An ’unfortunate oversight’ nearly led to all of the island’s emergency regulations being voided until it was noticed by Tynwald officers.

Tynwald was required to back a motion to ensure that the regulations made under the Emergency Powers Act 1936 which were in operation when the Proclamation of Emergency made by the Governor in Council on April 15 2020 ceased to have effect, be approved and continue in effect.

However, when the order paper and supplementary order paper were released for this week’s sitting of Tynwald, there was no sign of this motion.

Chief Minister Howard Quayle told Tynwald: ’It was an unfortunate oversight and I am extremely grateful to the officer in the clerk of Tynwald’s Office who questioned the lack of a continuation motion this morning.

’Otherwise all of the existing emergency powers would have fallen away.’

If the motion is not approved after a new proclamation is signed, then the regulations all expire.

Mr Quayle acknowledged that some of the measures introduced under the EPA have ’caused and continue to cause, strong emotions’ and that MHKs and MLCs have disagreed with at least some of the things government has done in responding to Covid-19.

Kate Lord-Brennan MLC asked Mr Quayle if he could provide details on how many regulations have been created and how many are still in force. The Chief Minister said he didn’t have that information to hand and would have it circulated to members.

Chris Robertshaw (Douglas East) said he had ’discomfort’ with the use of regulations and said there were ’other ways’ to govern during the crisis.

However, Mr Quayle challenged him to explain how, saying: ’The best minds in our Attorney General’s Chambers are working on a solution to see if there is a way that we can move forward to the satisfaction of this honourable court.’

He added: ’I have yet to receive that information on how we can move forward given the complexity of the situation we find ourselves in and I would be delighted if he would send me a paper showing how it can be done, giving protection to all the emergency statements we’ve had to make etc.’

The motion was passed almost unanimously in Tynwald with only Mr Robertshaw and Mrs Lord-Brennan voting against it.