Having a Brussels office may become even more important after Brexit, the Chief Minister told the House of Keys.

Howard Quayle said the likely on-going cost of operating the Brussels office, based on the expenditure incurred in the last complete financial year, is about £100,000 a year.

Julie Edge (Onchan) said this seemed quite a ’reserved’ amount.

Mr Quayle thanked her for ’saying how well we’ve done in getting the costs down’.

He said the island shared the office with the Scottish government which made a significant reduction in the costs and that we pay about Euros 20,000 for that.

Mr Quayle said the head of the Brussels office, Mike Vercnocke, is a local appointment so this made savings in respect of living costs and there was a further saving as they work four days a week.

’I think we are getting very good value for money,’ he said. ’It’s very important that we have an office in Brussels where our interests can be looked at.

’Yes, the UK government take a responsibility for looking after our international concerns.

’However, knowing what’s coming down the road and getting the message over from the Isle of Man, I think this is money very well spent indeed.’

Ms Edge asked about the continuing strategy for the office.

Mr Quayle replied: ’Brexit is going ahead and we are in the middle of negotiations now. I have regular conferences with Westminster on this very topic. We will just have to review it as a nation once the full divorce has happened.

’It may well be we need it even more going forward, keeping someone there looking after our interests and finding out what is coming down the pipeline may be more important next year than it is currently.’