H O U S E O F K E Y S O F F I C I A L R E P O R T R E C O R T Y S O I K O I L Y C H I A R E A S F E E D P R O C E E D I N G S D A A L T Y N HANSARD Douglas, Tuesday, 24th January 2017 All published Official Reports can be found on the Tynwald website: www.tynwald.org.im/business/hansard Supplementary material provided subsequent to a sitting is also published to the website as a Hansard Appendix. Reports, maps and other documents referred to in the course of debates may be consulted on application to the Tynwald Library or the Clerk of Tynwald’s Office. Volume 134, No. 8 ISSN 1742-2264 Published by the Office of the Clerk of Tynwald, Legislative Buildings, Finch Road, Douglas, Isle of Man, IM1 3PW. © Court of Tynwald, 2017 HOUSE OF KEYS, TUESDAY, 24th JANUARY 2017 Present: The Speaker (Hon. J P Watterson) (Rushen); The Chief Minister (Hon. R H Quayle) (Middle); Mr J R Moorhouse and Hon. G D Cregeen (Arbory, Castletown and Malew); Hon. A L Cannan and Mr T S Baker (Ayre and Michael); Hon. C C Thomas and Mrs C A Corlett (Douglas Central); Miss C L Bettison and Mr C R Robertshaw (Douglas East); Mr D J Ashford and Mr G R Peake (Douglas North); Hon. K J Beecroft and Hon. W M Malarkey (Douglas South); Mr M J Perkins and Mrs D H P Caine (Garff); Hon. R K Harmer and Hon. G G Boot (Glenfaba and Peel); Mr W C Shimmins (Middle); Mr R E Callister and Ms J M Edge (Onchan); Dr A J Allinson and Mr L L Hooper (Ramsey); Hon. L D Skelly (Rushen); with Mr R I S Phillips, Secretary of the House. ________________________________________________________________________ 174 K134 HOUSE OF KEYS, TUESDAY, 24th JANUARY 2017 Business transacted Leave of absence granted ..................................................................................................... 177 1. Questions for Oral Answer.............................................................................................. 177 1.1. Budget process – Public engagement ............................................................................ 177 1.2. Disability Living Allowance – Differences from UK ........................................................ 179 1.3. Meat Plant – Long-term viability .................................................................................... 179 1.4. Flexi-time policy – Impact on frontline service delivery ................................................ 184 1.5. Recycling – Policy for Government waste ...................................................................... 185 2. Questions for Written Answer ........................................................................................ 187 2.1. Agricultural Development Scheme – Applications in 2016 ............................................ 187 2.2. Special Constables and community volunteers – Hours served in last five years ......... 188 2.3. Illegal parking on taxi ranks and bus stops – Penalty notices issued in last four financial years ....................................................................................................................... 189 Order of the Day ................................................................................................................ 190 3. Bills for First Reading ............................................................................................................ 190 3.1. Income Tax Legislation (Amendment) Bill 2017; 3.2. Insurance (Amendment) Bill 2017.................................................................................. 190 4. House of Keys Standing Orders Committee .......................................................................... 190 4.1. Standing Orders Committee – Committee of the Whole House – First Report of the Session 2016-17 received and recommendation approved ................................................. 190 5. Bill for Second Reading ......................................................................................................... 195 5.1. Dogs (Amendment) Bill 2016 – Second Reading approved ........................................... 195 6. Consideration of Clauses....................................................................................................... 198 6.1. Bills of Exchange (Amendment) Bill 2016 – Clauses considered .................................... 198 6.2. Treasure Bill 2016 – Clauses considered ........................................................................ 200 7. Leave to Introduce ................................................................................................................ 207 7.1. A Bill to restate abortion law – Leave to introduce granted .......................................... 207 The House adjourned at 1.16 p.m. ............................................................................................... 