The government has come under fire from the House of Keys’ presiding officer for rushing through emergency legislation.

Speaker Juan Watterson raised the issue in Tynwald.

He said the government had been talking about improving pre-legislative scrutiny for more than a year, with little action.

’What we have seen, however, is emergency legislation coming through the Keys, rather than the proper pre-legislative scrutiny that the minister (Chris Thomas) has been a champion for,’ Mr Watterson said.

’How can he explain the apparent disparity to the public?’

Policy and Reform Minister Chris Thomas MHK said: ’Some of the work for improved pre-legislative scrutiny might well be parliamentary - for Keys, Legislative Council, Tynwald, and perhaps Mr Speaker already has plans.

’From government’s side, initiatives include the use of white papers and potential changes to the consultation code and process, which is work in progress alongside existing longer established processes.’

He insisted that, despite Mr Watterson’s claim that nothing had taken place so far, there had been ’substantial’ initiatives.

In the UK, a white paper contains policy proposals that are put out for consultation. In the Isle of Man, legislation that goes before parliament for formal scrutiny is printed on green paper.

President of Tynwald Steve Rodan commented that the term ’white paper’ was not common in Manx politics and, if the Council of Ministers was to adopt it formally, ’it might be helpful to the court at some point just to clarify what a white paper is’.