october 2013 e newsletter

An Isle of Man Government publication ISSUE 5: October 2013

INSIDE: Savings Online services October statement FATCA signing Island of Culture

Play an active role

in public life in the

Island — p10-11

Isle of Man

Gov. enews

The biggestthreat toour future

Snout and about in Ramsey

A school farm could soonbe hearing the patter oftiny trotters as its latestacquisition, a rare breedBerkshire sow, settles in.

The farm at RamseyGrammar is unique in the Is-land and is one of just 100 atschools throughout theBritish Isles. It boasts class-

rooms, a high-tech piggery, asheep shed and polytunnels,a greenhouse and landwhere students grow crops.

It received nationalrecognition when it wonFarm Assured status and itsfully traceable meat is sold

>>> The Council ofMinisters will soon bereceiving a report on theageing population – theissue described as ‘thebiggest threat to theeconomic and socialfuture of the Isle ofMan’.

A warning has been issuedthat the National InsuranceFund will start collapsing inlittle more than 20 years fromnow and under-45s are facinga future without acceptableState pension provision.

The Chief Minister said aworking group, involvingrepresentatives from theprivate and third sectors aswell as Government, had beenexamining the ageingpopulation challenge andwould produce an initial reportto the Council of Ministers inthe near future.

In his progress andpriorities statement toTynwald, Mr Bell identified ‘thedemographic reality that our

nation is growing older’ as thelargest long-term issue facingthe Island.

He added: ‘As in manynations, without greatereconomic expansion there willbe fewer people of workingage to pay for the needs of theelderly and the young.’

Mr Bell said a nationaldebate was needed on how toprovide pensions, health careand social services in a viablemanner. This would have toconsider the role of populationgrowth in maintaining theeconomy required.

He concluded: ‘Quitefrankly, our current system isnot sustainable within a lowtax environment without aradical review of how wedeliver services, raisingcharges or means-testing.Nonetheless, we must also bemindful of the pressure of anincreasing cost of living onhousehold budgets.’

Read more:

http://tinyurl.com/ohotlvzContinued on page 3

Ageing population issue must be addressed

Chief Minister

highlights need

for change — p4-5

Media spotlight

on Island

watchmaker — p11

E-newsletter issue five:IN FOCUS AUTUMN 2010 29/10/2013 12:42

Isle of Man

Gov. enews

The Isle of Man is situated in the middle of the Irish Seaat the centre of the British Isles. It is 33 miles (53km)long and 13 miles (22km) wide at its broadest point,with a resident population of 84,500.

The Island has a distinct cultural and political iden-tity. It is not, and never has been, a part of the UnitedKingdom. Nor is it part of the European Union, withwhich it has a special and limited relationship allowingfor free trade in agricultural and manufactured products.

The Isle of Man is a self-governing British CrownDependency with its own government and laws, madein Tynwald, which was founded more than 1,000 yearsago and is the world’s oldest continuous parliament.

It is the policy of the Isle of Man Government to beboth economically competitive and internationally re-sponsible in supporting the interests of its people.

More information about the Isle of Man Govern-ment can be found at http://www.gov.im/

in fact

Millions saved onGovt properties

PAGE 2

Efficiencydrive

More than £5.1 million of surplus property disposed of

The Isle of Man Government is enteringinto a six-month period of detaileddiscussions with the Manx EducationalFoundation (MEF), which could result in asite being secured for a proposedInternational Centre for Technology.

If certain conditions are met, the MEFwill purchase the Nunnery site on theoutskirts of Douglas from Government for£5 million.

The Department of EconomicDevelopment says the proposal has the

potential to create a world-class ICTeducation and training facility.

Government’s Vision 2020 initiative,which is the most significant project formany years to look at the future of theIsland’s economy, has identified hugegrowth potential in e-Business and ICT.However, there is currently a globalshortage of skilled ICT workers.

The MEF is working with the BritishComputer Society to provide innovativeundergraduate degrees in ICT. It has also

secured a Memorandum of Understandingwith Hewlett Packard UK (HP), one of theworld’s leading ICT firms.

