The headline rate of inflation in the Isle of Man has risen slightly.

Figures released by the government show that the annual rate of inflation, measured by the Retail Prices Index, was 2.8 per cent in June. It was 2.7 per cent in May.

However, excluding housing costs, RPI inflation dropped in June to 2.4 per cent, compared with 2.8 per cent in May.

Inflation measured by the Consumer Prices Index, which excludes mortgage interest payments and household expenditure such as buildings insurance, increased in June to 1.8 per cent from 1.6 per cent in June.

The UK has not yet calculated its figures for June. In May, RPI inflation there was recorded at 2.4 per cent.

Peel and St John’s will face Cronkbourne in the Standard Bank Premiership after the pair triumphed in Saturday’s two semi-finals.

Round-up of both games in Tuesday’s Examiner.

CRICKET RESULTS

Standard Bank Tinker Cup Semi-Finals

Peel and St John’s 201 (Chris Hawke 49, Akkie van den Berg 30 : Joe Rothwell 3-24, Stu Morris 2-38); Crosby 67 (Dave Picken 24, Dan Jacobs 11 : Greg Hawke 5-22). Peel and St John’s won by 134 runs.

Valkyres 159 for 7 (Auri Ghausi 49, Chris Langford 30 : Nick Wild 2-26, Luke Lacey 1-18); Cronkbourne 160 for 4 (Rowan Bird 59no, Max Stokoe 38 : Hameed Sulthan 1-15, Saad Jaffrey 1-22). Cronkbourne won by six wickets.

Michael Dunlop produced the quickest lap at Monday evening’s opening night of practice at the Southern 100.

The TT ace lapped the Billown Circuit in 112.355mph on his big BMW to take him to the top of the charts ahead of Dean Harrison and reigning solo champion Guy Martin.

Harrison and Martin were the quickest 600s with Braddan’s Dan Kneen third.

Ivan Lintin was fastest Supertwin, while Alistair Haworth topped the 125/400cc class.

Making his first Southern 100 appearance since 2003, Dave Molyneux and passenger Benny Binns topped the sidecar times.

One noticeable absentee from the paddock was William Dunlop.

The Ballymoney man, who broke his fibula in last month’s TT, told the Belfast Newsletter earlier in the day he was not going to contest the event saying: ‘I’m not fit enough yet to do the Southern 100.

‘I don’t want to go there when I know I won’t be able to give the likes of Guy and Michael a run for their money.’

Roads close this evening, Tuesday, at 6.05pm for practice, followed by the first race, the Corlett’s Trophies Senior Solo, at 8.05pm. This will be followed by the the 125/400/450 race at 8.45pm.

There is a full evening of racing on Wednesday (again from 6.05pm) including sidecars, then all day Thursday. Roads will initially close at 9.50am for two support races and the 600cc event, reopening no later than 12.15pm.

After a lunch break roads will close again at 1pm for the final five races, including the Manx Gas solo and sidecar championship races at 3pm and 3.50pm approximately.

A Peel Commissioner and former policeman, has hit out at the proposed cuts to the police force announced by the government.

Alan Jones served 25 years in the Manx police force, was Police Federation representative for 20 years, and chairman for 15 years.

Mr Jones has been angered by the cuts and said at the commissioners latest board meeting: ‘Ten years ago the Isle of Man Constabulary prided itself on being a world class police force, today it is in danger of becoming a third class police service, unfit to maintain its primary duty of community safety.’

Mr Jones proposed that Peel Commissioners write to the chief minister and Department of Home Affairs expressing their concerns about the cuts, a move that was enthusiastically backed by the rest of the board.

He continued: ‘These cuts have been made without any strategic review of the resources needed to maintain an efficient police force; they have been made without real and meaningful consultation with the chief constable as is required by law.

‘There will be no immediate impact in the short term, but over time the lack of police officers, the lack of necessary training and skills, will impact the forces ability to carry out its functions.

‘I should point out that under Section one of the Police Act 1993 it “is the duty of the Department of Home Affairs to secure the maintenance of an efficient and effective Police Force for the island”.

‘Subsection (d) of that section states the Department must “provide and maintain vehicles, scientific, technical, training and other equipment needed for the efficient execution of their duties by members of the Police Force”.

‘Subsection (e) states “After consultation with the chief constable, do such other things as may be necessary for the efficient administration of the police”.

‘It is clear that any government of the Isle of Man not only has the moral duty to maintain the law and good order of society, and provide protection for its citizens, it also has a lawful duty to do so under the Police Act.

‘It is also clear from the briefing we have had that the government has failed to comply with the law to do so under the Police Act.’

Cuts were announced last month including the closure of Lord Street and Port Erin police stations.

Policing of the South of the island will be carried out from Castletown, with proposals to move to a new base within the town’s civic centre.

The number of police officers will reduce from 236 to 210, levels last seen in the mid-1990s. In the short term it will fall further to as low as 198.

‘As has been evidenced in other jurisdictions, the measures put in place will cause problems initially in the outskirts of the island such as Castletown, Port Erin, Peel and Ramsey,’ said the commissioner.

‘These areas are most at risk of suffering from an increase in anti-social behaviour, drink driving and minor crime.

‘Difficulties in contacting the police and slower response times will impact on the public’s willingness to engage with the police.

‘Many of these crimes will not be recorded giving a false picture of what is happening in our communities. Our esteemed quality of life will undoubtedly be at risk.’

Fellow Commissioner Christine Moughtin agreed: ‘I’m appalled at the hierarchy who sit in a room telling the police they have to meet targets just to make a graph on a wall look lovely.’

Commissioner Ian Davison added: ‘We’ve got a government spending money on the wrong things. Three million on a food park, I would have preferred that to have gone into the police budget. Violent crime is rising. Are we going to be expected to take the law into our own hands?’

Commissioners chairman Ray Harmer said: ‘The police were the first area they looked at for these cuts, it wasn’t as if they tried other areas first.’

Many of the sixth formers at King William’s College are celebrating as their International Baccalaureate exam results were published.

The average points score of 33.4, equivalent to more than three A*s at A level according to the UCAS tariff.

Lauren Blayney scored a 44 points, only one point off the maximum of 45. This put Lauren into the top 1 per cent of students worldwide.

Scientists have given the Isle of Man a clean bill of health over radiactivity levels.

New studies show that levels in Manx foodstuffs and at beaches and harbours are well within acceptable limits and give no cause for alarm.

The conclusion of the Isle of Man government laboratory’s annual radioactivity monitoring report for 2013 was published today (Tuesday).

The laboratory – part of the Department of Environment, Food and Agriculture – conducts routine monitoring of seafood, marine sediments and seaweed to assess the impact of environmental contamination by radioactive material, in particular waste discharges from the Cumbrian nuclear waste reprocessing plant Sellafield, which lies 32 miles from the Isle of Man.

Sellafield is permitted to discharge low levels of radioactivity both to the air and sea.

Liquid waste discharges are much more extensive than gaseous discharges and of greater radiological significance, due to the potential human exposure via seafood.

The main seaborne pollutants linked to Sellafield are the radioactive isotopes Caesium-137 and Technetium-99. The laboratory has equipment that can measure these isotopes down to extremely low levels.

‘Past and present day discharges result in traces of radioactivity being found in fish and shellfish, but at levels that are barely detectable,’ said Dr Paul McKenna, senior scientist at the laboratory.

‘Our analysis of seafood samples throughout 2013 found only trace amounts, which were well below safe limits for human consumption.’

The laboratory also monitors background radiation in harbour sediments and on beaches. Levels were found to be consistently low and therefore of no concern to people using them, Dr McKenna said.

Traces of Sellafield radioactivity can be found in seaweed, but the levels are far too low to be a hazard to people handling it.

The amount of Technetium-99 absorbed by seaweed is about 1/20th of the concentration found a decade ago.

During 2013, routine tests were performed on a wide range of other locally-produced foods including milk, meat and vegetables – with nothing of significance detected in any of the samples.

The 2013 monitoring results are reassuring, the evidence from the annual testing of seafood and environmental materials confirming that the Isle of Man does not have a contamination problem due to Sellafield, said Dr McKenna.

The government laboratory’s monitoring will continue in order to detect and quantify any radioactive contamination that may arise from Sellafield, or any other source, whether through licenced discharges or otherwise, both for public reassurance and to allow action to be taken should unacceptable contamination occur.

Pollution from the nuclear industry accounts for less than 1 per cent of the Manx population’s annual radiation exposure, most (around 85 per cent) being from natural environmental sources. Medical exposure is the biggest man-made contributor to the total annual dose.

The 2013 and previous reports can be found at www.gov.im/radioactivity

Go-it-alone Manx advocate John Rimmer presented an update on international planning in a high-profile speech in Canada.

Mr Rimmer was in Toronto at the invitation of STEP Canada.

As revealed in Business News last week Mr Rimmer has left Appleby and has started his own business called ‘Advocate John Rimmer’ in Athol Street, Douglas.

Mr Rimmer delivered the opening speech in the plenary session of the STEP Canada Annual Conference 2014.

This is the largest single event in the STEP worldwide calendar, with an impressive 610 delegates in attendance.

The father of two was asked to present an update on international planning and to give a run-down of international trust cases over the past year.

He scrutinised more than 40 cases and provided a hand-out summarising 30 of the most important.

He reported on cases from the Isle of Man, Guernsey, Jersey, Cayman, BVI and Bermuda.

His talk also looked at the changes in international planning over the past decade, reflecting on a talk he gave in 2004 and how legislation has moved on.

Mr Rimmer said: ‘It was a real honour to be invited to present at this conference, and a chance to raise awareness among leading professionals about the Isle of Man.’

Mr Rimmer has a very high profile, both locally and internationally.

Last year he was invited to address the New York State Bar and STEP USA conference in New York, which led to his invitation to speak at the conference in Toronto this year.

He is understood to be the only Isle of Man practitioner listed in the Citywealth Honours list and in 2013 he was named by Legal Who’s Who in the top ten international estate planning lawyers.

He is on the STEP Worldwide International Committee.

THERE is absolutely no conflict between good governance and good business, according to Peter Swabey of the Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators (ICSA).

‘We regard corporate governance as more of a seatbelt than a brake on businesses,’ the London-based director of policy research at the institute told Business News ahead of ICSA’s Isle of Man conference on corporate governance on Tuesday, July 15.

With the attention of investors, regulators and the public increasingly focused on how organisations are run and behave, Mr Swabey said it was crucial that businesses demonstrate high standards of ethical behaviour and corporate governance.

Asked if shareholders are losing out as a consequence of businesses ‘doing the right thing’ - for example, Starbucks paying more tax than was legally required following a public outcry - Mr Swabey said: ‘If the amount of tax [a company is paying] is perceived by the press and the public to be an unfair level of tax, an unreasonably low level of tax, then there is an excellent chance that their revenues are going to fall, which affects shareholders too. In my mind there is a balance that a company has to strike.’

Chaired by ICSA president David Venus, the conference will consider how corporate governance is implemented in practice, the relationship between governance and business success, and the potential consequences for Isle of Man organisations of getting governance wrong.

Mr Swabey agreed that the concept of ‘fairness’, in the context of tax, was not always clear cut.

‘Every company has to take its own view on that. I think it’s a question of the degree to which the company is seen to be doing the right thing in the eyes of its customers. If what you are doing is totally legal but is perceived by your customers to be unattractive behaviour, then commercially it is perhaps not in your best interests.’

Asked if there was more that the authorities should be doing to bring greater clarity to the situation, Mr Swabey said: ‘I think it was a little bit disingenuous of some [UK] politicians to be complaining about the way in which various companies were behaving given that the people who have got the power to alter the tax legislation are after all politicians. If there is such a widespread public issue then there is a question to be asked of government as to whether the legal arrangements in place are appropriate.

‘As with everything, there are differing views. There is the view that low levels of corporate tax are appropriate to encourage corporates to come to a country. There is the view that it is not appropriate because it is perceived by the public to be unfair. There is a balance to be struck and not everybody will get it right all the time.’

He pointed out that there are some companies which entirely legitimately have operations in jurisdictions ‘which for various reasons are known as being tax friendly’. This, he said, was quite reasonable. However, other businesses ‘were perceived to be using a company based in a friendly tax jurisdiction in order to directly achieve tax benefit. I think that is perhaps the issue that attracted public and press objection.’

Mr Swabey agreed that corporate governance is constantly evolving, driven by the latest thinking within a society, international competition and advances in technology.

So what should companies be doing to ensure that they are where they should be in terms of public opinion?

‘One of the key issues that we’ve been looking at in the last few years is [the diversity of boards of directors], diversity in terms of viewpoint; making sure that the directors of the company are in touch, not just with the laws within which they’ve got to operate but also with the views of their customers. Somebody described it the other week as a licence to operate . . . behaving in a way that society treats as the norm gives [a company a] licence to operate.’

Mr Swabey said it is very important for executives to be ‘grounded, in touch with what is actually going on in that market’.

