Tynwald Annual Report 2015/2016 Get in touch Engage with Tynwald on Twitter @tynwaldinfo Get live updates during Tynwald sittings from @tynwaldlive We hope you will find this report useful. If you would like to comment on any aspect of it, please contact: The Clerk of Tynwald Office of the Clerk of Tynwald Legislative Buildings Finch Road Douglas Isle of Man IM1 3PW Telephone: +44 (0)1624 685500 Email: [email protected] An electronic copy of this report can be found at: www.tynwald.org.im © Office of the Clerk of Tynwald Copyright 2016 The text of this document may be reproduced free of charge in any format or medium providing that it is reproduced accurately and not used in a misleading or derogatory context. The material must be acknowledged as copyright of the Office of the Clerk of Tynwald and the title of the document specified. PP2016/0151 Tynwald Annual Report 2015-2016 CONTENTS FOREWORD BY THE PRESIDING OFFICERS 5 A YEAR OF COMINGS AND GOINGS 13 THE WORK OF THE LEGISLATURE 25 TYNWALD DAY 29 INTERPARLIAMENTARY ENGAGEMENT 37 EDUCATION AND OUTREACH 46 THE CLERK OF TYNWALD’S OFFICE 51 APPENDIX 55 Foreword by the Presiding Officers The Hon Stephen Charles Rodan The Hon Juan Paul Watterson Bsc (Hons) MRPharmS MLC BA FCA CMgr FCMI SHK President of Tynwald Speaker of the House of Keys WELCOME TO THE TYNWALD ANNUAL REPORT FOR 2015/2016 This report covers the last year of the House of Keys which was elected in September 2011 and dissolved in August 2016. In it we pay tribute to former Governor Mr Adam Wood, to the outgoing President, the Hon Clare Christian OBE, and to the 12 MHKs who left the House this year. In 1881, the Isle of Man was the first national parliament to give women the vote in a general election, and this year a record 5 female members have been elected, 4 of whom are among the 12 new Members of the House of Keys that we welcome this year. As the rest of this report makes clear, it was a busy year for Tynwald, as Ministers and Members strove to complete their legislative and other business before the General Election. July saw the appointment of The Hon. Steve Rodan MLC as President and was something of a baptism of fire for him, with his first duty to preside over a marathon sitting with 73 Questions for oral answer and 48 other items of business. Separate sittings of the Keys and Council were also busy during the year, with 13 Bills being introduced. Committee work rose to a peak of intensity with many reports being compiled in time to be debated or at least laid before the last sitting of Tynwald before the Dissolution. In parallel with the formal business of legislation, finance, policy development and scrutiny, the continuing work of the legislature in the overall field of engagement continued unabated. This area of activity comprises both engagement with the wider community in the Isle of Man, particularly young people, and engagement with people and institutions, particularly parliaments, in other jurisdictions. We regard it as essential to do everything we can to raise awareness within the Island of the constitutional, legislative, economic, social and cultural aspects of parliamentary democracy; and at the same time internationally to promote the Isle of Man’s unique parliamentary inheritance. On the international front this was a year in which interest in Tynwald appeared to go wider than ever across the Commonwealth. We received not one but two delegations from the national Parliament of Kenya; we worked with the Westminster Foundation for Democracy on the development of Hansard services in Sierra Leone; and we began a collaboration with the British Council on parliamentary capacity building in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. Closer to home, the UK voted on 23�� June 2016 to leave the European Union. Although residents of the Isle of Man did not have a vote in the referendum, this is clearly a matter of great significance to the Island. It was considered at a special sitting of Tynwald Court on 28�� June 2016 and will no doubt continue to be a topic of concern. In his review of the functioning of Tynwald, published in June 2016, Lord Lisvane referred to the Isle of Man as a respected international business centre and a centre of excellence and probity for well-regulated financial services. He commented that this puts a high premium on effective regulation and transparency within a wider framework of governance, and concluded that the way in which the quality and effectiveness of parliamentary government is perceived off-Island and on the wider international stage will be an important factor. We offer this Report as a demonstration of how seriously the Isle of Man takes its parliament and we look forward to further developments during the life of the new House of Keys. 5 Tynwald and the Isle of Man HISTORY OF TYNWALD The Isle of Man is justifiably proud of its claim to have the oldest continuous parliament in the world. With an unbroken existence for over a thousand years, the parliament marked significant events this year both looking back to the past and forward to the future. Norsemen, or Vikings, arrived in the Irish Sea towards the end of the 8�� 979 century. By the late 10�� century Kingdom of Mann they had established Tynwald, and the Isles English and which had celebrated its millennium Scottish Rule in 1979. 