235 ________________________________________________________________________ 175 K134 HOUSE OF KEYS, TUESDAY, 24th JANUARY 2017 PAGE LEFT DELIBERATELY BLANK ________________________________________________________________________ 176 K134 HOUSE OF KEYS, TUESDAY, 24th JANUARY 2017 House of Keys The House met at 10.00 a.m. [MR SPEAKER in the Chair] The Speaker: Moghrey mie. Good morning, Hon. Members. Members: Moghrey mie, Mr Speaker. 5 The Speaker: In the absence of our Chaplain, I shall lead us in prayer. PRAYERS The Speaker Leave of absence granted The Speaker: Thank you, Hon. Members. I have given leave of absence to the Chaplain to attend the excitement of the Archdeacons’ Conference. 1. Questions for Oral Answer TREASURY 1.1. Budget process – Public engagement The Hon. Member for Ramsey (Mr Hooper) to ask the Minister for the Treasury: What plans he has to improve public engagement with the Budget process? 10 The Speaker: We now turn to Questions for Oral Answer. Question 1, I call on the Hon. Member for Ramsey, Mr Hooper. Mr Hooper: Thank you, Mr Speaker. I would like to ask the Minister for the Treasury what plans he has to improve public 15 engagement with the Budget process? The Speaker: Treasury Minister to reply. ________________________________________________________________________ 177 K134 HOUSE OF KEYS, TUESDAY, 24th JANUARY 2017 The Minister for the Treasury (Mr Cannan): Mr Speaker, one of the objectives laid out in our 20 Programme for Government is that we have open and transparent Government which engages effectively with Tynwald and the public. In that respect, Mr Speaker, I can tell the Hon. House that immediately following the Budget, the following day, I will engage with an invited audience at a business network briefing which will take place on February 22nd. I will also engage with a business breakfast on 24th February. I 25 will be appearing on Manx Radio’s Sunday Opinion on 26th February and taking questions from the public who choose to phone in. I will also be attending a Positive Action Group meeting on February 27th in the evening, where again I will be able to engage directly with members of the public about the Budget. In addition, the Treasury will also be helping produce a special distribution on the Budget which will be published by Isle of Man Newspapers. 30 As a signatory to the Programme for Government, I recognise that having some form of budgetary consultation process is increasingly becoming normal amongst some local authorities and some governments. I have already discussed this matter with the Treasury officers and we will continue to give consideration as to how we might bring matters further forward in this respect. 35 The Speaker: Hon. Member for Ramsey, Mr Hooper. Mr Hooper: Thank you, Mr Speaker. I would like to thank the Minister for that long list of post-Budget engagements he will be 40 undertaking with the community. I am also very supportive of his budgetary consultation process. The question I have got is: has the minister considered participatory budgeting, whereby a portion of the Budget is left open to a public vote, which can be spent on projects raised by the local communities? This is a system that seems to work very well in larger jurisdictions – places 45 like Boston or New York – and I would ask the Minister if this is something that forms part of his plans for encouraging greater participation in our small jurisdiction? The Speaker: Minister. 50 The Minister: Mr Speaker, as I have already said in my Answer, I recognise that having some form of budgetary consultation process is increasingly becoming normal amongst local authorities and some government bodies. I have already discussed this with Treasury officers. We are looking carefully at that situation to see whether it could apply effectively to the Isle of Man. 55 The Speaker: Hon. Member for Arbory, Castletown and Malew, Mr Moorhouse. Mr Moorhouse: Thank you, Mr Speaker. Will the Minister be visiting secondary schools over the next couple of months to discuss, 60 with the economist, the intricacies of the Budget process? The Speaker: Treasury Minister. The Minister: That is not in the plans at the moment, Mr Speaker. 65 ________________________________________________________________________ 178 K134 HOUSE OF KEYS, TUESDAY, 24th JANUARY 2017 1.2. Disability Living Allowance – Differences from UK The Hon. Member for Douglas North (Mr Ashford) to ask the Minister for the Treasury: What the difference is between the rates of Disability Living Allowance payable in the Isle of Man and in the United Kingdom; what assessment he has made of the implications of that difference for a disabled individual trying to purchase a mobility vehicle in the Island; and if he will make a statement? The Speaker: