Isle of Man Government News

European Union Sanctions - Ukraine

Tue, 22 May 2018 13:25:36 GMT

Following amendment of Regulation No 269/2014/EU, which imposes financial sanctions in respect of Ukraine, by means of Council Implementing Regulation No 577/2014/EU, the identifying information for 17 individuals and 2 entities listed in the Annex to the former Regulation have been amended.

The amended entries can be found on the attachedannex.

The current Consolidated List of all those individuals and entities subject to restrictive measures in respect of actions undermining or threatening the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Ukraine can be found here.

The further Consolidated List of individuals identified as responsible for the misappropriation of Ukrainian state funds and certain individuals responsible for human rights violations in Ukraine can be found here

For more information contact Customs and Excise

Health and Social Care Minister unveils delegated responsibilities for political team

Tue, 22 May 2018 13:25:35 GMT

Howard Quayle MHK, the Minister for Health and Social Care has today announced the delegated responsibilities for the Department’s four political members.

Mr Dudley Butt MLC retains his responsibility for Health Services, a role he has held since April 2010. The role covers community health services, public health and Noble’s Hospital. A Member of Tynwald will chair the new Noble’s Hospital Governance Board which will be formed later this year to strengthen the hospital’s management and governance structure. The move follows the announcement in February this year of the recommendations by management consultants Beamans following their independent report into the effectiveness of the current management and governance framework at Noble’s Hospital.

David Quirk MHK has responsibility for Adult Services which plays a central role in safeguarding the Island’s vulnerable adults whether they have physical or learning disabilities. Adult Services is also responsible for the care of older people, an area which will face increasing pressure to meet the demand of the Island’s growing older population in the years and decades ahead.

Alfred Cannan MHK has responsibility for both Housing Services and for Children and Families Services. Mr Cannan will lead the Department’s work on Government’s Children’s Services Joint Improvement Plan which was approved by Tynwald this month. Mr Cannan’s housing responsibilities include affordable housing in the form of public sector properties and the House Purchase Assistance Scheme for first time buyers, amongst other areas.

Michael Coleman MLC has been given responsibility for both Mental Health Services and for Corporate Governance across the Department. The Mental Health Service provides both inpatient and outpatient care to children and adults, from providing services such as talking therapies, to support for drug and alcohol addiction, as well as services for the Island’s older population.

This is the first time the area of corporate governance has been specifically delegated to a political member, which the Minister sees as an important step in continuing to raise the prominence of sound corporate governance.

Minister Quayle said:

'The Department of Health and Social Care has a very broad remit caring for some of the most vulnerable in our community; indeed this Department alone accounts for over one third of the Island’s public sector workforce and spends over a third of all Government revenue. So I am grateful to have four able colleagues from Tynwald to assist me.

'There are a number of immediate and long-term challenges facing the Department and I am confident that we have in place a political team with the skills and determination to meet these. We will be working to ensure that safety and quality, along with value for money, are at the top of the agenda.

'Progress is also being made in putting a new senior management team in place, with recruitment of a new Chief Executive complete and the recruitment of a Managing Director and a Medical Director for Noble’s Hospital at an advanced stage.'

Tynwald approval to be sought for upgrade to Noble's Hospital IT system

Tue, 22 May 2018 13:25:36 GMT

The Department of Health and Social Care will next month seek Tynwald approval for a sum not exceeding £3.2 million to upgrade the IT system at Noble’s Hospital.

The existing system, called Medway, was implemented in 2007 and is now approaching the end of its lifecycle, with technical support due to end in the near future. The latest version of Medway, called Medway Sigma, is widely used in the UK NHS where upgrades of this nature are a regular occurrence, with upgrades to this particular system tried and tested.

Minister for Health and Social Care, Howard Quayle MHK said:

'IT systems are integral to the delivery of safe and effective healthcare and I see enhancements to our IT infrastructure sitting at the heart of our drive to modernise care and deliver efficiencies and value for money for the taxpayer.

'I acknowledge that £3.2 million is a significant sum. The cost isn’t just for the software platform itself, which is in effect a brand new system. It includes full implementation, a process which will run over 55 weeks totalling some 5,150 work days in design, build, configuration, testing and training. So it is a major project of great complexity.'

The Department has considered a range of options and determined that retaining the services of the existing supplier and upgrading to the new platform not only offers the best value for money but also the least amount of risk.

The Minister added:

'Ultimately this upgrade is essential to ensuring patient safety and enhancing care. It will help make the hospital more efficient and allow us to concentrate our finite resources on frontline care for patients, which remains my top priority.'