Does the question of how much top executives are paid fall within the ambit of corporate governance? ‘I think it does to a degree. The critical issues are around transparency. It is absolutely reasonable that people should be paid whatever the people that employ them believe to be the rate for the job. What is important is that there is a legal process in place by which that an employer has got the transparency of what that is and the ability to do something about it if they object.’

At the conference, Philippa Foster Back, director at the Institute of Business Ethics, will explore the practical ways in which a business can embed its values in her speech entitled ‘Doing Business Ethically’.

Anna Bateson, founder of business consultancy Cutting Through the Grey, will share insights on how to develop boards to deliver good governance, while Sharon Constancon, managing director of Genius Methods, will provide an inside view on governance in the boardroom.

The conference will also examine the role of the board in the fight against cybercrime, with Matthew Parker, senior manager of business risk services at Grant Thornton, discussing how businesses in the Isle of Man can reduce their exposure to one of the fastest growing criminal activities in the world.

A roundtable discussion between Phillip Dearden of Equiom Solutions; Paul de Weerd of the Financial Supervision Commission; and Sinead O’Connor, head of regulatory and compliance services at Dougherty Quinn, will consider whether or not the Isle of Man is top of the class when it comes to governance.

Details of how to register and the full conference programme can be found online at www.icsa.org.uk

Firefighters forced their way into a house in Willaston to tackle a blaze after a 999 call reported smoke billowing from the back of the premises.

At about 5.25pm yesterday, two engines from the Douglas station were called to Snaefell Road.

Domestic alarms were sounding inside.

Firefighters believed someone might be in the house and the police and ambulance were called.

Once they forced their way inside, crews found a smoke-logged house. The fire had been caused by an unattended pan left on the hob.

A fire service spokesman praised the actions of the neighbour in calling 999 after hearing the smoke detector.

He said: ‘It is important that domestic detectors are fitted, regularly tested and maintained in order to protect occupants and property from the potential devastating effects of a fire.’

Peel lifeboat went to the assistance of a local yacht that ran aground at the entrance to the town’s harbour.

The lifeboat crew was on exercise Sunday morning when it was diverted to help.

Under the command of coxswain John Hunter two of the volunteer crew ran a line over to the stricken yacht on an inflatable dinghy and shortly after the yacht was pulled free without damage or injury.

An interim agreement has been reached to limit the fishing of queenie scallops by local boats.

The Isle of Man Queen Scallop Management Board (IOMQSMB) met on July 1 and put together a package of measures in response to the severely depleted levels of queenie scallop stock.

After research carried out in May, Bangor University, which advises the Department of Environment, Food and Agriculture (DEFA), found stocks were 53 per cent below historic levels and 88 per cent below the peak population of 2011-12.

Initially DEFA imposed a two-week fishing period, starting on July 2, when there were to be limits on daily catch, number of days at sea and queenie grounds were to be opened in rotation.

That has been superseded by the new agreement, aimed at striking a balance between protecting stocks and enabling the Manx fleet to generate an income from this fishery.

From yesterday, July 7, fishing for queenie scallops within Manx territorial waters was limited to three days per week between Monday and Thursday only and from 6am to 4pm.
All catches must be landed to a port in the island, subsequent processing elsewhere is permitted.

All vessels must complete and submit catch return forms on a daily basis and carry a data logger on board, to provide additional data on their fishing activity

Areas at the Targets, east of Douglas, off the Point of Ayre and south of the Chickens are closed to queenie scallop fishing.

A total of 500 tonnes of queenie scallops can be caught in July, with no more than 1,400kg per day, per boat

This agreement is in force for the next few weeks and the IOMQSMB will meet again later this month to review fishing activity and agree measures for August onwards.

Richard Ronan MHK, the new Minister for the Department of Environment, Food and Agriculture, said: ‘I am very aware of the difficulties faced by the fishing industry as we try to balance the recovery of this fishery for the future against the importance of enabling our fishermen to earn a living.

‘In addition to the measures agreed, my department is working on a tie-up and diversification scheme to further assist our fishermen during this difficult year. I look forward to working with the industry to find the best ways forward through this situation.’

There was no comment from the Manx Fish Producers’ Organisation whose chief executive David Beard said: ‘We are in discussions with government and do not want to pre-empt those discussions.’

Don’t mess with the Americans over tax violations.

