including the licensed hospitality industry, from across the Island.

While the views discussed in the public sessions did not form part of the written record of responses to the consultation, we did capture a record of the questions asked at these sessions, and answers provided, which have been anonymised and subsequently included as an appendix to the Summary of Responses document.

All responses received during the consultation period have been carefully considered, and were valuable in both ensuring general satisfaction with the proposed Regulations themselves and in identifying some modifications that were needed or might improve those Regulations in order that they be finalised for progression to Tynwald.

We did

The Department was grateful to the many individuals and organisations who responded to the consultation either by submitting a formal response which was counted in the number of responses above, or by more informal engagement with officers of the Department during the face-to-face consultation sessions.

In the interest of comprehensively summarising the views which were formally provided, along with the main points which have been incorporated into the finalised Regulations, a Summary of Responses document has been compiled and made available via a link in the Files section below.

The Liquor Licensing and Public Entertainments Regulations 2022 have now been finalised and are now included within the Register of Tynwald Business in advance of their consideration by Tynwald in November. 

Additionally, within the Register of Business for consideration by Tynwald in November is the Liquor Licensing and Public Entertainments (Amendment and Approval of Code and Guidance) Order 2022 which seeks approval to issue the Isle of Man Licensing Forum Code of Practice and Guidance on Liquor Licensing manual as mandatory guidance. The Code itself is to be laid before Tynwald.

It is proposed that, subject to the consideration and approval of Tynwald, all Orders and Regulations setting out the new licensing framework will be commenced on 12 December 2022. In light of this, the Department has also laid on the Register of Tynwald Business the draft Appointed Day Order in connection with the Liquor Licensing and Public Entertainments Act 2021, this draft Order contains transitional provisions in connection with the proposed move to a new licensing framework. Therefore, for clarity, its content is being shared alongside consideration of the Regulations and Orders.

We asked

We asked for your views on proposals for new rights to time off work and leave, such as time off for dependents, shared parental leave and parental bereavement leave.

You said

387 responses were received. The proposals generally received overwhelming support. However, a number of issues were raised. These are set out in the consultation review document below.

We did

The Department for Enterprise is grateful to all who responded to the consultation.

As a result of the consultation the Department proposes that a Bill be drafted which will amend the Employment Act 2006 to introduce:

  • right to time off work to accompany a partner to ante natal appointments, including enabling powers to specify in secondary legislation whether the time off is paid or unpaid, the number of occasions of time off can be taken and the maximum duration of each occasion;
  • right to time off work to attend adoption appointments (for single adopters and for couples), including powers to specify in secondary legislation whether right to time off is paid or unpaid, maximum number of occasions and maximum time for each occasion;
  • right to unpaid time off work for dependants (e.g. child, spouse, parents) in order to deal with unforeseen incidents, including powers to specify in secondary legislation maximum length of time;
  • right to shared parental leave (including shared adoption leave), including powers to specify in secondary legislation conditions regarding duration, entitlement etc.;
  • right to parental bereavement leave, including powers to specify in secondary legislation conditions regarding duration, entitlement etc.; and
  • keeping in touch days for maternity leave.

Though there is no intention to introduce statutory pay at present, the Department also intends to include in the Bill a power which will enable introduction of statutory pay, for the purposes of the Employment Act 2006, through secondary legislation.

Subject to the Bill completing its passage through the Legislative Branches and receiving Royal Assent, secondary legislation implementing the rights to time off, shared parental and bereavement leave and keeping in touch days, will be brought forward. It should be noted that the secondary legislation will require the approval of Tynwald.

We asked

The Department for Enterprise sought views on a number of proposals to improve rights for those on zero hours contracts.

You said

87 responses were received.

There was significant support for most of the proposals. However the Department recognises a number of specific concerns relating to the proposed day 1 obligation to provide written statements of employment particulars and to a lesser extent the right to request a stable contract.

The feedback to the proposals is discussed in further detail in the review document available below.

We did

The Department is grateful to all who responded to the consultation.

The Department will bring forward legislation to implement the following proposals:

  • Extension of the right to a written statement and itemised pay statements to workers;
  • Regulation of contracts which provide one-sided obligations;
  • Right to request a stable contract; and
  • Day 1 obligation to provide written statements of employment particulars.

Most of the above proposals can be introduced by regulations made under the Employment Act 2006, though some minor amendments to the Act may be required. It should be noted that the regulations will require Tynwald approval.