The software will provide opportunities for further innovations such as self-service kiosks for patients to check-in for appointments and enable the option of mobile working for clinicians, with access to Medway Sigma via a tablet device at the patient’s bedside.

Medway Sigma will also offer major improvements in the level of management information available to the hospital and the Department – such as per patient costing for procedures – information which is vital in managing performance and planning for the future. The system will also deliver usability improvements for the more than 1,000 staff that use the system in the Isle of Man, not least enhanced integration with other healthcare IT systems such as those used for GPs, maternity, accident and emergency and the ambulance service.

The upgrade will allow the Department to take forward its vision of “One Patient, One Record” and to begin the process of making services more efficient, such as digitising paper processes.

If funding it approved by Tynwald, work on the project will commence this summer.

Mark Charters appointed Chief Executive of Department of Health and Social Care

Tue, 22 May 2018 13:25:36 GMT

The Minister for Health and Social Care, Howard Quayle MHK, has today announced the appointment of Mark Charters as Chief Executive of the Department of Health and Social Care.

Mr Charters has wide-ranging experience in leadership roles within the UK public sector, particularly in housing and social care services for adults, children and families having worked at Director-level in Southampton, Northamptonshire and most recently in the London Borough of Bexley.

Commenting on the appointment Minister Quayle said:

'We undertook a rigorous recruitment process to find someone with the qualities and experience to lead the new Department in addressing the major health and social care challenges facing the Island. I have great pleasure in welcoming Mark to the Isle of Man where I am certain his wealth of knowledge and proven track record from the UK public sector will serve us well in delivering a health and social care system that is fit for the future.'

Mr Charters began his professional career as a social worker in his early 20s, working in the fields of mental health, children and families, physical disability and older person’s services before progressing to public service management in his late 30s. Mr Charters has played a leading role in developing innovative service models and turning around failing services, such as joining up health and social care services in Northamptonshire to deliver a single care pathway and turning around social care services in Bexley before being asked to do the same for the Borough’s children’s services.

Mr Charters said:

'I am over the moon at being asked to join the Isle of Man community, to make a home here and to help the Island deliver outstanding health, housing and social care services; but also to be part of a team that continues to drive up standards across the Island’s public services.

'We need to achieve high standards and value for money for the Isle of Man, delivering the Government’s vision of a thriving local health and social care service that places the citizen at its heart and addresses the demographic pressures that we face.'

Mr Charters added:

'The Isle of Man shares many of the challenges facing the UK: increased population, an ageing community, increasing costs and demand for public services. However I believe the Isle of Man has the leadership, vision and local control to make the decisions needed to not only meet these challenges, but provide health and social care services of which the Island can be proud. That is my ambition and, in my opinion, the Isle of Man has a unique opportunity to deliver this ambition.'

Mr Charters identifies with what he terms “close knit, supportive and independent societies” having grown up in Cyprus and New Zealand, giving him a familiarity with island life that attracted him to the role along with his personal interest in the Isle of Man.

Mr Charters is expected to take up his post in July.

Sure Isle of Man Limited - proposed modification to licence

Tue, 22 May 2018 13:25:36 GMT

The Commission hereby gives notice of its intention to make modifications to the Licence granted to Sure Isle of Man Limited to provide services under section 5 of the Telecommunications Act 1984. The proposed modifications and the method to make representations on the proposed modifications are detailed in the Notice on the Commission website.

3D Seismic Survey to be conducted to determine offshore reserves of hydrocarbons

Tue, 22 May 2018 13:25:35 GMT

The Department of Economic Development are currently seeking expressions of interest to undertake 3D seismic studies in the Isle of Man’s territorial sea in order to provide further data on potential reserves of hydrocarbons (predominantly natural gas).

This is in advance of a hydrocarbon licence round which the Department will be conducting to allow oil & gas companies to prospect for hydrocarbon reserves believed to be contained in the seabed in the Isle of Man territorial sea.

Graham Cregeen MHK, the Department’s Political Member with responsibility for Energy said:

‘This process is consistent with the Isle of Man’s Vision2020 strategy that includes offshore energy as an important source of potential economic benefit for the Island.

‘The survey would be carried-out at nil cost to the Isle of Man Government and it will be for the contractor to recover costs through the subsequent sale of the data to companies participating in any future hydrocarbon licensing round.’

The Department has been working closely with the Department of Infrastructure, Department of Environment Food and Agriculture and other key stakeholders to explore opportunities for offshore energy production. In April 2014 Tynwald voted to approve the Offshore Energy Strategy Report presented by the Council of Ministers to support the development of hydrocarbon energy sources.

The Isle of Man Government owns the seabed up to 12 miles (around 4,000 sq km which is greater than 87% of our territory) and all the hydrocarbon resources below the seabed.

