A busy agenda will see a number of contentious issues debated in Tynwald today (Tuesday).

Spending at Noble’s Hospital will once more attract headlines, with the recommendations of the public accounts committee (PAC) due to be debated.

You cannot help but feel that maybe the PAC members feel a little put out that some of the committee’s work has been superseded by the government’s announcement - and Tynwald’s approval - of an independent review of the entire spending regime at the Department of Health and Social Care.

Add in that one of the recommendations that has not been overtaken by events will be opposed by the Council of Ministers - the one that services should not be expanded, or any new services introduced until the DHSC is in the black - then it is possible that sabres will be rattled.

As if that is not enough, at the end of the sitting, former health minister Kate Beecroft has tabled motions calling for Tynwald to declare that the NHS should not be privatised and affirm the principle of its services being free at the point of delivery.

The opportunity for point-scoring in all of this is tremendous. In the House of Keys last week, one MHK - yes, you, Mr Baker - could not resist when Mrs Beecroft had the temerity to raise health issues of concern to her. We’re sure they will all rise above such things this time.

The harbours strategy, and its possible implications for future relations with the Steam Packet and sea services as a whole, also has the potential for fractious debate.

Before all that, Education Minister Graham Cregeen and Children’s Champion Daphne Caine have the opportunity to resume hostilities, as Tynwald is asked to approve the spending of £3.6 million on an extension and alterations at St Mary’s RC Primary School.

Mrs Caine did not seem too impressed with that news, at least not when compared with the situation for staff and pupils of St Thomas’ CE School, who are shortly likely to co-exist on the campus at Scoill Vallajeelt in Meadow Crescent, Douglas.

Elsewhere during the sitting, Julie Edge (Onchan) is seeking a select committee to be appointed to review the effectiveness of the government’s whistle-blowing policy.

No doubt this will all prove extremely interesting to the four new MLCs, who were elected last week - albeit not by the likes of you or me - and will be attending a sitting for the first time.

We wait, with bated breath, to see whether their arrival can be acknowledged without reference to the shocking fact that all the new faces - plus that of the one LegCo member who was also returned - belong to women.

Before the weighty items of the main agenda can be considered, however, there is question time.

The number of questions is relatively few this month, but issues covered include Sunday opening at the Manx Museum, the threat of job losses at the University College Isle of Man, the government’s sewerage strategy, charities legislation and whether buses are fitted with ’winter tyres’ in bad weather.