The MEF’s International Centre forTechnology has the potential to benefit theIsle of Man in economic terms, bothdirectly — from investment and attractionof students from overseas — and indirectlythrough developing vital ICT skills.

Story:

http://tinyurl.com/nqz5ndo

Plans to create an ICT centre of excellence in Island

>>> The Isle of Man Governmenthas made solid progress incutting the amount of officespace it rents and the number ofbuildings it owns.

In recent years, Government hasreduced annual spending on rentals byover £700,000 and expects to more thandouble these savings by 2018.

Government has also disposed of more£5.1 million of surplus property in the lasttwo years against an initial target of £4million for the period.

The initiative is considered good for theoverall economy, freeing up space forprivate sector expansion, as well asproducing capital income and revenuesavings for Government.

In terms of rented accommodation,Government has released substantial areas

of floor space in Douglas and is continuingto explore ways of driving costs downfurther by more consolidation ofoperations within its owned property.

This is a cross-Government exercisewith all Departments engaging to helpmake the most of the Island’s propertyresources.

Disposals so far include former policestations, doctors’ surgeries, bus depots,electricity retail outlets, office premisesand underutilised land and buildings.

The disposals are part of a consideredstrategic programme. Sites and buildingsthat are identified as crucial to the deliveryof Government services into the future willbe retained.

Story:

http://tinyurl.com/o92hbjz

NewsDigest...

4G is on the wayManx Telecom and Sure Isle of Manhave secured licences to bring fourth-generation (4G) mobile phone servicesto the Isle of Man.

4G is particularly geared to theprovision of high-speed mobile dataservices, enabling customers to accessbroadband services over mobile atcomparable speeds to those experiencedover the fixed network.

Story:

http://tinyurl.com/npxcqxe

Strong interest in IslandThere was a good level of interest in theIsle of Man at the 12th European i-gaming congress and expo in Barcelona.

Several firms discussed thepossibility of relocating their operationsto the Isle of Man, while some entrantsto the market were also keen to discoverwhat the Island could offer.

Story:

http://tinyurl.com/nklxws8

For all the latest Government

news visit http://www.gov.im


Isle of Man

Gov. enews

FATCA signing a‘momentous step’

PAGE 3

Taxcompliance

UK Chancellor praises Island for tax leadership

through Ramsey butcher W E Teare.

Students use the farm to gain hands-on experience as they work towards Envi-ronment and Land-Based Science atGCSE and Environmental Studies at Alevel. There’s also a popular out-of-hoursAnimal Club, where pupils play a leadingrole.

The latest inhabitant was generouslydonated to the school by a Shropshire

breeder as she wasn’t suitable for show-ing – her snout is too long – but sheboasts a great temperament so is idealfor a school setting.

Marion Cottier, Subject Leader inRural Science, and her semi-retired pred-ecessor John Craine, who started thefarm, travelled to the UK to collect thesow. The animal slept most of the wayback but, when thirsty, let her escortsknow by picking up her water bowl andthrowing it at them.

Although there’s little room for senti-ment in farming, Mrs Cottier admits sheand students are ‘smitten’ with the sow.

There are now plans to breed a Berk-shire litter in the spring via artificial in-semination.

Mrs Cottier admitted carrying out thisprocess wasn’t something she imagineddoing when training to teach but shesaid: ‘We don't keep a boar as they aretemperamental and wouldn't suit being ina school environment.’

Continued from page 1

Students are ‘smitten’ with farm’s latest addition

>>> The Isle of Man has becomethe first British dependency tosign an agreement with theUnited Kingdom extending theautomatic disclosure of taxinformation.

The intergovernmental agreement wassigned in London by Chief Minister AllanBell MHK and HM Treasury ExchequerSecretary David Gauke MP, and has beenwelcomed by Chancellor George OsborneMP.

It is modelled on the requirements ofthe Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act(FATCA) introduced by the United States toensure the tax compliance of its citizenswith international interests.

On the current timetable forimplementation the two Governments haveagreed to start exchanging additionalinformation from 2016.

