The parliamentary behemoth that is Tynwald lumbers back into action today after the Christmas break.

But what might be most noticeable about this week’s proceedings is what is actually not happening.

Controversial changes to the employed person’s allowance and income support, which were due to be debated today, have been put on hold.

It follows serious concern at proposals that would have meant lone parents with children aged over 13 having to work almost twice as many hours before being eligible for employed person’s allowance, and lone parents whose oldest child was older than six no long being able to claim income support.

Last week the items were withdrawn from the agenda.

No matter how it is dressed up - and whether Tynwald members and the public buy the line being sold by Treasury that the reason for the withdrawal was because of an oversight in the sharing of information on the proposals - it has been embarrassing for the government.

No doubt Treasury Minister Alfred Cannan (pictured) will be delighted to see the question paper, bringing with it a number of questions on the subject, which might perhaps afford him the opportunity to give some of that information that has not been shared and, if we are lucky, give us a specific date as to when he plans to bring back the proposals.

Mr Cannan is due to give an update on the independent review of health and social care system that was set up a year ago to look at funding and services in the Department of Health and Social Care.

Whether he will give much away in advance of the report’s publication remains to be seen.

The government’s road safety strategy is also due to be debated before members’ attention will turn to the select committee report into mental health services in the Isle of Man, which pointed out a number of deficiencies and the need to allocate more funding. In its response the government agreed, although it stopped short of pledging to allocate the extra money.

Then the hot potato of public service media will return to the floor of Tynwald, which normally affords members the opportunity to talk in circles for several hours before deciding upon nothing.

To cut a long story down to the length of a radio news bulletin, after lots of posturing last month and the general conclusion that no one particularly liked the recommendations of a select committee, today they will have another vote upon an amendment tabled by Tim Baker.

This would affirm a commitment to public service media and its core values, tell the Council of Ministers to send someone over to the BBC asking for ’improved outcomes’ for the Isle of Man, and call up Manx Radio to develop a ’sustainable operational and funding plan’.

Meanwhile the question paper, which as well as the benefits issue, will cover a range of subjects including the Cycle to Work scheme, mental health services, school catchment projects and speech and language therapy, and progress on a number of Programme for Government actions.

But the stand out has to be a demand to know who has got the contract for the next Christmas panto in the Gaiety Theatre. You can cry ’oh no it isn’t’ all you want, that is an actual question tabled for the first 2019 sitting of our national parliament.