Details of the Expression of Interest can be found here.

Imports of Steroids and Other Controlled Drugs

Tue, 22 May 2018 13:25:36 GMT

The Customs and Excise Division would remind the public that where the law permits the personal import of anabolic steroids or other medicines controlled as Class C drugs under the Misuse of Drugs Act, persons may only import them if they bring them into the country in person. They may not import them by post, courier services or in freight; nor can they be obtained and imported by someone else.

The importation of such Class C drugs without an import licence by post, courier services, in freight or by another person would be illegal and render the person(s) involved liable to prosecution.

Furthermore, where a person is making such a personal import, Customs and Excise would have to be satisfied that they are for that person’s own personal use, and that the quantity involved is only that required for use by that person for a short period. The importation and possession of large quantities would be taken to indicate intent to supply.

For more information, or if you have any queries, please contact Customs and Excise.

Manx Electric Railway Museum to open

Tue, 22 May 2018 13:24:45 GMT

The Manx Electric Railway Museum will open for the first time at 11am on Mad Sunday (1 June).

The museum will then be open to the public on the second and last Sunday each month during the 2014 season, from 11am to 3pm. Admission is free.

The museum’s collection of artefacts has been brought together by Derby Castle workshop supervisor Steve Hall. He explained:

‘When I started here last year I was surprised there wasn’t a dedicated museum for the MER like the Steam Railway has at Port Erin. We have a wealth of historical artefacts that I’m sure passengers would be interested in seeing. They have been discovered in tidy-ups of our workshops plus in people’s sheds. Others were in storage at Banks Circus – Public Transport headquarters.’

The museum has information boards about the beginnings of the trams and items for people to handle including an old controller and armature – part of a tram’s engine.

Volunteer curator is MER enthusiast Norman Dowd. He commented:

‘The MER is truly unique. I know of nothing else quite like it anywhere in the world. The route between Laxey and Ramsey passes through some of the most attractive scenery on the Island and the railway can also boast that it operates the oldest tramcar in the world - a fact recorded in the Guinness Book of World Records. In view of all this, I made the decision to move to the Island when I retired and I spend as much time as I can trying to support the railway. When I heard that they were looking for a volunteer to man the new museum I jumped at the chance and I am delighted to be involved with this exciting new venture.’

The museum will be open to the public from 11am to 3pm on the second and last Sunday each month from 8 June to 26 October, plus on Mad Sunday (1 June).

Admission to the museum is free although donations will be accepted to fund improvements to the museum.

IoM Railways regrets that access to the museum is not suitable for people with disabilities. There is no public parking adjacent to the site, which is a short walk from the north end of Douglas promenade. The museum is located adjacent to Derby Castle tram sheds.

New headteacher for Victoria Road Primary School

Tue, 22 May 2018 13:25:36 GMT

The Department of Education and Children is pleased to announce that Ian Postlethwaite has been appointed headteacher of Victoria Road Primary School with immediate effect.

Mr Postlethwaite has been acting headteacher of the school since Caroline Savin, the head for four years, was seconded to the Department of Education and Children’s Education Improvement Service (EIS) in September 2013. She took up a permanent post there earlier this term.

Mr Postlethwaite graduated from Edge Hill University (formerly Edge Hill College of Higher Education) in 2005 with a degree in Primary Education and English with qualified teacher status. He took up his first post on the Island at Auldyn Infant School as a newly qualified teacher.

In 2009, he moved to Victoria Road School, joining the senior leadership team with responsibility for assessment for learning and for Information and Communications Technology (ICT) across the school. He was appointed deputy headteacher at Victoria Road School in January 2013 and has been acting headteacher since September 2013.

Ian said:

'I am absolutely delighted to have been permanently appointed to the role of headteacher at Victoria Road. I am extremely proud to lead such a caring and happy school. Being able to work with a team of talented and highly committed staff, supportive parents and most importantly, truly enthusiastic children is a real privilege.'

In his spare time Ian enjoys spending time with friends, running, traveling, the theatre and he is also renovating his home in Ramsey. He has a keen interest in motorsport, co-driving in stage rally events and he also enjoys competing in navigational road rallies.

Victoria Road School has 217 pupils on the register.

Local company prosecuted for breaching Health and Safety Prohibition Notice

Tue, 22 May 2018 13:19:47 GMT

Businesses that fail to comply with health and safety enforcement notices face prosecution and the possibility of a custodial sentence.

The warning follows a recent case dealt with by the Isle of Man Courts in which a local trader received a 10-week prison sentence, suspended for two years, and a £1,000 fine for breaching a prohibition notice.