1265 After the death of King Magnus in 1265 Stanley Family an uncertain period of rule followed during which the Island was controlled by 1405 various people appointed by either the In 1405 the period of uncertainty ended when English or the Scottish Crown. the Stanley Family was granted Kingship of Man by Henry IV in return for paying homage of two falcons per coronation. Revestment 1765 The loss of revenue to the British Government, resulting from the smuggling trade through the Island, forced the Lord of Man, the Duke of Atholl, to sell his rights in the Island to the crown for £70,000 and a 1866 pension of £2,000 per year. By way of the Revestment Some financial powers were Act, Westminster took responsibility for the Island’s The Isle of Man passed back to Tynwald when the finances and administration. Tynwald remained but Customs, Harbours had no powers over public expenditure. and Public Purposes Keys became democratically Act elected in 1866. 1919 The constitution of the Legislative Council was reformed in the Isle of Man Constitution Executive Council In 1946 a seven-member Amendment Act 1919. Executive Council was Constitution established to advise the (Amendment) Act 1946 Movement towards Governor on all matters of representative principle and policy. Between 1956 and 1958 various government acts of Tynwald handed over 1958 significant internal control from the Governor to Tynwald. Removal of the The second Deemster was Judiciary In 1961 the Executive Council was placed on a statutory basis and removed from the Tynwald’s board system was extended into areas previously only 1975 Legislative Council in 1965 managed by the Governor. By 1965 many of the Governor’s powers and the first Deemster in had been devolved. 1975. First elected First Chief President of Minister Tynwald 1990 1990 The Council of Ministers Act 1990 provides for a Chief Although the Governor had in 1980 been removed from Minister nominated by Tynwald, with up to nine Ministers the Legislative Council, Governors continued until 1990 to appointed by the Chief Minister. The intention was to preside over Tynwald Court. The Constitution Act 1990 create a more efficient and authoritative government with provides for the office of President of Tynwald, elected by greater accountability and improved co-ordination. the Members of Tynwald from among their own number. 7 150 YEARS OF CHANGE Review of the Functioning of Tynwald At its sitting in June 2015 Tynwald resolved: Historical Anniversaries “That the Isle of Man Government should establish 10 years of Voting at 16 an independent review using its powers under the 10 years ago, Inquiries (Evidence) Act 2003 to examine the the age at which functioning of the branches of Tynwald and to a person is consider options for reform.” entitled to vote in a national The Lord Lisvane Review of the Functioning of election was Tynwald was received at the July 2016 sitting where lowered to 16. Members agreed to debate the recommendations in This made April 2017. The recommendations, if adopted, would Tynwald the mean more change. first national parliament in Marriage and Civil Partnership Western Europe (Amendment) Act 2016 to give 16 year olds the vote. Royal Assent to the Marriage and Civil Partnership (Amendment) Act 2016 was announced on 19�� July In 2006, only 35% of 16-year-old residents had 2016. The Act enables same sex couples to marry registered to vote, but by the 2011 General Election either in a civil ceremony, in a registry office or this number had increased to 60%. approved premises, or in religious premises (except In the 2016 election this year, those of the Church of England) subject to the agreement of the religious organisation in question. 60 years of the revived Right to seek The Act also allows heterosexual couples to have civil partnerships instead of a marriage. Redress for Grievance on Tynwald Day The petition procedure continues an ancient right of appeal to the King or Lord of Man but by 1900 any petitions had ceased to be considered by Tynwald itself. On Tynwald Day in 1956 a former member of Tynwald protested because the petition he had present to the Governor has not been accepted.