That was one of the hard-hitting messages that emerged from a ‘landmark’ Global Tax Enforcement conference at the Villa Marina, Douglas.

A high-ranking figure from the American Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) revealed a cadre of undercover agents are available to work overseas on rooting out the ‘bad guys’.

Washington DC based Lynda Jones, senior analyst with the powerful federal agency, disclosed they have a formidable record with 2,503 special agents.

Special agents are assigned in field offices across the world including Great Britain.

They carry out undercover operations in foreign countries if they have the permission of governments.

And last year the conviction rate was 93.1 per cent.

She said that as part of their undercover operations they could pose for example as a potential client for a bank, a corporate service provider or an investment company.

She said: ‘ We have a cadre of undercover agents, that’s all they do, that is their main focus and they get constant training on being a great undercover agent.

‘They will pose for whatever we need them to do. If we need them to be a client and, say, we will set up a meeting with the bad guy ... and we will have a meeting with them and recording what they say - as long as the government has given us permission.’

Ms Jones who is a senior analyst in the IRS office of international operations said the IRS has ‘special investigative techniques which we use in a lot of our investigations. What a lot of people don’t know is that we do this internationally as well.’

tax police

She introduced herself to the packed audience of island business folk by saying the IRS - CI are dedicated to their work and are good at it. And IRS-CI special agents have the authority to carry firearms and are seen as the ‘tax police’ in America.

Earlier lawyer Brian McManus, partner, Latham and Watkins, based in Washington DC told Business News: ‘This is my seventh or eighth time in the island.

‘The main point is that we are in an unprecedented period [for tax] . It’s the beginning of global co-operation in both civil and criminal tax enforcement.

‘And there’s no way to hide from that at this point. I think businesses all over the world have to work within the system and understand the system

‘As a US lawyer we appreciate it is a challenge for businesses particularly in the Isle of Man and a lot other places to look at the very complex laws the United States is imposing on other countries.

‘So we are here to talk about that and how we think it will imapct on businesses.’

FATCA

The conference was particularly timely because FATCA came into operation two days previously on July 1.

‘It’s a very significant and appropriate time to come over here and talk about how we think FATCA will impact businesses.’

Asked if he felt firms in the Isle of Man might have anything to fear he said: ‘Well I th ink they have to spend a lot of time and effort getting up to speed on FATCA - it’s a very complex law and I think companies that are helping Americans and other people around the world evade tax have something to fear because the IRS and the global tax enforcement authorities are very sophisticated in identifying these issues.

‘If they are not [helping people to evade tax] then I think they have nothing to fear apart from getting up to speed on these new laws.’

Asked about the American view on the Isle of Man and tax havens: ‘I think there are some in the US that view the Isle of Man and many other places as tax havens but there are lots of people who don’t and I certainly don’t think that it is.

‘The Isle of Man corporate service providers are some of the most sophisticated in the world and they have some of the most comprehensive anti money laundering processes in place. I am very impressed with the level of sophistication and compliance.’

Mr McManus said the issue of global transparency became more evident after the events of September 11, 2001 and the terrorist attacks.

‘And I I think America has a lot less less patience for tax evasion.’

Mr McManus said global law firms were working a lot more closely together and there was a very good relationship with Dougherty Quinn in the Isle of Man. His company had liaised on a number of international investigations involving Isle of Man businesses.

He said one crucial mesage was that companies need to be aware that US citizens globally trying to hide their assets are going to run to jurisdictions and try and find places where they can do business.

‘We don’t want IoM coporate service providers to become victims in that sense and find themselves in the middle of an investigation.’

Tom Maher, managing partner of Dougherty Quinn in the island told Business News that it was a ‘landmark conference’ in conjunctioin with American law firms Latham and Watkins of Washington and Rosenberg Martin Greenberg, Maryland.

‘The four lawyers that have come here today from those firms are four of the best tax investigation lawyers in the United States, renowned globally.’

Mr Maher said it was complex and added: ‘Nobody wants to see the IRS knocking on their door saying they want to talk to you.’

But he said one of the major themes of the conference was co-operation.

‘If you don’t co-operate with foreign tax authorities they will get angry and they will come after you even harder and they will get you because there is so much information at their fingertips.

‘If they do come knocking at your door it may be that they have all the pieces of the jigsaw already. The days of stonewalling and putting down the shutters are gone. The sands have shifted.’

Chief Minister Allan Bell welcomed the Americans.

A charitable meal at the Mount Murray is planned for this August.

