Report of Proceedings of Tynwald Court
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
REPORT OF PROCEEDINGS OF TYNWALD COURT Douglas, Wednesday, December 10, 1975 at 10-30 a.m. Present: The Governor (Sir John (2) purchase the Nunnery property Paul, G.C.M.G., 0.33.E., M.C.), In the from the Government Property Council: the Lord Bishop (the Bit Rev. Trustees at the price of £50,000; Vemon Nicholls, (Messrs. J. B. Bolton, or alternatively O.B.E., G. T. Crellin, E. N. Crowe, O.B.E., R. E. S. Kerruish, G. V. H. (3) take a lease of the Nunnery Kneale, J. C. Nivison, W. E. Quayle, property from the Government A. H. Simcocks, M.B.E., with Mr. P. J. Property Trustees for a term of Hulme, Clerk of the Council. In the 21 years at an annual rent of £1; Keys: The Speaker (Mr. H. C. Ker or alternatively ruish, OB.E.), Messrs. R. J. G. Ander (4) take a lease of the Nunnery son, H. D. C. MacLeod, G. M. Kermeen, property from the Government J. C. ducas, P. Radcliffe, Miss J. C. C. Thomton-Duesbery, Messrs. J. R. Creer, Property Trustees for a term of E. Ranson, P. A. Spittall, T. C. Far- 21 years at an annual rent of agher, N. Q. Cringle, E. G. Lowey, Mrs. £5,000. E. C. Quayle, Messrs. W. A. Moore, J. J. Bell, E. M. Ward, B.E.M., E. C. I.O.M. RAILWAY — OPERATION Irving, Miss K. E. Co win, Mr. G. A. Devereau, Mrs. B. Q. Hanson, Messrs. FROM BALLASALLA TO PORT ERIN SUBJECT TO CONDITIONS AND R. MacDonald, P. G. Hislop, Sir Henry CONSIDERATION OF DOUGLAS- Sugden, K.B.E., C.B., D.S.O., with Mr. PORT ERIN OPERATION — T. E. Kermeen, Clerk of Tynwald. APPROVED. The Governor; Item No. 11. I call ACQUISITION OF NUNNERY BY upon the Chairman of the Steering MANX MUSEUM — NOT PROPOSED. Committee on Transport to move the The Governor : Hon. members under resolution standing in his name. Standing Order 57 the Court is pre Mr. Nivison: Your Excellency, I beg cluded from taking item No. 10 which to move :— read as follows :— WHEREAS on the 10th December BE IT RESOLVED : 1974 Tynwald resolved, inter alia, that That in the opinion of this Hon. the Isle of Man Government would Court the Manx Museum and. National guarantee the Isle of Man Railway Trust should, acquire the Nunnery Man Company against an operating loss on sion House and grounds as a. Cultural the steam train servicei from Castle- and Tourist Centre for the benefit of tovm to Port Erin during the year com the Manx Nation. mencing on the 12th November 1975 providing agreement was reached bet And for this purpose they be ween the Government and the Com authorised to : pany on the amount of such guarantee (1) purchase the Nunnery property in the light of experience in operating frdm the Government Property the service during 1975. Trustees at a nominal price of £1; AND WHEREAS the Company has or alternatively made representations to the Tynwald Acquisition of Nunnery by Manx Museum — Not Proposed. — I.O.M. Railway — Operation from Ballasalla to Port Erin Subject to Conditions and Consideration of Douglas-Port Erin Operation — Approved. T282 TYNWALD COURT. DECEMBER 10, 1975 Steering Committee on Transport on ing. At exhibitions on the mainland the operation of such service for 1976 we have not only publicised the Rail (including the extension of the ter way but given out holiday information minus from Castletown to Ballasalla,). leaflets provided by the Tourist Board. RESOLVED :— That Tynwald ap Secondly, we provide volunteer assis tance. At 'the present (time, a group of proves of the Isle of Man Railway Com volunteers are working each weekend pany operating a steam service from on the line between Port Erin and Ballasalla to Port Erin conditional on— Colby. Finally, we have provided money (a) the service being maintained for for specific projects suggested by the six days a week (Sundays to operators. For example, one steam en Fridays inclusive) for a basic gine would not be running today if the four return• journeys a day duringi Association had not paid for the re the period mid-May to mid- pairs and transportation of essential September. components. The Association is not (b) the Isle of Man Government generally made up of a group of in guaranteeing the Company dividuals who are purely steam rail against an operating loss during way enthusiasts. There are some I the year commencing 12th grant you, but amongst (the member November 1975 up to an amount ship are a number of qualified railway qf £25,000 such amount to be men ranging from railway accountants mutually agreed between the and engineers to firemen and 'the like. Government