Richard Ronan MHK, Member of the Department of Infrastructure with responsibility for the Health and Safety at Work Inspectorate, said the prosecution was further evidence of the effective joint working between Government agencies.

Mr Ronan added that maintaining the appropriate standards of public safety was of paramount importance, and urged businesses to be aware of their responsibilities under health and safety legislation.

The recent prosecution followed successful collaborative working between the Health and Safety at Work Inspectorate, Office of Fair Trading and Isle of Man Fire and Rescue Service.

Mr Ross Ward, trading as A1 Fire Protection, had been issued with a prohibition notice in December 2013 preventing him from servicing fire extinguishers until he could demonstrate his competence to carry out such work.

Officers identified that despite the notice being in force, Mr Ward attended a children’s nursery in Douglas on 6 February 2014 and undertook servicing work on the fire extinguishers. Mr Ward’s visit was identified by the appropriate agencies within 24 hours of it taking place.

The nursery was supplied with replacement fire extinguishers, serviced to the required standard, while its own were removed and examined for any inappropriate maintenance issues that could have led to potential safety problems.

Mr Ronan said:

‘This prosecution will serve as a clear warning to businesses not to ignore enforcement notices issued by the Health and Safety at Work Inspectorate in the interests of ensuring appropriate standards of public safety.’

Businesses have also been encouraged to ensure that the companies they employ to maintain their fire extinguishers are able to carry out the work to the required standard.

A list of on-Island companies that demonstrated their competence to the Health and Safety at Work Inspectorate during an initiative held in 2013 can be found on the Inspectorate’s website http://www.gov.im/hswi or by calling +44 1624 685881.

Minister welcomes further decrease in recorded crime

Tue, 22 May 2018 13:25:36 GMT

Home Affairs Minister Juan Watterson MHK has welcomed evidence of another significant decrease in the level of recorded crime in the Isle of Man.

Already at a 35-year low, recorded crime in the Island fell by a further 4.2% during 2013-14, with substantial reductions across many categories.

A total of 2,110 crimes were recorded for the 12 months from 1 April 2013 to 31 March 2014, representing a 17.6% drop against the average for the past three years and a 60% decrease since the turn of the century.

The overall detection rate stood at nearly 50%, which remains much higher than the figure registered by the 44 police forces in England and Wales (28.9% for 2012-13).

The end-of-year crime performance statistics are highlighted in the Chief Constable’s Annual Report for 2013-14, which will be laid before the July sitting of Tynwald.

Against a backdrop of generally positive news, the report shows that the Isle of Man Constabulary has achieved notable success in terms of combating domestic burglary, now at its lowest level for 25 years, criminal damage, assaults and public order offences.

Some categories of crime did experience an increase in the number of offences, such as the reporting of domestic violence and sexual abuse. The Chief Constable says this demonstrates a strong degree of trust in the police and a belief among victims that they will be listened to.

Minister Watterson said:

‘The effectiveness of the Isle of Man Constabulary in continuing to drive down crime is to be commended. The number of recorded crimes has fallen from more than 6,000 in 1999 to just over 2,000 in 2014, which is a remarkable achievement and reaffirms the widely-held belief that the Isle of Man is one of the safest places to live in the British Isles.’

He added:

‘I must however sound a note of caution. Early indications are that these historically low crime figures have bottomed out and may start to rise in the future. Certain categories, including acquisitive crimes such as burglary and theft, are where increases are most likely, so I would urge members of the public to guard against complacency and play their part in keeping crime low. Most crime in the Island is opportunist in nature, which means it is easily preventable.’

‘A low level of crime supports Government’s national priorities of protecting vulnerable people and growing the economy. A safe environment and good quality of life are important factors in terms of attracting new investment into the Isle of Man.’

Headline figures from the Chief Constable’s annual report for 2013-14 show –

2,110 crimes were recorded, a reduction of 4.2%
The overall crime detection rate was 49.2%
The number of burglaries in people’s homes fell by 13 to 46, the lowest for the past 25 years
Offences of criminal damage decreased by 19.3% against the previous year
The number of non-domestic assaults fell by 9.1%, representing a drop of 23.7% against the three-year average
94.7% of recorded drug-related offences were detected, with significant seizures of heroin and cocaine
Public order offences decreased by more than 17%
Police officer sickness levels fell by 16%

The statistics reflect the Isle of Man Constabulary’s continued investment in crime reduction, with resources focused on prolific offenders, vulnerable victims and identifying ‘hot spot’ locations.

However, the annual report says the effectiveness of the police should not be judged solely on the level of recorded crime. Modern policing involves a diverse and complex range of activity, including preventative work at neighbourhood level and the protection of young and vulnerable people, in addition to investigating criminal offences.

