The government wants to broaden role of the Tynwald commissioner for administration.

Created in 2017, the role is similar to that of an ombudsman but at present the current commissioner, Angela Thompson, only has powers to investigate government departments.

But that is set to change.

Policy and Reform Minister Chris Thomas MHK said the scope would be broadened to cover all boards and offices of Tynwald by the start of next year and then, in July 2020, it will be extended cover all local authorities and joint local authority bodies.

As part of that process, the Council of Ministers will hold a statutory consultation, lasting eight weeks, to then be considered by CoMin and the Tynwald management committee.

In a statement to Tynwald last week, Mr Thomas added: ’The budget and practical arrangements of the extended role of the Tynwald commissioner for administration needs to be considered in coming months.’

This brought a response from Lawrie Hooper (LibVannin, Ramsey), who remarked: ’I would have thought that some consideration as to the budget and the practical arrangements would have had to have been given before they went out to consultation.’

Mr Thomas gave an assurance that was the case.

’Absolutely, we have thought about that in government,’ he said.

’We have visited the Tynwald management committee and expressed our views and I am sure the Tynwald management committee will also have been working since last October on practical arrangements, and we will be consulting about exactly that in the coming months.’