Treasurer and the I understand that you have all received a copy of our costings report and there^ Company’s auditors. fore you realise that the Association In respect of (this I understand there has produced a well thought-out, care is a Memorial, is that to be presented fully balanced and analysed study on to the Court .before I present this railway operations. May I now turn to resolution? If that is the case I would the Memorial in which I have stated not object to it at all. I would just that we were requested on 4th Novem formally move the resolution in order ber, 1975, by Mr. Nivison, Chairman of that the; Memorialist ¡might have an the Transport Steering Committee, to opportunity to present the Memorial. prepare a costings report for the oper The Governor: The presentation of ation of the Douglas to Port Erin line the Memorial is a matter for the Court for the 1976 season. Indeed, Mr. to decide. If it is the wish of the Court Nivison is reported in the Isle of Man that the Memorialist should be heard Courier for 7th November, that he had then, assuming he is here, would some asked the Association to produce plans body second? and costings for the running of the railway from Douglas to Port Erin. Mr. Kerruish: I beg to second and After receiving such a request for a reserve my remarks, Your Excellency. costings report I called together a num Mr. A. Beard appeared for the Mem ber of railway accountants and others orialists. for help and advice and the report was put together. In my letter dated 25th Mr. Beard: May it please Your Ex November to Mr. Nivison I enclosed cellency, I am the Chairman of the the costings report and stated that we Isle of Man Steam Railway Supporters were prepared to make further reports Association. The Association (has for and give any advice required, but re the past ten years been striving to quested a meeting between the Steer wards the successful retention of the ing Committee, the Railway Company Steam Railway. We have assisted the and the Association to discuss the fut operators in three major ways. Firstly, ure of the railway. No reply or acknow by providing extensive publicity for the ledgement has been received from Mr. Railway both on this Island and on the Nivison and upon enquiry made to Mr. mainland and we have spent on aver Kermeen, Clerk to the Steering Com age over £400 each year on advertis mittee, I was informed 'that he had no I.O.M. Railway — Operation from Ballasalla to Port Erin Subject to Conditions and Consideration of Douglas-Port Erin Operation — Approved. TVN WA T/D COURT. DECEMBER 10, 1975 T283 knowledge of such costings report. The member wishes to do so. At this stage resolution before Your Excellency and would you like to address any ques this Court today is for the operation of tions ? the Steam Railway from Ballasalla to The Speaker: Later, with Your Ex Port Erin conditional upon inter alia a cellency’s permission. guarantee for the Railway Company against an operating loss during 1976 Mr. Nivison: I thought, Your Excel up to an amount of £25,000. As you lency, that we might dispense with the will have seen from our costings report Memorialists and allow the members of we have stated that the loss for oper Tynwald to debate it. This would be ating 16 miles of line from Douiglas to the time surely. Port Erin, under our management or The Governor : Again it is a matter control, is only £29,926. I have received for the Court to decide, but questions a letter from the Castletown Commis may well arise in the course of the de sioners giving their support and I quote bate on which members would wish to from their letter “I was instructed to ask the Memorialists certain things. write to you and state that the Castle town Commissioners consider that the Mr. Nivison: It is all right with Steam Railway must run between Dou me. Your Excellency, in the news glas and Port Erin in future and that papers it says “The Isle of Man Steam it ought to be given the necessary fin Railway Supporters Snubbed.” And it ancial support by Government. My appears that they rushed to the papers Board contend that the Steam Railway with a story. On 10th December, 1974, is a valuable tourist attraction. Al Tynwald approved the continued oper though the system runs at a loss at ation of the Steam Railway from present, 'the invisible returns from dis Castletown to Port Erin from 12th playing the Steam Railway and adver November. This was following consul tising literature and film must not be tation with the Steering Committee, a underestimated.