The report also points to evolving demands and the impact of budgetary cuts, which are set to result in changes aimed at modernising the Isle of Man Constabulary in line with its financial targets.

Minister Watterson said:

‘The Isle of Man can be proud of its police force and the efforts of the Chief Constable and his team. The Constabulary is continuing to rise to the challenge of delivering a high quality service against the backdrop of budgetary restraint. Changes will be announced soon that will make the Constabulary leaner, more focused and even better placed to keep the Island safe.’

Primary Pupils to sing about taking care of the earth

Tue, 22 May 2018 13:25:36 GMT

The biennial Children in Song concert takes place this year on Saturday 14 June, as more than 400 children from primary schools across the Island come together with the Manx Children’s Choir to perform an inspirational musical first premiered in the Royal Albert Hall in 2009.

‘One Sun One World’, which was composed by Peter Rose and Anne Conlon to mark the 50^th anniversary of the World Wildlife Fund (WWF UK), celebrates our planet in all its rich diversity, but also examines changes brought about by human activities in a modern world.

Children from across the sixteen primary schools have begun work on the production in their classrooms and will come together to form the full choir in the final concert.

As rehearsals continue, Maggie Richardson, Head of Music Service with the Department of Education and Children, explained:

'The children are really enjoying learning this music. Some of the songs are technically quite demanding but the children are singing them beautifully. There really are some wonderful young singers in our schools. With a mixture of lively and more solemn songs, this thought-provoking work is generating a lot of discussion in classrooms across our Island about our planet's future and how we can ensure we leave it in good shape for future generations.'

The central theme of the musical is the power of the sun, the patterns of nature, habitats and life-forms. The panda, the polar bear and the tiger represent the great wonders and beauties of the earth with the intricate threads of life linking every living thing. The children of the world portray the amazing web of trade and communication in the modern world with its global transport systems and its ever-changing technology. As the musical progresses, the audience is reminded about how everyone can help safeguard the natural world, tackle the threat of climate change and help people to change the way they live.

The performance takes place at the Villa Marina on Saturday June 14 at 7pm. Tickets are £6 (£3 for under 16s). Early booking is advisable.

Children in Song is supported by the Douglas Buxton Music Trust, which was formed to honour the achievements of the late Mr Buxton, a music teacher and inspiration to generations of singers, who founded the Lon Dhoo Male Voice Choir in 1937 and the Lon Vane Ladies Choir in 1946. A library exists in his name at the Department of Education and Children's Music Centre at St Ninian’s Lower School.

In 2012, the Children in Song concert premiered ‘Jazzy Jinks’, a fantastical musical drama about jazz-playing cats, composed especially for the event by children’s songwriter Rebecca Lawrence.

Income Tax Cap

Tue, 22 May 2018 13:25:37 GMT

The Income Tax Division of Treasury has today issued Guidance Note GN 51 “Income Tax Cap” which explains the changes that were made to the income tax cap regime as part of the 2014 Budget.

The Guidance Note is available on the Isle of Man Treasury Income Tax Division’s website.

Bridge to open to pedestrians for Ramsey Sprint

Tue, 22 May 2018 13:25:36 GMT

During Phase 1 of the project in February, the Ports Division experienced a setback when it was discovered that the 20 iron wheels within the bridge were one inch under size and needed to be sent off-Island to be re-engineered to the original design specification.

As a result of this delay, the Ports Division gave an early indication that the bridge was not likely to be rebuilt in time for the Ramsey Sprint on Tuesday 3 June.

There are two phases of work on the bridge, with Phase 2 involving the painting of the whole bridge and the installation of new lighting. Ordinarily this would have closed the bridge for a further 6 months. However, with the delay arising from the re-engineering of the iron wheels, it was decided to combine the Phase 1 and Phase 2 works in an effort to make up some time.

Director of Ports Ann Reynolds explained:

‘The delay from having to send the iron wheels to the UK for re-engineering, due to a lack of specialist equipment on Island was a blow. Therefore in order to try to get the overall project done more quickly, we have started Phase 2 and we expect the whole project to be completed by early September.’

She added:

‘Whilst the wheels are back and we have swung the bridge to test out the mechanical components, the safe rebuild of the whole bridge cannot be done in time to allow vehicles to use the bridge during the TT, which I very much regret. However, I understand that it would be of some advantage to the Sprint organisers if the bridge could be opened for pedestrian use during the Sprint itself, and therefore we will be closing (swinging) the bridge at around 1pm on Monday 2^nd June so that it will be available for pedestrians only during 9am to 6pm for Tuesday 3^rd June (Ramsey Sprint Day) and then swung open by 3pm on Wednesday.’

