Tynwald members unanimously voted to accept the heads of terms of new sea services agreement with the Steam Packet.

The new agreement is replacing the user agreement and is due to come into force on January 1, 2020, to run for 25 years.

Members yesterday (Wednesday) gave their full support for the Department of Infrastructure to finalise the new deal, despite an attempt by Chris Robertshaw (Douglas East) to give members a final vote on the agreement.

Members were voting on was for the heads of terms, which are still subject to some changes.

Mr Robertshaw told members that, while he supported the need for the company to be run at arm’s length, he believed the agreement should be signed off by Tynwald ’as was agreed by members last May’. He added: ’If the heads of terms is an accurate representation of the final agreement then what is the problem?’

Despite calls from Home Affairs Minister Bill Malarkey (Douglas South) that he was ’interfering’ with the process, Mr Robertshaw gained some support from members.

Lawrie Hooper (Liberal Vannin, Ramsey) and MLC Jane Poole-Wilson both supported him.

Mrs Poole-Wilson said that, in her experience as a lawyer, heads of terms could change when a final deal was reached and were not legally binding.

She also noted that previous agreements had been made public and voted on, which was what Mr Robertshaw was seeking.

Enterprise Minister Laurence Skelly said he wouldn’t back the amendment and added that with Tynwald as the world’s oldest continuous parliament and the Steam Packet Company as the oldest ferry operator ’this has to be the world’s oldest continuous debate’.

DoI Minister Ray Harmer gave his word to members that the new sea services agreement will be made public and pleaded with members not to support the amendment.

Mr Robertshaw’s amendment was defeated in both the Keys (four for - 16 against) and in LegCo (3-6), the motion was then passed unanimously.