The Isle of Man already sharesinformation automatically on personalsavings income with the UK and otherEuropean Union countries, having been thefirst non-EU jurisdiction to make a publiccommitment to this under the EU SavingsDirective in June 2009.

The Island was also the first to commit,in December last year, to the FATCA-styleagreement with the UK extending thescope of automatic disclosure to include,for example, companies and trusts.

Mr Osborne said: ‘The agreement wehave now signed with the Isle of Man is amomentous step forward in taxtransparency, showing that when we worktogether we can push the internationalagenda forward.

‘The Isle of Man should be recognisedas the first jurisdiction to sign anagreement of this kind with the UK.’

FATCA SIGNING: Chief Minister AllanBell MHK and David Gauke MP

NewsDigest...

Further economic growthChief Minister Allan Bell MHK haswelcomed evidence of continuing growthin the Isle of Man economy.

The national income accounts for2011-12 show a 29th successive year ofeconomic expansion.

Story:

http://tinyurl.com/nruvdx8

Island on world stageTreasury Minister Eddie Teare MHKreaffirmed the Isle of Man’s commitmentto remaining at the forefront of globalstandards when he attended the largestannual gathering of the world’s financeministers.

Mr Teare represented the Island inWashington at the 2013 meetings of theWorld Bank, International Monetary Fundand Commonwealth Finance Ministers.

Story:

http://tinyurl.com/mqutrxu

Health Service reviewTwo senior representatives from theWest Midlands Quality Review Service(WMQRS) visited the Island for thesecond time as part of preparations forthe review of the Island’s Health Service.

Jane Eminson, Acting Director of theWMQRS, and Sarah Broomhead, QualityManager, were here to finalisearrangements ahead of the first servicereview, which takes place in November.

Story:

http://tinyurl.com/p8qs8kh


Isle of Man

Gov. enews PAGE 4

Chief Minister highlightsneed for radical changes

TheNumbers...

Expected growth in 65+population in next 20 years

Number of new jobs created inthe Isle of Man over past year

Estimate of current growth ratein the Isle of Man’s economy

Financial assistance offered byEconomic Development

75% 1,200 3-4% £3.7m

>>> Chief Minister Allan Bell MHK used his statement at the opening of the newparliamentary session in October to highlight some of Government’s achievements and toset out the challenges still to come as the Island gets to grips with a number of key issues

HELPFUL HINTSRead the Chief Minister’s October

statement to Tynwald in full

http://tinyurl.com/q2omlzj

Further information about the Isle ofMan’s economy

http://www.whereyoucan.com/

Octoberstatement

>>> A radical restructuring ofthe Council of Ministers wassignalled by Chief Minister AllanBell MHK when he presented hisannual progress and prioritiesstatement to the October sittingof Tynwald.

Mr Bell said more robust means wereneeded for developing policies and drivingthrough change if Government is to dealeffectively with the critical issues facing

the Island.

The October statement reported goodnews on the development of the Island’seconomy and international reputation, andprogress in making Government moreefficient.

But it also warned of major challengesbeyond the rebalancing of the budget in2015/16 – particularly the pressures of anageing population on public services suchas health and social care.

What the Chief Minister said ...Government can no longer work in departmentalsilos. We will be reviewing the budget-settingprocess, which I believe needs improvement forthe future. We must put the needs of our citizensabove the outdated structures of Government todeliver the right outcomes. I strongly believe,especially based on our past achievements, thatworking together constructively with business andthe wider community we can protect and developstill further a strong, fair, inclusive and tolerantIsland with a sustainable and stableeconomy. This will deliver a trulyprosperous and caring society intothe future — the future our nationdeserves.“Other highlights from the

October statement on p5


Isle of Man

Gov. enewsPAGE 5

Longer-term challenges

• Ageing population. The 65+ population expected to growby 75% in the next 20 years, compared to an overallpopulation increase of 16%. Health care costs for the over80s to double from £25m to £50m in the same period.

• Current model for providing health care, social services andpensions ‘is not sustainable’.

• Climate change. An Environment and Climate Change Billwill identify a plan to meet a target of 80% reduction inemissions.

Highlights of the October statement

Government

• Chamber of Commerce assisting with Scopeof Government review of public services witha combined value of around £164m.

• Chief Minister backs merger of Manx ElectricityAuthority and Water and Sewerage Authority, notingthat MEA debt continues to mount and warningagainst above-inflation tariff increases.

• Government going ahead with the creationof a Public Services Commission, wih astreamlined negotiating machinery for CivilService Commission and Whitley Council staff.

• Recommendations on the reform of wastecollection and disposal are expected soon.

• Sustainability of the Government UnifiedPensions Scheme to be revisited.

Economy

• Island’s national income per head is in theworld’s top ten and for the first time oureconomy is the largest of the three CrownDependencies. Current growth rate estimatedat 3 to 4%.

• Growing business connections with China and theMiddle East. Chief Minister to lead trade delegation toChina early next year.

• International reputation transformed. DavidCameron has now written to the Chief Ministerlooking forward to ‘continued positiveengagement with the Isle of Man’.

• Government to back creation of specialist ITtraining facility.

• New engineering training programme due todouble in capacity next year.

• 1,200 new jobs created in the past year. Morepeople in employment than ever before, over 49,000.

• Economic Development has made 52 offersof financial assistance totalling £3.7m, 21 tonew businesses.


EducationandChildren

Isle of Man

Gov. enews PAGE 6

Sign up to become a Global Friend of the Isle of Man and receive regular updates http://www.gov.im/cso/friends.aspx

‘

‘Our prime consideration in cases ofheavy snow, high winds or flooding isalways the safety of our 12,000 pupilsand the thousands of school staff weemploy — John Gill, Education and Children Continued on page 7

It’s snowing ...Mum, do we geta day off school?

>>> The forecast is forsevere weather ... but

who actually makes thecall on whether or not to

close Island schools?Here, we look at the

planning and discussionthat goes into the

decision-making process

WHITE OUT: Ballaugh Primary School under deep snow

‘The snow that saw schools shut upshop on the last day of the spring termwas generally well forecast and warnedabout, but was still unprecedented inrecent times. It not only hit parts of theIsland more heavily than some peopleexpected but it affected locations thatwere not expected to receive such heavysnow quite so early in the day,’ John said.

‘Although some closures were

>>> As winter approaches, theDepartment of Education andChildren (DEC) is carrying out theannual task of refreshing itsprotocols for closing schools inthe event of severe weather.

The Minister for Education and Childrenis, by law, the only person who can orderschools to close and he’ll do so only after atried and tested procedure swings intoaction.

When severe weather is forecast, theDEC maintains close contact with the MetOffice at the Isle of Man Airport, the Isle ofMan Constabulary, the Department ofInfrastructure, which is in charge of roads,and Bus Vannin, which ferries pupils to andfrom schools.

It’s only after considering all the adviceavailable that the decision is taken to keepschools open or close them. This decisionis then reviewed throughout the day.

‘Our prime consideration in cases ofheavy snow, high winds or flooding isalways the safety of our 12,000 pupils andthe thousands of school staff we employ,’said John Gill, Head of Legal andAdministrative Services for the DEC.

‘Weather conditions can vary greatlyfrom one part of the Island to another andsometimes the weather can be ratherunpredictable.

announced immediately, huge parts of theIsland hadn’t seen a single flake of snowon that Friday morning and parents mayhave been surprised had we shut theirschools. However, once the severe weathercame in, pupils were kept safe and warmin schools until parents could collect them.

‘We were able to ensure buses were allin the right places, outside schools readyfor when we announced at lunchtime thatall schools would close. Then we made itclear to parents that there was no rush toget to a school and that buildings wouldstay open until the very last pupil had left.

‘On a previous occasion when theIsland was hit by heavy snow, weannounced school closures just as many


Isle of Man

Gov. enewsPAGE 7

employers were allowing their workforcesto go home for the day and the resultinglogjam on the roads meant that busescouldn’t get to schools to ferry childrenhome, so we learned from thatexperience.’

In the event of roads being impassableto buses and cars, the team at theDEC/schools arranges individual transporthome for pupils living in the mostinaccessible areas, using four-wheel drive

vehicles and the like.

When the DEC does have to closeschools, the Island’s media is invaluable inletting parents know speedily, as is the Isleof Man Government website and the DEC’sTwitter feed.

Closing schools isn’t a decision that’staken lightly.

John said: ‘We fully appreciate theimpact unexpected closures have onworking parents and therefore on theeconomy. With 12,000 pupils, this canleave employers – including key

organisations such as the hospital – shortof staff. An unexpected day off for pupilsisn’t welcomed nearly as much by parents.

‘We accept we cannot please everyonein these situations, as opinions differ.That’s why we weigh up all the informationwe have, liaising with authoritiesthroughout the night if needs be, beforemaking any announcements.

‘The bottom line is always safety. If theweather is such that pupils and staff can’tget to and from schools safely, we have nooption but to close them.’


SCHOOL’S OUT: Michael Primary School (main photo and inset left) and St John’s during the big snow

Decisions are not taken lightly


HELPFUL HINTS

HowTo

Register for online services

Isle of Man

Gov. enews PAGE 8

To enrol for online services pleaseclick on the link below and follow

the instructions provided

http://tinyurl.com/d2kl4yz

What’s life like for young people in 2013?

>>> Taking advantage of onlineservices will enable you tomanage your dealings withGovernment in a fast, convenientand secure manner.

Submitting tax returns, paying bills,renewing a vehicle licence and searchingfor a job are just some of the activitiesthat can be done online.

The benefits of online services includeconvenience, security, ease of use, speedand flexibility.

• Convenience — registering is asimple, quick, do once process which canbe done whenever you want. You can thenenrol with multiple services and conductyour business transactions withGovernment whenever you like.

• Security — all Government servicesare designed to be secure, only you andthe receiving Government Department canaccess your information.

• Ease of use — allowing you to have asingle login to access all of your onlineservices with Government means you willonly have to remember one login id /

password (not create a different username / password for each Governmentonline service)

• Speed — using electronic servicesremoves the need to travel to Governmentbuildings, telephone for information or usepaper to render returns. It also allowsGovernment to respond faster to yoursubmissions and become more responsive.

• Flexibility — you will be able tomanage your relationships withGovernment:

o Act on behalf of others — forexample, an accountancy firm could fileVAT returns on behalf of their clients.

o Set up users and their access rights.

You can set up other users to act on yourbehalf, within your account and decidewhether these users can have access toone or all of the services that you haveenrolled for. For example, you can allowsomeone to maintain your Income Taxservice but not access your VAT service.*

o Out-of-hours access. Most onlineservices are available around the clockwhich gives you the ability to communicatewith Government whenever you want.

* Please note that individual servicesmay restrict the ability for other users toact on your behalf within their service. Youcan check this on each service home page.

>>> A biennial survey of youngpeople will be launched duringYouth Week (4th to 9thNovember).

The 53-question survey is beingconducted by the Children’s ServicesPartnership and will be aimed at the 6,800young people in the 11 to 18 age bracket.

It will seek their views on a range ofissues, including their schooling, aspects ofcareer advice they consider important tothem and their future plans.

The survey also seeks to ascertain howmany young people speak a languageother than English at home, how many aredisabled and how they feel they aretreated if they are, and whether they carefor a relative.

There are questions on diet, smoking,drinking and on hobbies and physicalactivities and what prevents young people

engaging with these. How saferespondents feel in their community is alsoaddressed.

Young people are asked whether theyhave been bullied, where this took placeand what form it took and who, if anyone,they confided in.

The responses will be used by thepartnership – which consists of theDepartments of Health, Social Care,Education and Children, CommunityCulture and Leisure and EconomicDevelopment , the third sector and the Isleof Man Constabulary – to identify youngpeople’s concerns and plan services.