In respect of the right to request a stable contract, it will be made clear that this measure merely creates the right to request such (much like similar provisions for requesting flexible working) and does not confer a right to have a stable contract. Additionally, should this change be approved by Tynwald, the Department will work with the Chamber of Commerce, and other employers representatives, to provide further guidance to employers on which grounds should be considered in determining such a request.

Similarly, given the concerns raised during the consultation in respect of the day 1 obligation to provide written statements of employment particulars, the Department will consider further the specific points raised ahead of bringing forward the relevant legislation.

We asked

The Department for Enterprise carried out this consultation in July and August 2022 seeking the views of Isle of Man Residents and TT Visitors of the proposed new schedule for the TT Races. The Department asked a number of questions around the impact changes to the schedule would have on residents and visitors. 

You said

The Motorsport Team received 1442 responses to the Consultation. Of these, 1032 response were residents (72%), 410 (28%) were non-residents. Of the 1032 residents, 295 are residents or businesses on the course (20% of the overall response/ 29% of the resident response). 16% of the respondents stated that they were volunteers at the event.

The results from each question are detailed in the attached results document.

We did

The Department considered each response individually and thanks is given to respondents who took the time to submit a reply to the consultation. Assessing the responses alongside stakeholder feedback and the long-term benefits linked to the new schedule, the Department has reached the decision to implement the proposed 2023 schedule.

The Road Closure application will now be submitted by the Race Organiser to the Department for Infrastructure in accordance with the Road Races Act 2016. A full copy of the schedule can be found on the Isle of Man TT Races website.

An internal review will be held post-event ahead of confirming the 2024 schedule.

We asked

We asked for views in relation to the Authority’s plans to move to a predominantly industry-funded model from 1 April 2023.

You said

We received 39 separate responses to the Consultation Paper. In broad terms, feedback from businesses with the largest fees under the current and proposed fee structure (i.e. deposit takers and life insurance businesses) focused on governance and transparency arrangements around the new Funding Model. Feedback from smaller businesses tended to focus on the level of fees proposed and the amount of the fee increases in relative terms.

We did

We prepared a Consultation Response, which provides a summary of responses and corresponding changes to the funding model and fee structure. The changes include: a new fee band for designated businesses with two employees; revised fee bands for Class 3 to 9 or 11 insurers; revised fees for bureau de change, payment services as agent and cheque cashing businesses; revised fees for collective investment schemes and related services; stratification of certain transaction fees; and removal of references to fee blocks.

We plan to publish the next consultation paper in October 2022, which will focus on the Fees Orders and Regulations 2023.

We asked

For views on the proposed Insurance (Civil Penalty) Regulations 2023.

You said

Subject to some requests for minor changes and clarifications, respondents found the Insurance (Civil Penalties) Regulations 2023 were generally acceptable.

We did

We are in the process of finalising the Insurance (Civil Penalty) Regulations 2023 for implementation in April 2023.

We asked

Part 1 – Listening to our autistic community

In Part 1, we asked our autistic respondents to tell us about their own experiences, and we asked family, friends and carers to tell us about the experiences of the autistic people they support.

We asked a mix of closed questions (ones with a list of answers to pick from) and open questions (ones which let people write in their own answers).

In total, answers to the open questions amounted to 195 pages of text. We analysed this text to pick out recurring themes in people’s answers, and then we counted the total number of comments relating to each theme. This let us see which issues are causing the greatest concern for our autistic community.

The 10 most prominent issues were:

  1. Lack of support resources, particularly for adults and those without a learning disability.
  2. Need for more mental health support.
  3. Lack of public awareness, and absence of reasonable adjustments in place across a wide range of settings.
  4. Lack of training and awareness among professionals, particularly relating to ‘high-functioning’ autism and autism in women and girls.
  5. Lack of social support, including worries about bullying and safeguarding.
  6. Difficulties accessing education, particularly higher or continuing education.
  7. Difficulties finding enough or the right kinds of information, particularly about what kinds of support may be available.
  8. Lack of support for finding or maintaining employment.
  9. Lack of support for wider family networks.
  10.  Over-reliance on medication relative to other forms of support.

You said

Part 2 – Listening to everyone

Part 2 of the consultation was open to everyone who wanted to be involved in the conversation about improving support for autistic people in the Isle of Man.