Member for the Ports Division, Ramsey MHK Leonard Singer, said:

‘Naturally I had hoped the bridge would have been sufficiently rebuilt in order to operate fully for Ramsey Sprint Day, however it’s not to be. The bridge can swing, but not under its own power and it cannot be locked in position, although a safe temporary fix will be found for the Sprint Day. The final works will be the reconstruction of the central stone pier, before the completion of the painting and lighting.’

Sky On-Demand Connector and Wireless Booster Units

Tue, 22 May 2018 13:19:01 GMT

The Isle of Man Office of Fair Trading wishes to make the public aware of an important safety notice concerning Sky On-Demand connector units and also Sky wireless booster units. This relates to screws securing the power adaptor. It is understood that Sky has contacted those customers who are known to have the units in question. However, in addition, the following safety notice has been issued by the supplier:

Important Product Safety Information

Sky Mains Powered On-Demand connector units and wireless booster units

Our quality checking process has identified a possible safety issue with the power adaptors that were included with both our On Demand Connector and also our Sky Wireless Booster products. This issue only affects a very small number of units, but if you have one or both of them in your home it's important to carry out the steps below to identify whether the fault exists:

Switch off the electricity at the wall socket.
If you don’t have a switch at the wall socket, please turn off your electricity at the mains. If you are concerned about doing this then please contact us and we’ll be happy to help.
Carefully unplug the power adaptor from the wall socket.
If the power adaptor feels loose or starts to come apart while you’re unplugging it, then please check again that you have switched the electricity off at the wall socket or the mains.
Once you’ve removed the power adaptor please check to see if it has both screws fully inserted. If one or both screws are missing, do not plug the adaptor back in.

'If you find that the adaptor is missing one or both screws, or you have any concerns, then please call, free of charge on 08000 152 582 and we will arrange to exchange it for a new unit immediately.'

'We’re sorry for any inconvenience this may cause you, but customer safety is our primary concern.'

Security strategy to safeguard nation's food supply

Tue, 22 May 2018 13:18:55 GMT

Tynwald is to be asked to approve a strategy that will ensure the Island's population has reliable and nutritional food supplies in the decades to come.

Phil Gawne MHK, Minister for Environment, Food and Agriculture, will ask the June sitting of Tynwald to accept the Isle of Man Food Security Strategy.

The blueprint for the next 20 to 40 years addresses concerns identified by senior scientists and agriculture policy experts about the sustainability of food supplies as a result of environmental changes and rising and volatile prices, seen in recent difficult economic times. Professor Sir John Beddington, Chief Scientific Advisor to the UK Government between 2008 and 2013, outlined the concerns in his report, Foresight, Future of Food and Farming.

These concerns prompted the Council of Ministers to order the first ever strategy to ensure the Isle of Man will have plentiful supplies of affordable food to meet dietary needs and maintain health in the coming decades.

The wide-ranging strategy, devised by the Department of Environment, Food and Agriculture, is set against the global backdrop of increased demand for food resulting from a rising population, the need to dramatically reduce waste, EU targets that will, by 2020, require 10% of energy used for transportation to be drawn from renewable sources and growing demand for meat, leading to crops being used to feed livestock instead of people.

It addresses areas such as:

Growth of the Island's food industry and encouraging exports
Food safety
Support offered to farmers and fishermen
Protecting the supply chain, including transportation of food to the Island
The threat of climate change and measures to offset it
Promoting ways to reduce food waste.

The strategy is intended to guide all relevant decision-making by the Isle of Man Government that could impact on the production or importation of food.

It identifies next steps for Government Departments, including developing plans for the growth of the local food and fishing industries and improving the marketing through a food business development strategy; legislating to counteract climate change and ensuring the reliability of critical infrastructure such as ports and utilities.

Minister Gawne said:

‘I can understand that, with food on their plates and in the shops, people may take for granted that this will always be the case and won’t have the security of food supplies high on their list of concerns.

‘However, we face global challenges which mean we need to think differently about our relationship with food. We need to produce more food without damaging the natural resources we all depend upon. We need to feed more people the world over, many of whom want or need a better diet. And we need to do this in the light of the increasing challenge of climate change.

‘The term “food security” is used to describe this challenge.’

The Minister continued:

‘Living on an Island presents additional challenges, both in delivering economies of scale in local production and ensuring reliable and affordable transport networks for the import and export of goods. It is vital that these additional challenges are factored in to food policy to ensure that a successful and thriving local food industry can form part of the strategy.