The event on August 22 coincides with practice week for the Manx Grand Prix and Classic TT and is to raise funds for the TT Riders’ Association which takes financial care of injured riders and families.

Secretary of the TTRA Frances Thorp said: ‘This charity is constantly keeping a watch on any member who may hit hard times financially through accidents, illness or some unfortunate problem that does arise through life. The TTRA is open only to people who have actually started in a TT race, so it has an exclusive membership of about 1,350 around the world at present.’

The meal is being organised on behalf of the Friends of the TTRA, a sister charity to the TTRA, which is open to the public. The meal costs £25 for three courses and a drink. Call Mrs Thorp as soon as possible for tickets on 402505

A plan to convert Port St Mary railway station to office accommodation has been refused by planners.

The plan (14/00177/B by David Frederick Colcough) is to convert the Victorian building to offices, retaining the railway station ticket office and facilities on the ground floor.

But the independent inspector said car parking provision is inadequate and would result in on-street parking.

As the building was sold to Mr Colcough by a government department, the former Department of Community, Culture and Leisure (DCCL) (now responsibility is within the Department of Infrastructure), the decision was made by the Council of Ministers.

Independent inspector Stephen Amos assessed the plan and said the layout shows 14 work stations and conference facilities for 18.

The scheme shows only five spaces for the offices and a non-dedicated area for the station (which could lead to dangerous reversing from or into Station Road), failing to meet the parking standards in the strategic plan. He estimated – given the floor plans – the offices would require 17 or 18 car parking spaces. Also, there is not enough information on the required parking for railway staff and passengers.

The application shows the location of other potential car parks, ‘these do not form part of this application and do not involve land over which the applicant has any control’ so should not be taken into account.

He recommended refusal based on concerns about car parking and the impact on highway safety and on the free flow of traffic.

The decision to sell the building to Mr Colcough provoked controversy at the time it was made by the then DCCL as the other applicant was Port St Mary chocolatier Cocoa Red, who wanted to open a chocolate factory there.

Building public confidence following the recent ‘turmoil’ in the wake of the Sefton loans affair.

That is one of the key aims of the Department of Economic Development’s new Minister Laurence Skelly.

The Rushen MHK was promoted to the DED from the Department of Infrastructure following the resignation of John Shimmin.

‘One thing as a Minister I must do is build on public confidence,’ he said.

He said the department had been in ‘a bit of turmoil’ following the publication of legal advice over government’s loans to the Sefton Group, leading to Mr Shimmin’s resignation.

And that accordingly, his diary over the next few weeks would see him engaging with the private sector and reaffirming government’s commitment to growing the economy.

Mr Skelly was promoted to the key ministerial role after just four months at the DoI.

‘I do feel very comfortable in accepting the role,’ he said.

‘I have worked in the department for two and a half years prior to taking over the Minister’s job at DoI so I have led a lot of delegations and been involved with a lot of activity in the DED.’

And he said his former life in business had also put him ‘in good stead’.

He described his promotion to the role as ‘bitter sweet’, adding: ‘I have worked in this department previously and I have a lot of respect for John Shimmin.’

Mr Skelly is working closely with Mr Shimmin to smooth the transition.

‘I have huge respect for him for what he has done in the department and in government.’

He said he felt ‘delighted’ and ‘highly honoured’ to accept the role.

‘It is a massive department with big responsibilities,’ he said.

Mr Skelly didn’t consider turning down the role, saying: ‘I have always stated to the Chief Minister I will do whatever jobs he feels my skills, background and experience will benefit the government.’

He explained he has two main priorities within the department: ‘The first is to maintain the momentum which has already started. We have heard there’s green shoots in many different sectors.

‘We need to maintain that growth, we need to maintain the diversity and get a stable economy going forward.

‘The second is that growing the economy is all about jobs. It’s not just about job creation but about job security.’

He added: ‘I’d like to recognise some of the efforts that have been made with vocational jobs. There are some fantastic vocational opportunities.’

He admitted there were ‘plenty of challenges’: ‘In the DED there’s many delegations from different sectors.

‘The difficulty we have is sifting through that to see what will be the greatest benefit to the Isle of Man.’

He added: ‘Like the rest of government, we are trying to operate on a very finite budget to grow the economy.

I am concerned at the perception that government’s focus on its policy priorities has led it to lose sight at the importance of process.