Secondary students will receive apostcard inviting them to take part in thesurvey and it will be advertised on the DECYouth Service’s Facebook page and atyouth centres, libraries and at the Isle ofMan College of Further and HigherEducation.

Ken Callister, Principal Youth Officer atthe DEC, said: ‘The Isle of ManGovernment’s policy for children contains aclear commitment to listen to the views ofyoung people and involve them indecisions that affect them.

‘The object of the survey is to discoverwhat life is like growing up in the Isle ofMan in 2013 and to collect both positiveand negative feedback over services, toenable us and third sector organisations todeliver them more effectively.’

Ken said one area identified forexploration was emotional health and well-being.

The survey, which will be run onSurveyMonkey, will end on 18th Decemberand the results will be published onwww.youth.im

A prize draw will see a small number ofparticipants receive either an iPad or aniTunes voucher.


Have

say ...your

Isle of Man

Gov. enewsPAGE 9

>>> The Council of Ministerscommunity meetings are now anestablished part of the Isle ofMan’s political calendar.

The events are held quarterly atvenues in the north, east, south and westof the Island and are aimed at givingmembers of the public a platform to voicetheir ideas, opinions and concerns.

Chief Minister Allan Bell MHKintroduced the public forums as part of hiselection promise to promote Governmenttransparency and to work with local peoplein the best interests of the Isle of Man.

The concept has been generally wellreceived with Island residents enjoying theopportunity to meet face-to-face withGovernment Ministers and raise a widerange of national and local issues.

Members of the audience can ask aquestion on any subject and thisunscripted approach has led to some livelydiscussions and exchanges.

The Government is keen to encouragethis type of open and honest debate as away of explaining their policies, decisionsand actions to the public.

And while Departments also

>>> The Council of Ministerscommunity meetings build on arange of initiatives aimed atmaking Government more openand accountable. Initiativesinclude ...

• New performance managementwebsite which sets out Government’sprogress towards achieving its targets.The first quarterly update was publishedat the end of July

• Minutes of Council of Ministers andChief Officer Group meetings are postedon the Government website

• Updates on Government activity,services and spending are routinelyprovided to Members of Tynwald

• Budget reports are made publiclyavailable

• Chief Minister hosts a weekly pressconference to field questions from the

Island’s media

• Introduction of three parliamentarycommittees from October 2011 hasadded a layer of scrutiny around the keypolicy areas of the economy,environment and infrastructure, andsocial affairs

• Members of the public also have theoption to request information via theCode of Practice on Access toGovernment Information.

Meet the Council of Ministers

Making Government more open and accountable

communicate with Island residentsthrough a wide range of other channels,including social media, the old-fashionedvillage hall debates still appear to havetheir place.

If you have never attended a Roamin’CoMin before, why not come along in

future? Ministers will be at a venue in thesouth of the Island early in the New Yearand in the north in the spring. Details willbe confirmed nearer the time.

And if you don’t like the idea ofspeaking in front of other people there’sthe option to submit a written question.

MEET THE MINISTERS: Come along to join the debate with the Council ofMinisters (back row, l-r) Graham Cregeen, David Cretney, Chris Robertshaw,David Anderson, Tim Crookall (front row, l-r) Phil Gawne, Eddie Teare, AllanBell, Juan Watterson, John Shimmin

Community meetings provide anopportunity for members of the public to

meet face-to-face with Government Ministersand raise a range of national and local issues.

Events are held quarterly across the Islandand are publicised in advance. Here, we

give you a run-down on what youcan expect


Isle of Man

Gov. enews

Play an active role in publiclife in the Isle of Man

PublicAppointments

PAGE 10

Continued on page 11

>>> Have you got what it takes to make a difference to the local community? Haveyou considered taking up a public appointment? Here, we explain what’s involved

>>> Are you interested inmaking a contribution to publiclife in the Isle of Man?

Yes? Then you should consider takingup a public appointment.

These posts offer people anopportunity to play their part in theoperation and delivery of essential servicesin diverse areas such as energy and watersupply, financial services regulation, andconsumer rights.

People from all backgrounds and walksof life are urged to apply when vacanciesarise in order to provide ideas and advicefrom different perspectives.

