There is currently just one whistleblowing case being investigated within government, the Cabinet Office says.

In a written Tynwald question, Arbory, Castletown and Malew MHK Tim Glover asked Cabinet Office Minister David Ashford how many employment tribunal and whistleblowing cases are in progress in each department, board and office.

Mr Ashford revealed there is just one whistleblowing case ongoing which is within Manx Care.

The are also five tribunal cases ongoing within Manx Care, two within the Department of Education, two within the Department of Home Affairs and one within the Department of Health and Social Care.

A total of 53 tribunal cases are currently ongoing within the Department of Infrastructure, although 48 of these concern employees of Public Transport and relate to the same matter, that being an allegation that the department subverted the collective bargaining process.

But Mr Ashford said in his reply that not every case is referred to the department’s Office of Human Resources although a more robust reporting process is being introduced.

Onchan MHK Julie Edge has also been asking three questions at this week’s Tynwald sitting related to whistleblowing, namely one relating to removing politicians from the whistleblowing policy, another on how many employees have had whistleblowing training and a final question on how many whistleblowing cases have been opened so far in 2025/26.

The government has just published a document relating to its whistleblowing procedure.

The new whistleblowing policy strongly discourages government employees from approaching media or politicians before using internal channels.

The document sets out how employees and contractors can raise concerns about suspected wrongdoing - such as criminal offences, breaches of legal obligations, or risks to health and safety - under the Employment Act 2006.

But this does not include anyone with personal issues such as harassment or bullying.

The policy applies to all government departments, boards and offices, alongside agency staff, volunteers and consultants. It aims to ensure that individuals who make what are legally defined as ‘protected disclosures’ are shielded from dismissal or other detriment.

Officials are advised to first report concerns to their line manager, then to a departmental Whistleblowing Officer, Chief Executive, or the Treasury’s Audit Advisory Division. If the matter cannot be resolved internally, it can be referred to a prescribed external regulator or authority.

Staff are also encouraged to use the Government’s Public Service Integrity Line if they wish to report anonymously.

In a further written question, Mr Glover also asked the Cabinet Office Minister how many settlement agreements entered into with former employees in 2023/24 and 2024/25 have included a non-disclosure agreement.

Mr Ashford said there were 16 such agreements in 2023/24 and 19 in 2024/25.

The minister added: ‘A non-disclosure agreement clause may be included in an agreement to keep certain details of the agreement confidential such as the sum of money agreed within the settlement; some or all of the other settlement terms and some or all of the circumstances leading to the settlement.

‘Non-disclosure agreements cannot seek to prevent someone from making protected disclosures (whistleblowing).’