The Isle of Man Government (Manx: Reiltys Ellan Vannin) is the government of the Isle of Man. The formal head of the Isle of Man Government is the Lieutenant Governor, representing Queen Elizabeth II, Lord of Mann. The executive head is the Chief Minister.
Douglas, the largest town on the Isle of Man, is its capital and seat of government, where the Government offices and the parliament chambers (Tynwald) are located.
The Civil Service has more than 2,000 employees and the total number of public sector employees including the Civil Service, teachers, nurses, police, etc. is about 9,000 people. This is somewhat more than 10% of the population of the Island, and a full 23% of the working population. This does not include any military forces, as defence is the responsibility of the United Kingdom.
The Government consists of 7 departments, 9 statutory boards, 5 offices, and 9 other quasi-independent agencies (Public Lottery Trust, Manx Heritage Foundation, Arts Council, Sports Council, Swimming Pool Authorities, Local Government, Planning Authority, Health and Safety Executive Authority, Road Transport and Licensing Committee) all reporting to the Council of Ministers. The departments all report directly to the Council of Ministers.
Council of Ministers
General Registry
Attorney General's Chambers
Information Commissioner
Manx Industrial Relations Service
Cabinet Office
Public Services Commission
Treasury
Financial Services Authority
Isle of Man Gambling Supervision Commission
Public Sector Pensions Authority
Public Lottery Trust
Department of Home Affairs
Communications Commission
Department of Health and Social Care
Department of Education and Children
Manx Heritage Foundation
Arts Council
Sports Council
Swimming Pool Authorities
Department of Economic Development
Isle of Man Post Office
Office of Fair Trading
Manx National Heritage
Department of Infrastructure
Manx Utilities Authority
Local Government
Planning Committee
Health and Safety Executive Authority
Road Transport and Licensing Committee
Department of Environment, Food and Agriculture
Chief Minister and Minister for the Cabinet Office – Hon. Howard Quayle MHK
Minister for Policy and Reform - Hon. Chris Thomas MHK
Chief Secretary: Will Greenhow
Public Services Commission
Chairman: Minister for Policy and Reform
Secretary: Jon Callister
The Treasury
Minister for the Treasury Shirveishagh Tashtee: Hon. Alf Cannan MHK
Chief Financial Officer: Sheila Lowe
Department of Economic Development
Minister for Economic Development Shirveishagh son Lhiasaghey Tarmaynagh: Hon. Laurence Skelly MHK]
Chief Executive Officer: Chris Corlett
Department of Home Affairs
Minister for Home Affairs Shirveishagh son Cooishyn Sthie: Hon. William Malarkey MHK
Chief Executive Officer: Mark Kelly
Department of Education and Children
Minister for Education and Children Shirveishagh son Ynsee as Paitchyn: Hon. Graham Cregeen MHK
Chief Executive Officer: Professor Ronald Barr
Department of Health and Social Care
Minister for Health and Social Care Shirveishagh son Slaynt as Kiarail y Theay: Hon. Kate Beecroft MHK
Chief Executive Officer: Dr Malcolm Couch
Department of Infrastructure
Minister for Infrastructure Shirveishagh son Bun-troggalys: Hon. Ray Harmer MHK
Chief Executive Officer: Nick Black
Department of Environment, Food and Agriculture
Minister for Environment, Food and Agriculture Shirveishagh son Chymmyltaght, Bee as Eirinys: Hon. Geoffrey Boot MHK
Chief Executive Officer: Richard Lole
Office of Fair Trading
Chair: David Quirk MHK
Financial Services Authority
Chair: Geoff Karran
Chief Executive: Karen Badgerow
Isle of Man Post Office
Chair: Ray Harmer MHK
Chief Executive: Mike Kelly
Manx Utilities Authority
Chair: Alfred Cannan MHK
Chief Executive:
Gambling Supervision Commission
Chair: Jon Allen
Chief Executive: Steve Brennan
Public Sector Pensions Authority
Chair: Jerry Carter
Chief Executive: Ian Murray
General Registry
Chief Registrar: Stephen Cregeen
Attorney General's Chambers
HM Attorney General: John Quinn
Isle of Man Data Protection Supervisor
Data Protection Supervisor: Iain McDonald
Communications Commission
Chair: Juan Watterson MHK (Minister of Home Affairs ex-officio)
Communication Commissioner: Dr Carmel McLaughlin
Manx Museum and National Trust (commonly called Manx National Heritage)
Chair: Tony Pass
National Heritage Director: Edmund Southworth
Information Commission
Information Commissioner: Iain McDonald
Culture Vannin (Manx Heritage Foundation)
Chair: Hon. Phil Gawne MHK
Director: Dr Breesha Maddrell
Arts Council
Chair: Geoff Corkish MBE MLC
Isle of Man Sport
Chair: Geoff Karran
Road Transport and Licensing Committee
Chair: Hon. Juan Watterson MHK
Secretary: Noel Capewell
Swimming Pool Authorities
various
Local Government
various
The structure and functions of the Departments were re-organised with effect from 1 April 2010. The existing Departments, except the Treasury and the Departments of Education and Home Affairs, were dissolved, and the Department of Education was renamed "the Department of Education and Children". The Departments and their functions are now as follows:
Treasury
taxation, internal audit, currency, census, elections
Department of Community, Culture and Leisure
passenger transport, culture, sport and recreation
Department of Economic Development
tourism, employment, merchant shipping, civil aviation, trade, industry, intellectual property, companies, information technology, e-business, financial services
Department of Education and Children
education
Department of Environment, Food and Agriculture
agriculture, fisheries, animal health and welfare, plant health, food safety, burial and cremation, water pollution, environmental health, medicinal products
Department of Health
health services
Department of Home Affairs
police, fire services, prisons, probation, emergency planning, civil defence
Department of Infrastructure
local government, road traffic, highways, harbours, airports, health and safety at work, planning and conservation, building control, waste disposal, public utilities, mines and minerals, licensing and registration of vehicles
Department of Social Care
social services, social security, mental health, social housing
Before modern times the government of the Isle of Man was in the hands of the Governor (or Lieutenant Governor), who was the representative of the Lord of Man, assisted by his Council, consisting of the other permanent officials (the Bishop, Archdeacon, Deemsters, Attorney General, etc.). The Council evolved into the Legislative Council, the upper chamber of Tynwald, the parliament of the Isle of Man.
