Chief Minister seeks Tynwald backing to publish government plan by November

Chief Minister Chris Thomas is asking Tynwald to back a plan for his new administration to publish its programme for government by the end of November.

He is due to put the motion to members today (20 October), at the first sitting of Tynwald since the General Election, Manx Radio reported.

The motion, headed “Government Programme” according to Manx Radio, asks Tynwald to agree that the Council of Ministers, the island’s cabinet, should produce a document for debate. It would set out the challenges and opportunities facing the island, alongside what the motion describes as “a prioritised policy agenda, action plan and legislative programme” to deal with them.

The proposal would also create a yearly cycle. Under the wording, ministers would lay reviews and revisions of the programme before Tynwald every October, for members to debate and approve.

Publishing by the end of November does not guarantee a debate before Christmas, however. According to Manx Radio, a document that arrives by 30 November would miss the four-week deadline for getting business onto the Register of Business for December’s sitting. The debate may therefore not take place until January.

The motion deals only with the timetable and the shape of the document. It does not say what the new administration’s priorities will be. Setting those out would fall to the Council of Ministers, with Tynwald then debating the result.

If members approve the motion, the October reviews would become a standing item, giving Tynwald a chance each year to debate and approve changes to the programme over the course of the administration.