Report of Proceedings of Tynwald Court
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Printed (by Authority) by CORRIE Ltd., 48 Bucks Road, Douglas, Isle of Man REPORT OF PROCEEDINGS OF TYNWALD COURT DOUGLAS, Tuesday, 21st January, 1986 at 10.30 a.m. Present: The Lieutenant-Governor (His Excellency Major General Laurence New, C.B.E.) In the Council: The President of the Council (the Hon. J.C.Nivison, C.B.E.), the Lord Bishop (the Rt. Rev. Arthur Henry Attwell), the Attorney-General (Mr. T.W. Cain), Messrs. A.A. Callin, Mrs. B.Q. Hanson, Mr. E.G. Lowey, Dr. E.J. Mann, Messrs. J.N. Radcliffe and E.M. Ward, B.E.M., with Mr. T.A. Bavvden, Clerk of the Council. In the Keys: The Acting Speaker (Mr. G.V.H. Kneale), Messrs. W.K. Quirk, W.A. Gilbey, J.D.Q. Cannan, Mrs. C.M. Christian, Messrs. S.L. Morrey, J.H. Kneale, D.G. Maddrell, R.A. Payne, P. Karran, M.R. Walker, N.Q. Cringle, C.H. Faragher, Dr. D.L. Moore, Messrs. C.A. Cain, A.R. Bell, E.C. Irving, C.B.E., A.C. Duggan, D.C. Cretney, D.F.K. Delaney, D. Martin, J.A. Brown, with Mr. R.B.M. Quayle, Clerk of Tynwald. The Lord Bishop took the prayers. APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE The Governor: Hon. members, we have a number of apologies for absence this morning: First, from Mr. Speaker, who is making good progress and hopes to be back in time for the meeting of the House of Keys next week, from Mr. Anderson, who is now out of hospital and recuperating at home, and Mr. May, who has undergone surgery recently and is making progress. ANNOUNCEMENT OF ROYAL ASSENT The Governor: 1 have to announce that Royal Assent was given to the Denial Act 1985 on 30th December 1985. BILLS FOR SIGNATURE The Governor: In addition to the two Bills for signature on the Agenda, the Local Elections Bill and Licensing (Amendment) Bill, we have three further Bills: Apologies for Absence Announcement of Royal Assent — Bills for Signature T598 TYNWALD COURT, TUESDAY, 21st JANUARY, 1986 the Building Societies Bill, the Onchan District Bill and the Jury (Amendment) Bill, and if members are agreeable 1 propose that we continue our business while these are being signed. Is that agreed? It was agreed. PAPERS LAID BEFORE THE COURT The Governor: I call on the Clerk to lay papers. The Clerk: I lay before the Court:- The Financial Supervision Commission (Amendment) Order 1986. EXECUTIVE COUNCIL — OFFICE OF CHAIRMAN/CHIEF MINISTER — STAFFING — QUESTION BY MR. DELANEY The Governor: Hon. members, we now turn to the Question Paper and 1 call on the hon. member for East Douglas, Mr. Delaney. Mr. Delaney: Your Excellency, I beg to ask the Chairman of Executive Council: (1) What are the present staffing arrangements fo r your office as Chair man o f Executive Council? (2) What alteration is to be made in the staffing o f that office when it becomes that o f the Chief Minister? The Governor: I call upon the Chairman of Executive Council, Dr. Mann. Dr. Mann: Your Excellency, the Chairman of Executive Council has no staff allocated to him personally. Secretarial services are provided by the members’ secretary in the same way as they are provided for other members. Mr. Delaney: Part (2) of the question, Your Excellency — have we got an answer to that specific question? Dr. Mann: There are two ways in which staffing could be improved when the office becomes that of Chief Minister: either the staff currently servicing Executive Council in Government Office should be transferred to the secretariate of the Chief Minister or, the less likely, a specific staff be seconded to him from various departments. Mr. Delaney: I thank the chairman for his reply. Papers Laid Before the Court Executive Council — Office of Chairman/Chief Minister — Staffing — Question by Mr. Delaney TYNWALD COURT, TUESDAY, 21st JANUARY, 1986 T599 Mr. Cannan: A supplementary, Your Excellency. What are the present duties of the Government Secretary? Is he on the staff of the Lieutenant-Governor or is he, as he should be in a country with full internal self- government, on the staff of executive Government as secretary and chief advisor to the Executive Council in general and to the Chief Minister in particular and, with the appointment of the Chief Minister, will the Government Secretary remain detached in his office or will he become attached to the Chief Minister’s office? Dr. Mann: Currently, Your Excellency, the Government Secretary has a dual role: he has a role to service that part of the Governor’s function that still remains within Government Office and also to oversee many other functions that are carried out by Government Office in addition to that of servicing Executive Council. In the future, the position of the Government Secretary will have to be resolved in the ultimate reorganisation of Government. Mr. Cannan: Thank you, sir. UNEMPLOYMENT — POSSIBILITY OF TEMPORARY WINTER WORKS SCHEMES — QUESTION BY MR. CRETNEY The Governor: Hon. members, we move on to question 2. I call on the member for South Douglas, Mr. Cretney. Mr. Cretney: Thank you, Your Excellency. I beg to ask the Chairman of Executive Council: In view o f the increasing number o f unemployed, would Executive Council be prepared to consider recommending a limited number o f temporary (winter work) schemes to help ease the current situation? The Governor: I call upon the Chairman of Executive Council. Dr. Mann: Your Excellency, it is recognised, of course, that the numbers registered as unemployed have risen in December. This can be accounted for in part by the lay-offs during the Christmas and New Year holiday period. However, as 1 reported at the December Tynwald, the Employment Committee is convinced that all its revenue expenditure should be allocated to permanent job training and youth experience programmes. The number of notified vacancies to the Job Centre remains high and I reiterate what I stated last month, that it is now more than ever necessary to train those seeking jobs to have the skills and attitudes to fill the vacancies that are arising. It is still the Employment Committee’s view that available funds should be utilised in seeking to create long-term employment. Mr. Cretney: A supplementary, Your Excellency. Would the Chairman of Executive Council not agree that the present policy does not appear to be working Unemployment — Possibility of Temporary Works Schemes — Question by Mr. Cretney T600 TYNWALD COURT, TUESDAY, 21st JANUARY, 1986 in the best interests inasmuch as the figures on the unemployment register continue to rise despite the capital building programme? Mr. Cannan: A further supplementary, Your Excellency. Will the Chairman of Executive Council agree it is detrimental to the unemployed in the building industry that the building contract for the B & Q Superstore has been awarded off the Island to Marshall Construction Limited, West Yorkshire, and the steel work to Barratt’s U.K. Limited, when there are at least three Isle of Man building companies possessing the required expertise and capability? Dr. Mann: First of all, in reply to the original questioner, it is true that the construction industry is not fully occupied and that the capital programme has not yet achieved the result that was set out. However, this is only partially implemented as such and it will take some months yet before most of the projects come on-stream and actually get started. As far as the recent increase, there are several totally abnormal factors which account for the sudden increase over the Christmas period which is gradually falling, but it will be a few weeks yet before it returns back to its original numbers again. As far as the new construction projects in the private sector are concerned, I would not like to comment on the individual ones. It is always disturbing when we hear of offshore construction companies being involved in new projects. However, I think, if you look back, almost all of them do employ a very large number of Manx workers when they are actually on site. Mr. Cannan: A further supplementary. Can not some condition be placed upon consents given for major capital works that the building contracts be retained within the Isle of Man, sir? Mr. Brown: A supplementary, Your Excellency. Could the chairman confirm that any off-island contractor is subject to work permits and therefore, unless they can justify it, Manx labour force will be used? Dr. Mann: Certainly, where Government has the power of tendering and control over projects, that position is always recognised. When we get out into the private sector there is no way in which planning consent can be linked with the use of certain construction companies or certain employees and, unless the current planning law is changed, that remains a fact. ISLE OF MAN STEAM PACKET COMPANY LIMITED — GOVERNMENT’S AWARENESS OF PROBLEMS — QUESTION BY MR. DELANEY DEFERRED The Governor: Hon. members, I propose that we move on to question 3. I seek the views of hon. members on this. I propose that we might take this question at Isle of Man Steam Packet Company Limited — Government’s Awareness of Problems — Question by Mr. Delaney Deferred TYNWALD COURT, TUESDAY, 21st JANUARY, 1986 T601 the end of Question Time or immediately after lunch so that we can devote time to it, but 1 will ask for your views when the question has been put. 1 call on the hon. member for East Douglas, Mr. Delaney. Mr. Delaney: Your Excellency, I beg to ask the question placed under Standing Orders to the Chairman of Executive Council: Will you make a statement in relation to the Government’s awareness o f the current problems affecting the Isle o f Man Steam Packet Company Limited and its staffing? The Governor: 1 call upon the Chairman of Executive Council.