These public bodies are notGovernment Departments, but their workforms an integral part of the overallprocess of Government.

Details are advertised when vacanciesbecome available. Alternatively people canbe included on a mailing list forforthcoming appointments by registeringtheir details.

• What is a public appointment?

A public appointment is anappointment of a lay person (a non-Tynwald Member) to a public body,including a statutory board, or a statutorybody such as an authority, commission orcommittee.

These bodies all have a role in thefunctioning of the Isle of Man Government,

‘

‘

People from all backgrounds and walksof life are urged to apply whenvacancies arise in order to provide ideasand advice from different perspectives

but are not Government Departments.They provide independent advice and/ordeliver some aspect of public service andplay a crucial role in shaping andinfluencing policy and decision-makinglocally.

• Becoming a public appointee

One of the key aspects of taking up a

public appointment is being prepared togive your time, skills, knowledge, andcommitment. Many appointments requirespecialist knowledge and expertise, butothers do not.

People are expected to demonstratethe seven principles of public life —selflessness, integrity, objectivity,accountability, openness, honestyandleadership.

While public appointees are notinvolved in the day-to-day running of anorganisation, they are required to give anongoing commitment in terms of theirtime, interest and attention. Demands varyaccording to the post, from attending afew board meetings each year – plus time


MEDIA SPOTLIGHTA round-up of coverage about the Isle

of Man in the international media

Isle of Man

Gov. enewsPAGE 11


An opportunity to develop

your experience

your career and broaden

HELPFUL HINTSRegister online to receive

details of all forthcoming

public appointments

http://tinyurl.com/burf9c7

to read papers and prepare for meetings –to more substantial duties.

• A public appointment gives youthe chance to:

• give something back, contribute yourexpertise for the benefit of the Isle of Man

• meet people from all walks of lifewho also want to make a difference

• develop your career, gain broadexperience and extend your skills

• return from a career break.

Levels of remuneration vary inaccordance with the public appointment —full details are always provided in advance.

• Your skills

Public appointments cover a widerange of responsibilities.

In general, the following qualities arelikely to be important:

• commitment to devote the necessarytime to prepare and to participate activelyin the work of the body

• courage to ask questions or querywhy a certain approach is beingrecommended

• commonsense to be able to assessthe impact of decisions on all sections ofthe community and bring an independentview to the debate

• communication skills with the ability

to listen and to express your views; tonegotiate and influence and to deal withall groups, including specialists andexperts

• clarity to assess a situation quickly,accurately and even-handedly; to thinkstrategically and to see the widerpicture.

This experience could bedemonstrated in your career or in avariety of other ways, such as voluntarywork.

Perhaps you have been a schoolgovernor, a chamber of commercemember, or involved in charitable work.You will be asked to complete anapplication form and provide evidenceof how you meet the role profile andperson specification.

• Mailing list

Anybody interested in serving as alay member on a public body can beincluded on a mailing list forforthcoming appointments byregistering their details.

Find out more about the education systemParents relocating to the Island canlearn about the education system viaan online leaflet.

It answers commonly asked queriesover catchment areas, enrolmentprocedures, how school standards aremeasured, how exam attainmentcompares to the UK and what extra

assistance is available to pupils whoneed it.

Businesses requiring a PDF copy fortheir website or for new employeesshould email [email protected]

More information:

http://tinyurl.com/pu74op5

Follow the latest news from the Chief Minister’s Office on Twitter @IOMGovernment

Celebrating a unique

method of watchmaking>>> During his lifetime, GeorgeDaniels was considered by manyto be the finest watchmaker — orhorologist — in the world.

Working from his studio in the Isle ofMan, Daniels is claimed to be the firstperson in history to make everycomponent of a watch from scratch and byhand. The timepieces he painstakinglyproduced were said to be among the mostextraordinary and technically advancedwatches ever made.

Daniels died in 2011, bequeathing hisentire workshop to his apprentice Roger W.Smith who continues what is known as theDaniels method of hand-making watches.