‘The agri-food and fisheries industry contributes more than £70 million and 1,200 jobs to our economy. A key part of the strategy is a recommendation that Government focuses on a programme of food business development that will help ensure that the local food sector can thrive as an innovative, competitive and resilient sector and a sustainable source of growth and jobs. This not only supports the economy, but ensures a readily available and sustainable source of locally produced foodstuffs as well as being responsible for shaping the landscape and the culture of the Isle of Man as we know it.’

Isle of Man can lead way, Minister tells Parliamentary group

Tue, 22 May 2018 13:25:37 GMT

That was among the messages from Phil Gawne MHK, Minister for Environment, Food and Agriculture, when he addressed a sub-group of the UK All Party Parliamentary Group on Biodiversity.

The session took place in the House of Commons on Monday 12 May and discussed the Environmental Audit Committee’s report on Sustainability and Overseas Territories, which lists marine protection as a key theme.

Minister Gawne said Manx territorial waters were home to internationally important species and habitats and that research the Department of Environment, Food and Agriculture was carrying out using its fisheries protection vessel, laboratory staff, universities, electronic and remote monitoring and public sightings schemes was contributing to better understanding of the marine environment.

Another key influence in progressing marine protection was vital support from the fishing industry and the wider community, particularly as many areas benefited commercial fisheries as well as non-commercial species.

More than 3% per cent of Manx waters are designated as Marine Protected Areas under Acts of Tynwald, the Minister told the group. This includes closed areas and areas where fishing is restricted, plus a large marine nature reserve.

DEFA is keen to share its progress to date with other islands, although ‘there is still much to do and understand’, the Minister said.

The Minister also outlined work he was doing in Sierra Leone in his dual roles of DEFA Minister and Chairman of the Isle of Man Government’s International Development Committee. The Isle of Man has donated a fisheries protection boat and is assisting with the provision of satellite-based vessel monitoring systems for fishermen.

The Minister said:

‘In a House of Lords debate on the UK Marine and Coastal Access Bill, the Isle of Man was described as “the hole in the middle of the Irish Sea” but in reality much more work is being done to understand and improve our marine environment than that of our neighbours.’

The Minister’s address can be read here.

Notes:

The All-Party Parliamentary Group on Biodiversity enables politicians, policy-makers, academics, industry figures and interested parties to discuss and promote policy, law changes and understanding about the topic in the UK and abroad.

Mr Gawne was joined in making addresses by Mark Simmonds MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whose responsibilities include overseas territories, and Lord de Mauley, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Natural Environment and Science.

Attached is a photo showing Minister Gawne with, from left, Lord de Mauley, Barry Gardiner MP, Shadow Minister for Natural Environment and Chairman of the APPG on Biodiversity, who chaired the session, and Mark Simmonds MP.

Isle of Man must take stance on climate change

Tue, 22 May 2018 13:25:37 GMT

If it does, it will condemn the Isle of Man to damaging long-term effects, including even worse flooding than we have recently seen, as higher sea levels are combined with storm surges such as those seen at the start of 2014.

That’s the message from Phil Gawne MHK, Minister for Environment, Food and Agriculture, who was speaking after the visit by Professor Thomas Stocker, one of the world’s leading experts in climate change and its effects on the planet.

Professor Stocker co-chairs ‘Working Group I: The Physical Science Basis’ of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). Its Summary for Policymakers – based on a 1,535-page report assessing more than 9,000 scientific publications – was approved by IPCC-member governments in September last year.

The Professor of Climate and Environmental Physics at the University of Bern’s Physics Institute in Switzerland, he addressed gatherings of Manx politicians, environmental groups and the public this month.

The Professor said three main questions were raised: Is the human influence on the climate proved? If so, why haven’t temperatures risen significantly over the past 15 years? Will rising sea levels be a problem for the Isle of Man?

The Professor said there was ‘no physical mechanism other than the increase in carbon dioxide concentration in the atmosphere that can explain the warming that has been measured worldwide since 1950, the rapid reduction of summer sea ice in the Arctic, the melting of ice sheets in Greenland and Antarctica, the extra energy that is stored in the ocean and many other fingerprints observed around the world’.

He said the climate varied naturally from decade to decade and ‘15-year trends are not suitable to investigate long-term climate change’.

Giving an example of why warming patterns can’t be properly plotted, he said the precise occurrence of a volcanic eruption, which would cool the world for one or two years and significantly influence the climate, cannot be predicted.

‘Sea level is projected to rise between 0.26 metres to 0.55 metres (if global average temperature rise is kept to 2°C), or 0.45 metres to 0.82 metres by the end of the 21st century under a ‘business as usual’ scenario. This rise, together with the occurrence of high sea level events, will pose major challenges for erodable coast lines,’ the Professor said.