After the Revestment in 1765 the Lieutenant Governor and his officials were the agents of the British Government, and not democratically responsible to the Manx people. Conflict between the House of Keys (popularly elected after 1866) and the Lieutenant Governor came to a head during the tenure of Lord Raglan (1902–18).
After World War I the Lieutenant Governor gradually ceded control to Tynwald, a process guided by the reports of commissions and other bodies in 1911, 1959 and 1969. An Executive Council, chaired by him and including members of Tynwald, was established in 1949, and gradually thereafter became the effective government of the Island. Finance and the police came under local control between 1958 and 1976. The Lieutenant Governor ceased to chair the Executive Council in 1980, being replaced by a chairman elected by Tynwald, and the Council was reconstituted in 1985 to include the chairmen of the eight principal Boards; in 1986 they were given the title 'Minister' and the chairman was styled 'Chief Minister'. In 1990 the Council was renamed the 'Council of Ministers'.
During the 19th century several bodies, which came to be known as 'Boards of Tynwald', were created to exercise functions under democratic control. These included the Board of Education (1872), Highway Board (1874), Asylums Board (1888), Government Property Trustees (1891) and Local Government Board (1894). However, although direct taxation was levied by Tynwald, the Boards' freedom of action before the 1960s was limited by the Lieutenant Governor's control of the Island's budget and his power to appoint certain of their members.
The structure of the Boards of Tynwald, along with other bodies variously called 'Statutory Boards' and 'Commercial Boards', became increasingly unwieldy after the 1950s, and was eventually reformed in the 1980s, when a system of 'ministerial government' was set up.
The Departments and Statutory Boards which existed before the reorganisation in 2010, and their predecessors, are shown below:
Treasury, 1985–present
Finance Board, 1961–1985
Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, 1986–2010
Board of Agriculture and Fisheries, 1946–86
Board of Agriculture, 1914–1946
Fisheries Board, 1927–1946
Fishery Conservators, 1882–1927
Forestry, Mines and Lands Board, 1950–86
Common Lands Board, 1915–50
Trustees of the Common Lands, 1866–1915
Department of Education, 1987–2010
Isle of Man Board of Education, 1946–2009Board of Education, 1872–99
Council of Education, 1899–1946
Isle of Man Education Authority, 1923–68
Isle of Man Central Education Authority, 1920–23
Department of Health and Social Security, 1986–2010
Health Services Board, 1948–86
Mental Hospital Board, 1932–48
Asylums Board, 1888–1932
Board of Social Security, 1970–86
Board of Social Services, 1946–70
Health Insurance and Pensions Board, 1939–46
Old Age Pensions and National Health Insurance Board, 1920–39
Department of Transport, 2004–2010
Department of Highways, Ports and Properties 1986–2004
Isle of Man Highway and Transport Board, 1946–86
Highway Board, 1874–1946
Committee of Highways, 1776–1874
Isle of Man Harbour Board, 1948–86
Isle of Man Harbour Commissioners, 1872–1948
Commissioners for Harbours, 1771–1872
Isle of Man Airports Board, 1948–86
Government Property Trustees, 1891–1986
Department of Home Affairs, since 1986
Home Affairs Board, 1981–86
Isle of Man Police Board, 1962–81
Isle of Man Broadcasting Commission, 1965–81
Civil Defence Commission, 1955–81
Department of Trade and Industry, 1996–2010
Department of Industry, 1986–1996
Industry Board, 1981–86
Department of Local Government and the Environment, 1986–2010
Local Government Board, 1894–1986
Department of Tourism and Leisure, 1994–2010
Department of Tourism and Transport, 1986–2004
Tourist Board, 1952–86
Publicity Board, 1931–52
Board of Advertising, 1904–31
Advertising Committee, 1897–1904
Isle of Man Passenger Transport Board, 1982–86
Manx Electric Railway Board, 1957–82
Isle of Man Office of Fair Trading, since 1998
Board of Consumer Affairs (1981–1998)
Consumer Council (1972–1981)
Financial Supervision Commission, since 1982
Insurance and Pensions Authority, since 1996
Insurance Authority, 1986–96
Isle of Man Post Office (1993)
Isle of Man Post Office Authority (1972–93)
Isle of Man Water and Sewerage Authority, since 2010
Isle of Man Water Authority (1985–2010)
Isle of Man Water and Gas Authority (1974–1985)
Isle of Man Water Authority (1972–1974)
Isle of Man Gas Authority (1972–1974)
Isle of Man Water Board (1946–1972)
Manx Electricity Authority, since 1983
Isle of Man Electricity Board (1932–1984)
Communications Commission (1989)
Telecommunications Commission (1985–1989)
Gambling Supervision Commission, up to present