We asked what people see as the biggest barriers to accessing autism support in the Isle of Man. All groups identified long waiting lists as one of the biggest hurdles. Our autistic community also identified a lack of professional expertise, lack of public understanding, and a lack of funding as major issues. Professionals told us difficulties with staffing or staff retention were a significant barrier.

We asked what people would like us to prioritise in the first National Autism Strategy. The top 3 priorities for the autistic community are training for professionals, early diagnosis, and more support for families. Professionals also said they would like to see more support for families, and added early intervention and the employment of autism specialists as priorities. 

Finally, we asked everyone what would make the Isle of Man more autism friendly. The overwhelming majority of people said that more public education is needed to increase awareness, acceptance, understanding and inclusion.

We did

Next Steps

We are grateful to everyone who took the time to tell us how we can improve support for our autistic community in the Isle of Man. The information you gave us will be used to shape our National Autism Strategy, and will help us make sure we improve the things that matter to you most.

The National Autism Strategy will be published by December 2022.

We asked

The Garff Road Safety Working Group sought views on your travel experiences within the Sheading, including how you make your journeys and your motives for these choices, as well as perceptions of road safety and challenges encountered within the survey area. 

The Garff Road Safety Working Group is made up of:

  • Garff Commissioners
  • Garff Members of the House of Keys (MHKs)
  • Legislative Council
  • Laxey and Dhoon Schools
  • Local residents
  • Road Safety Team, Isle of Man Constabulary
  • Department of Infrastructure

The consultation requested information in a number of areas:

  • Frequency and methods of travel in the survey area
  • Appropriateness of speed limits
  • Perception of compliance with 20mph speed limits
  • Safety when using active travel
  • Barriers to active travel, and possible solutions
  • Suggestions for improving travel within the survey area

You said

There were a total of 322 responses to the consultation; we would like to thank those who took the time to complete the consultation online or in writing.

83.5% of respondents travel daily in the survey area, with driving a car reported as the most common method of regular travel in the area, following by walking.

From the perspective of a vehicle driver, 72.8% of respondents to the question find the speed limits in the survey area to be appropriate.  From the perspective of a pedestrian, cyclist, or other non-motorised transport user, 69.9% of respondents to the question find the speed limits in the survey area to be appropriate. 

While the majority may feel the current speed limits are appropriate, there is widespread concern that they are not adhered to at numerous locations.  92.0% of respondents to the question perceive at least some level of non-compliance to the 20mph speed limit in areas of Laxey Village.

48.4% of respondents to the question feel ‘mostly safe’ or ‘very safe’ when travelling actively in the survey area (e.g. walking, cycling, wheelchairs, mobility aids, and other means of self-propulsion).

There was no single barrier to active travel that stood out for a majority of respondents.  However, the barriers that respondents most often rated as ‘high’ were time constraints, quality and provision of footways, distance of journeys, and provision of cycling routes.

Of the suggestions for enabling active travel, 67.1% of respondents to the question believe that improvement to footways would encourage/facilitate, or greatly encourage/facilitate, their participation in active travel.  There were other suggestions which also received some support.

51.2% of respondents completed the section on access to schools within and from the survey area.  Travelling by car and walking are the most common methods of daily travel to Laxey and Dhoon Schools, and travelling by bus is the most common method of travel to secondary school.

24.9% of respondents to the question feel ‘mostly safe’ or ‘very safe’ when travelling actively to Laxey or Dhoon School, with the safety of routes and road crossings identified as the main barriers.

Improvements to, or the creation of, pedestrian crossings was identified as the most popular way to increase active travel to Laxey and Dhoon Schools, supported by 24.3% of respondents to this question.

48.8% of respondents submitted details of challenges or incidents they have encountered when travelling within the survey area. The locations that received the most comments in this section included a portion of the A2 Road (with junctions to Ard Reayrt, Minorca Hill and Ballaragh Road), the section of the New Road passing through Laxey village centre, and Minorca Hill.

37.9% of respondents stated they would be interested in taking part in continued consultation on this subject, and 95.1% of this group provided an email address by which they could be contacted.

Please see the full report for a more comprehensive review of the consultation responses.

Please see the privacy notice for further information on the sharing of responses with the Garff Road Safety Working Group.

We did

Your responses to this consultation will be considered by the Garff Road Safety Working Group, providing the group with a clearer understanding of people’s everyday experiences of traveling through and within the survey area. 

