Chief Minister Howard Quayle and Liberal Vannin leader Kate Beecroft have traded insults over the role of the island’s top civil servant.

The antipathy between the two, which has been bubbling under ever since Mr Quayle forced Mrs Beecroft out of her position as health minister, came to the surface in Tynwald last week over an issue raised by somebody off-island.

Mrs Beecroft is unhappy that the chief secretary is the official channel of communication with the UK Government and his role authorising a particular letter.

It came to light Anthony Webber, a former member of the Guernsey parliament, appealed against a UK Home Office decision to refuse to give information in connection with refugees.

Mrs Beecroft said the Isle of Man was one of three Crown Dependencies that wrote to the appeal tribunal asking for the information not to be released.

In Tynwald last week, she demanded to know who authorised the chief secretary, Will Greenhow, to act as the official channel of communication with the UK and on what basis that authority was granted and how it was applied.

Mr Quayle confirmed the chief secretary role, as the Manx Government’s principal advisor, had always included that of being the official channel of communication for the past 30 years. His job was also to manage the Isle of Man’s constitutional relationship with the UK.

He said it was ’distasteful’ that Mrs Beecroft (Douglas South) had first raised the issue in the media and that his officers had been diverted from ’critical’ issues to deal with her Tynwald question.

He added: ’I am discouraged that the first official question of this year to the chief minister is on behalf of a non-resident.’

Following an interjection from President of Tynwald Steve Rodan, to warn members not to stray into the subject matter of the legal dispute that had led to the question, Mrs Beecroft said: ’My concern is what authorities exactly does the chief secretary have.

’It is one thing having the formal role as an official channel of communications with the UK Government and it is certainly another matter that authorises a letter signed by a civil servant without any political oversight where there are political statements and it is interfering with the very legal process that the president referred to.’

Mr Quayle said he could not understand why she had not accepted his explanation, particularly given her previous experience on the Council of Ministers.

’I can maybe expect this question from a new backbencher who maybe has not followed the lines of engagement, but this is basic procedure really,’ he said.

Mrs Beecroft hit back that the feeling of disappointment was ’quite mutual’ and accused Mr Quayle of not understanding her question, which was for the details of the chief secretary’s role, rather than an outline. She accused him of refusing to supply those details.

Mr Quayle said he would circulate the job profile for the chief secretary but told Mrs Beecroft: ’I really think you are making a big mistake here.’

Each described the other’s stance as ’bizarre’ before Mrs Beecroft asked if the Council of Ministers had approved the chief secretary’s actions in relation to the case at the centre of the argument.

Mr Quayle said: ’I am not going to sign off every time he does a letter. He has to get on with his job. His job is clear what he has to do, which is to protect the Isle of Man.

’He deals with officers and when it comes to dealing with politicians, for a political discussion, then it is done with the relevant political members.’