Isle of Man Newspapers has secured a Freedom of Information victory over the government press office.

The Information Commissioner found that there had been no justification in refusing to give us the information we requested.

And he said it is a concern that the Cabinet Office ’has again failed’ to set out and evidence its decision-making process when applying exemptions.

Our FoI request was prompted by concerns that Isle of Man Newspapers should not be disadvantaged by any change in approach by the government press office. Earlier this year, we noted for a time that responses to our inquiries had become slower, sometimes obstructive and less than comprehensive.

In our request we asked what the Corporate Communications Service’s policy is on dealing with media inquiries from the newspapers, local radio stations and TV broadcasters, and in distributing press releases to these media outlets and to social media forums.

We asked if this policy has changed over the last year.

And we requested copies of all emails and other correspondence between the head of corporate communications Liz Aelberry and Ministers, political members and heads of departments relating to the handling of journalists’ inquiries by Isle of Man Newspapers since October 2017.

The Cabinet Office’s response was that there was no information held over parts one and two of our request and claimed the information for part three was exempt as disclosure would likely prejudice the work of CoMin and inhibit the free and frank exchange of views.

It stated that releasing advice given over handling of journalists’ inquiries would ’prejudice the work of members of the communications team’. But the Information Commissioner pointed out the exemption applies to the work of CoMin not the work of the communications team.

He said: ’The commissioner does not consider that the disclosure of the specific information would be likely to inhibit the senior officers of the corporate communications team from giving full and frank advice. That is the function and professional responsibility of those officers.’

The commissioner said the Cabinet Office did not appear to have undertaken any specific public interest test over how media functions are undertaken. He said the public interest would weigh in favour of disclosure ’as it may dispel any suspicion of spin’.

He said he had considered emails relevant to part three of our request relating to the procedure to be followed when issuing media releases.

The commissioner gave the Cabinet Office 30 days to disclose the information specified in the confidential annex - or provide the newspaper with a further refusal notice.

He also upheld our complaint over part one, stating the practical reason for refusal had not been engaged. He said different kinds on information may have met the terms of our request and no advice and assistance over that had been given.

But he turned down our appeal over part two, saying he was satisfied that no pertinent information appears to have been located.

It is Isle of Man Newspapers’ view, however, that the corporate communications team should have a specific policy on dealing with media inquiries - and if it doesn’t have one, then it should say so and explain why it does not.