Smith started his own studio in 2001,and now produces around 10 watchesevery year. Each of the watches — pricesfor which start at £95,000 — takes morethan six months for a single watchmakerto create by hand.

The BBC has produced a video of theprocess which is available to view here:

http://tinyurl.com/ogwhbso

Crime stories could hit

US prime time TV>>> An Isle of Man crime authorhas spoken of his excitementafter American network ABCconfirmed it is developing a TVdrama series based on his books.

Chris Ewan's five-book series, TheGood Thief's Guide, follows the adventuresof criminal Charlie Howard around theworld.

The show is being developed for ABCby 20th Century Fox Television.

Read more:

http://tinyurl.com/o57bsyo


Isle of Man

Gov. enewsIsle of Man GovernmentGovernment OfficeBucks Road, Douglas,Isle of Man, IM1 3PN

Telephone: +44 (0)1624 685284Fax: +44 (0)1624 686243Email: [email protected]

Is published by:

The External Relations DivisionChief Secretary’s Office

Isle of Man

Gov. enews PAGE 12

Memorable year ahead asCulture calendar builds

IslandofCulture2014

HELPFUL HINTSRegister for news updates

http://www.islandofculture.im/register

Apply for funding

http://www.islandofculture.im/funding

Find us on Facebook and Twitter

and watch our video

http://www.islandofculture.im/

Get in touch: call 694598 or email

[email protected]

>>> The events calendar forIsland of Culture 2014 isbuilding — and, with close to 200activities planned, the year isshaping up to be a memorableone.

The local community is embracing theethos of Island of Culture and the artsteam at the Department of Community,Culture and Leisure is busy with enquiriesand discussions about special events andhow to get involved.

The Arts Council has already grantedsupport to a number of community events,one of which is the Manx Gateway DramaGroup. The drama group was set up in2008 for adults with learning disabilitiesand has gone from strength to strength.

For Island of Culture they are planninga special production that will incorporatetraditional Manx fairytales and originalmusic. This special performance in May willbe in addition to the group’s annualproduction and nativity play.

You can watch their most recentproduction ‘The Pirates of Port St Mary’

here http://youtu.be/QmliYAqcK2A

Also receiving support is the ArchibaldKnox Society for an event at St German’sCathedral in April to celebrate the 150thanniversary of Knox’s birth.

The celebration will include music fromlocal groups Caarjyn Cooidjagh andBarrule as well as a speciallycommissioned composition by CharlesGuard for the harp. On display will be TheDeer’s Cry illustrated manuscript and thecathedral’s silverware designed by Knox.

This is just one of the events takingplace in 2014 to celebrate Archibald Knox.Patron of Island of Culture, Clare ChristianMLC, is leading a special group to ensureManx-born artist and designer Knox is afocal point of our cultural heritage duringand beyond 2014.

The Manx Passion produced by the ArtsCouncil takes place from 14 to 18 April2014 at various venues across the Island.

This event is gathering momentum andhas 100 local volunteers committed toperforming and helping with all elements

of the production.

This will be a large scale eventportraying sections of the Bible at some ofour most iconic sites, starting at RushenAbbey on Palm Sunday before takingNoah’s flood to the lake at the MooraghPark and staging the crucifixion at StAnthony’s Church in Onchan.

Jesus is being portrayed by a formerYoung Actor of Mann and members of thesouthern community initiative Men inSheds are building the sets required.

Other exciting events in the 2014calendar include the live screening of theNational Theatre’s War Horse at the StudioTheatre 27 February, the Easter Festival ofPlays at the Gaiety Theatre 19-26 April,the Barbirolli Oboe Competition 5-12 Aprilat the Erin Arts Centre, the 40th annualMananan Festival 15-28 June at the ErinArts Centre, Yn Chruinnaght 16-20 July,the British All Winners Play Festival at theGaiety Theatre 20– 26 July, IoM FilmFestival 10-14 September, IoM WindOrchestra Celtic Music concert in October.

CENTRE STAGE: The Manx Gateway Drama Group will be staging an event


october 2013 e newsletter

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