This information will be used to guide and inform future highways and road safety interventions with the intention of addressing issues raised in the consultation where feasible.

We asked

The purpose of the consultation was to seek views on the Trusts and Trustees Bill 2022 ("the Bill").

There is a growing consensus that the Island's trust legislation needs updating to provide a landscape which is clearer, more competitive and more reflective of common practice in the sector.  The main aim of the Bill is to provide greater clarity, certainty and convenience to users of Manx trusts and local trust practitioners.

The Bill provides for seven distinct changes to Isle of Man trusts law, together with ancillary provisions.  The consultation included 25 key questions, inviting respondents to provide feedback on each of the proposed changes, including the proposed temporal provisions.  Finally, the consultation welcomed any additional comments and suggestions.

You said

The Department received 21 responses in total.  13 responses were received via the consultation hub and a further eight responses were received outside of the hub, with most respondents submitting comments on behalf of an organisation.   Respondents were largely supportive of all of the provisions contained within the Bill.  Some respondents identified specific areas of the draft Bill which might be improved upon and others provided suggestions regarding areas of trust law that might benefit from future legislative changes.

We did

Treasury is grateful to those individuals and organisations who responded to the consultation.  A consultation response document has been prepared and is available below.

All responses received have been carefully considered and the Bill has been updated to take into account various suggested amendments that were put forward by respondents.

The Trusts and Trustees Bill 2022 has now been finalised and will be introduced into the House of Keys for first reading on 28 June 2022.

We asked

We asked for views and evidence regarding the draft Anti-Bribery and Corruption Strategy.

You said

We received around 50 responses.

The comments received, where respondents have given their permission to publish them anonymously, and the response those comments can be found in the consultation response document attached.

We did

The Strategy will be moved at the July sitting of Tynwald.

We asked

We asked for views regarding the proposed levy to fund the operational costs of the Resolution Authority.

You said

We received six responses.  Four of the respondents queried whether the proposed basis of allocation of costs was equitable and whether this might be reviewed in future.

The main comments received, and the Authority’s views on those comments, can be found in the consultation response document attached.

We did

If approved by Tynwald, the new bank levy is expected to come into force on 31 July 2022.

We asked

We asked for views and evidence regarding the implications of expanding the regulatory perimeter to include certain activities relating to crypto-assets.

You said

We received nine responses. All respondents generally agreed that some crypto-asset businesses should be regulated. Each respondent draws the line of that potential regulatory perimeter in a different place, although in general there was some consensus that crypto-asset exchanges should be subject to some form of regulation.

The main comments received, and the Authority’s views on those comments can be found in the consultation response document attached.

We did

There are a number of substantially different regulatory regimes currently under development around the world and all are facing practical hurdles for which there is not yet a clear solution. This means that the time is not right to make firm decisions on the introduction of any regulation.

The Authority will continue, however, to maintain a watching brief on how this sector, and the international regulatory frameworks, develop and mature. Any proposed updates to the regulatory perimeter will be subject to full consultation before introduction.

We asked

This consultation sought views on how people travel to and from work and if they had any feedback on Active Travel Week which was to raise awareness of active travel and encourage people to leave the car at home particularly for short journeys.

You said

The consultation received 156 responses of which 54% were men, 41% were women, <1% non-binary/3rd gender and 4.5% preferred not to say.

Respondents felt the week was poorly promoted. There is no perceived change to facilities or infrastructure despite numerous surveys being completed. Active Travel was only applicable in Douglas and not suitable for people with children or the elderly. There is some confusion between active travel and public transport i.e. not using the car. There is no parking for adapted cycles and not enough bike parking generally or facilities in offices.

We did

The Active Travel Team would like to thank all those who have responded to the consultation survey.

The responses are valued and will be used to shape the new Active Travel Strategy and part of the phase 2 action plan to achieve zero carbon emissions by 2050.

We asked

We asked for views and evidence regarding proposed expansion of civil penalties for contraventions of the Beneficial Ownership Act 2017.

You said

We received twelve responses. Five of the respondents gave feedback about the level of the penalties, three felt the penalties were too low to be dissuasive and two felt the penalties were too harsh and should be reduced.

The main comments received, and the Authority’s views on those comments can be found in the consultation response document attached.

We did

If approved by Tynwald, the new civil penalties are expected to come into force on 31 July 2022.