The Chamber of Commerce is welcoming news that three topics that concern its members are to be brought up in Tynwald next week.

The business lobby group is concerned about the size of government and how it works.

'Questions on the size of government, joined-up working, and government as a single legal entity are all topics that are covered in the [Chamber’s] business manifesto which we published in May as an agenda for change and to help inform the debate on these issues which will be critical for our economy going forward in the run-up to the general election in September,’ a spokesman says.

The first item on the agenda which it welcomes comes from Chris Thomas, MHK for Douglas Central.

Mr Thomas, who was sacked from his position as Minister for Policy and Reform by the Chief Minister last year, asks about collective responsibility.

Under collective responsibility, ministers agree a common approach to policies and vote the same way.

Arguably that common approach means that decision-making is more predictable.

Mr Thomas wants Tynwald to agree that, subject to the Government Code, ministers ’should be bound by collective responsibility on all matters included within each administration’s statement of intent of its policies and priorities, Programme for Government and annual Budget, and in addition any matters relating to:

l The good governance of the island

l National security or defence,

l Public safety

l The economic or fiscal stability of the island that are determined by a majority vote of the Council of Ministers to be of national importance.’

Mr Thomas was sacked as a minister for not following rules on collective responsibility after voting against emergency planning regulations in Tynwald.

At the time he insisted he had not breached rules on collective responsibility as he had a declared position on the planning process, as outlined in his 2016 election manifesto.

The size of government is an issue that has been a big talking point in the Isle of Man for years.

Arbory, Castletown and Malew MHK Jason Moorcroft is to move ’that Tynwald is of the opinion that the size, structure and cost of the island’s government must be adjusted to be more reflective of the island’s current needs and ability to fund it; and calls on the Council of Ministers to report on how this can be achieved, with an implementation plan, by January 2022’.

running sore

The issue has been a running sore in government for more than 10 years.

In 2006, a report on the size and scope of government recommended cutting the public sector.

But the Tony Brown administration did little about it.

In 2012, the issue was revisited by the independent committee led by former Steam Packet chairman Robert Quayle.

Members expressed their disappointment that their recommendations had not been acted upon.

Arguably, since then, few substantial changes have been made.

An idea of adopting executive agencies has been implemented in the Department for Enterprise while day-to-day health services are no longer run directly by the Department of Health and Social Care but by Manx Care.

However, that move was not directly related to the Scope of Government recommendations. It was as a result of a different review of the health service.

The third item on the Tynwald agenda welcomed by the Chamber concerns the issue of the ’single legal entity’.

Making the government one entity rather than several different departments would, its proponents believe, mean government would be more consistent.

The Minister for Policy and Reform, Ray Harmer, wants a general debate on the matter in Tynwald.

The Chamber of Commerce says its manifesto was created after consulting members that represent businesses totalling around 20,000 employees - about half of the private sector workforce on the island.

A spokesman said: ’It’s encouraging to see that some of the headline issues set out in our Manifesto which are of greatest concern to the business community are now being given a higher priority by our elected representatives.’