The chief minister's bid to limit the number of questions politicians can ask in the House of Keys and Tynwald was voted down by his colleagues,

At this week's Tynwald sitting, Alfred Cannan put forward an amendment, moving that a member may table a maximum of four questions for oral answer for any sitting.

He said this should help members ‘consolidate their thoughts’ and ‘provide much greater direction for the house’, and would ‘arguably provide better value to the taxpayers’.

‘It would lead to a better quality of questions being delivered to government,’ Mr Cannan said.

‘It would ensure that those backbenchers with arguably important questions are not drowned out by multiple questions being put on that order paper.’

The amendment was however, voted against, with three for and 20 against in the Keys, and two for in the Legislative Council and seven against.

The most prolific question-asker in Tynwald is Arbory, Castletown and Malew MHK Jason Moorhouse.

For example, he asked seven questions in one House of Keys sitting in December. Click here for a reminder.

He was the only member to ask any question.

There were a number of other recommendations that also passed through Tynwald this week.

These included the requirement to submit Tynwald business six weeks in advance should be reduced to four weeks, and amendments which apply to the sub judice principle to the work of Tynwald committees and laid papers be made.

Also, that permanent scrutiny committees to make annual reports and end-of-term reports be made and the requirement for a petitioner to identify a personal grievance to be removed.