The problems of keeping a whistleblower’s identity secret were raised at the latest sitting of Tynwald’s select committee on whistleblowing.

The committee, chaired by Julie Edge, MHK, was hearing evidence from Karen Badgerow, chief executive, and David Hodgson, operations director of the island’s Financial Services Authority, and Dr Malcolm Couch, chief executive and David Catlow, finance director of the Department of Health and Social Care.

Mr Hodgson said the policy was to avoid an issue escalating in the first place and to that end, staff completed a regular survey.

’We hope things come out at an early stage,’ he said, adding there were no negative responses to the survey statement: ’I can communicate any issues to my manager.’

He said there were two designated officers who people could approach and he said any financial matters were dealt with by the audit advisory committee.

Mrs Badgerow added all of the authority’s licensed bodies were encouraged to have their own individual whistleblowing policies. Over the past three years this had produced about 12 cases.

But despite the measures in place, Mr Hodgson said with a staff of 70 people, split into divisions and sub-divided into teams, it soon became ’pretty obvious there was a low number of candidates who could have raised a particular issue’.

’So we have a process of taking it so far then asking if the person is prepared to put their name to it.

’We explain there are processes to guard against harrassment.

’But it is very difficult in an organisation our size to keep things confidential,’ he said.

Answering a question from Jane Poole-Wilson, MLC, Mrs Badgerow said there could be instances where an issue raised was so important it had to be investigated even if the whistleblower was worried about being identified - money laundering for example.

’But there are processes to protect individuals concerned,’ she said.

Mr Hodgson added sometimes the allegation may be investigated via a different route.

On a similar issue, Mr Catlow told the committee if there was a conflict of interest, for instance if a matter involved an individual’s manager, the whistleblower would be directed to a different manager or the minister. He said there had been fewer than 10 cases in the last two years.

In criminal matters, he said the identity of the officer would be protected where possible but he added: ’Individuals know that in some cases identity can’t be protected’.

Dr Couch raised the issue of medical matters referred to the General Medical Council, saying if a witness statement was needed, ’people had to understand that could be a consequence of making a report, despite their wish to remain anonymous.’