The Isle of Man Government’s plans for tackling climate change include reducing greenhouse gas emissions to 80% below 1990 levels by 2050, assessing the risks from climate change and adapting to these risks and introducing an energy efficiency scheme for domestic and commercial properties.

Minister Gawne commented: ‘Governments around the world agree the effects on the planet from burning fossil fuels are already being seen and substantial and sustained reductions in greenhouse gas emissions are necessary to avoid dangerous levels of climate change.

‘Some feel that as we are such a small nation we can’t possibly make a difference, so we should sit back and let others do all the work, but it is difficult to argue that we should be entitled to produce more than our fair share of greenhouse gases. We owe it to the generations to come to take a mature approach to this and to take action.

‘You can imagine the additional impact that storm surges such as those experienced this year will have as sea levels increase. This is why my Department is developing policy to mitigate against further climate change and adapt to the effects of unavoidable climate change.’

The Minister said: ‘It was great to hear first-hand from an expert of the global standing of Professor Stocker and we will invite more leading speakers to our Island to help us better understand this issue.’

A video of Professor Stocker’s public talk will appear on www.youtube.com/user/IsleofManGovernment

Notes:

The IPCC was established by the United Nations Environment Programme and the World Meteorological Organisation in 1988 to provide the world with a scientific view on the current state of knowledge in climate change and its potential environmental and socio-economic impacts.

This IPCC assessment cycle will be completed by the ‘Synthesis Report’ in October, which will bring together the physical impact and economic aspects on human-induced climate changed.

Attached is a photo of the Minister with Professor Stocker.

Be aware of the dangers of tombstoning

Tue, 22 May 2018 13:25:37 GMT

As the summer approaches, young people are being warned of the risks associated with ‘tombstoning’.

Boats manoeuvring, the shock of entering cold water suddenly and not knowing the depth of the water are all dangers associated with jumping into or swimming in harbours.

The Ports Division of the Department of Infrastructure is urging people of all ages, particularly children and young people, to take care when playing near the coast.

Although we have been fortunate in the Isle of Man not to have had any serious accidents this is not the case in the UK where there have been several well-publicised incidents of people suffering severe injury as a result of tombstoning.

In an effort to minimize the risk of this activity, the Ports Division has designed and erected safety information signs on all its piers and in the area of Laxey Harbour.

People are urged to take notice of these signs and to listen to any Ports Division officers when they advise that an activity should stop, as they will be aware of any particular dangers in that area.

Tomorrow's City - St Ninian's Students Ideas Win Prizes in Regional Competition

Tue, 22 May 2018 13:25:37 GMT

St Ninian’s High School 6^th Form students Aimee Freegard and Caragh Maddrell have recently come 2^nd and joint 3^rd in an essay competition open to all schools in the North West of England and the Isle of Man. The competition challenged ‘A level’ students to come up with their ideas on how they would plan a new city for the next 100 years.

The competition was organised by the Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI) as part of its Centenary Year celebrations as part of an initiative to celebrate the profession and increase the awareness of planning as an exciting and diverse career.

On Friday 23 May 2014, Aimee Freegard and Caragh Maddrell were presented with their prizes by Isle of Man based Royal Town Planning Institute member - Michael Gallagher, who is the Director of Planning & Building Control at the Department of Infrastructure.

In making the presentation, Michael Gallagher said:

‘When I spoke to students at St Ninian’s last year about the opportunities and challenges of being a planning professionals, little did I expect that I would be encouraging two of the eventual prize winners to enter.This is a fantastic achievement for the Isle of Man – well done to Aimee and Caragh.’

He added:

‘The quality of entries has been very impressive and its good to know that students are thinking about how they would like to shape our future cities. I hope that this encourages all the St Ninian’s students who took part in the competition to take an interest in the future shape of the Isle of Man and the way it is planned. May be some may even consider a career in planning.’

‘ I would like to thank Kirsty Moore from St Ninian’s High School for inviting me into the school to speak to her students and encouraging them to enter the competition as part of their ‘A level’ Geography studies.’

Kirsty Moore, Subject Leader for Geography at St Ninian’s High School added:

‘The RTPI competition offered an exciting and important opportunity to inspire a younger generation and get young people thinking about their environment. It has helpedto engage and stimulate students to think about Planning and the Built and Natural Environment and how we manage this. Students have begun thinking about the Isle of Man, what is good and bad about where they live. They have started to understand what shapes their local environment and the challenges facing communities as they plan for the future, and the students were able to use some of the ideas and theories learnt in their human geography topic ‘World Cities’ to aid their successful completion of both the essay and city plan design aspects of the competition.'