Consultations

Consultation is a vital part of a caring society and an essential means of two-way communication between government and the public. As such, it is very much in line with the principles of openness and community focus endorsed by the Isle of Man Government and Tynwald.

The purpose of consultation is to gather views and comment so that issues are decided, as far as possible, on consideration of all the relevant information and arguments. It informs the decision-making process, raising points to be taken into account that might otherwise have been overlooked.

To bring greater clarity and consistency to its use of public consultation, the Isle of Man Government has introduced a Code of Practice on Consultations. This sets out standard guidelines and applies to all Departments, Statutory Boards and Offices. Although designed for use in relation to primary legislation, the Code is also a best practice template for consultation on major policy issues.

Following on from the production of the Code of Practice, this consultation section of the Isle of Man Government website www.gov.im has been developed as a single source of information on all past, present, and forthcoming consultations. It is hoped that this service will improve awareness of and access to Isle of Man Government consultations by listing them all in one place and encouraging public participation in the development of government policy in the Isle of Man.