That was the response from Chief Minister Allan Bell after the Public Accounts Committee reported financial regulations had not been followed over the second phase of the review into the National Insurance Fund.

Mr Bell said: ‘I am concerned at the perception that government’s focus on its policy priorities has led it to lose sight of the importance of process, and I think we should reflect on that.

‘Government is indeed determined to get things done, and to deliver its Agenda for Change, but of course there must also be confidence that the proper procedures are being followed.

‘As Chief Minister I take a serious view of this issue. The report from the Public Accounts Committee will be given careful examination so that government can provide a full and considered response to Tynwald in due course.’

The report by the PAC, chaired by Michael MHK Alfred Cannan, concluded that government had the legal authority for the £770,000 expenditure without reference to Tynwald, but that it should have been put to members given the ‘scale and significance of the review’.

The Chief Minister said: ‘The report when you strip away the rhetoric exonerates the Ministers.

‘They didn’t need to come to Tynwald to get approval for their actions. The only question that comes out of this is whether financial regulations were adhered to.

‘We will be reviewing whether there is a need for changes.’

The report is due to be laid before Tynwald at this month’s sitting but not debated by members until a sitting in the autumn.

Police were called after a three-year-old boy went out for a walk by himself in the early hours of this morning.

The boy, who was wearing a nappy, was found by officers in Bayr Cam at the junction of Cooil Road in Douglas at about 4.30am.

A police spokesman said: ‘It is not believed that he has walked very far and has woken and gone for a wander.

‘He is safe and well with no injuries.’

Officers had woken people in the Anagh Coar area as they were conducting house-to-house inquiries.

Dean Harrison claimed his first bike big win round the Billown Course on Tuesday evening in the Corlett’s Trophies 600/1000cc race.

The Bradford ace brought his RC Express Kawasaki home ahead of reigning solo champion Guy Martin and BMW-man Michael Dunlop. Braddan’s Dan Kneen was fourth with younger brother Ryan ninth. Onchan’s Si Fulton came home 15th.

Conor Cummins was first 600 across the line in 10th.

Alistair Howarth won the evening’s second race, the six-lap Station Garage 125/400/450cc contest.

The meeting continues tonight, Wednesday, with the four races. Roads close at 6.05pm with the Ellan Vannin Fuels Senior race getting things under way at 6.20pm.

The impending arrival of superfast 4G mobile coverage with investment of £10m over three years has been hailed as one of the most important events in Manx Telecom’s history and big for business.

David Smith, marketing director at Manx Telecom said the service is due to be up and running this summer and is a momentous event.

He believes business customers in the island will benefit greatly.

Speaking to Business News the day after MT’s annual meeting Mr Smith said: ‘It’s easy to dismiss this as just another bit of technology. But it isn’t.

‘It’s a massive upgrade for us. It’s a huge investment. I think these technology leaps only come around every six or seven years.

‘For now for what we see and the trials and demonstrations that have taken place, it’s quite a transformational change from 3G to 4G.’

Mr Smith, who has been in his marketing role for the last three-and-a-half years, said they are ‘on track’ for the launch of 4G by the back end of July or early August.

‘We have not given an exact date because we still have a few technical hoops to go through. It will be there or thereabouts but it is looking good so far.’

Mr Smith said: ‘The really exciting news is that we are launching with 95 per cent coverage of the population. Our licence obligation was 33 per cent and the secondpart of the licence obligation was to roll out to 95 per cent within two years; but we are launching out to 95 per cent this summer which is a fantastic achievement.’

He said there’s about 60 mobile sites across the island and most of them will swap over to 4G from day one.

He expects there will also be an improvement in service for those still using 2G and 3G.

For MT customers already on pay monthly smartphone plans with a 4G-ready handset, there will be no extra cost.

Mr Smith said the speed of service will make a difference for businesses. ‘Our tests have shown 4G is seven times faster than 3G.

‘That will benefit a lot of business customers who have field forces out on the road, have mobile applications as part of their business .’

Mr Smith added: ‘I have to say that I’m pretty optimistic about 4G. I think it will open up a lot of different ways of working for businesses which they haven’t necessarily considered before. It’s just about putting information into their hands in real time wherever they happen to be.’

Mr Smith talked to Business News last Tuesday, the day after the annual meeting was held at the MT headquarters on Isle of Man Business Park. By all accounts nothing spectacular happened at the meeting.

He said around 10 to a dozen people attended the meeting, the first since MT was listed on AIM, the junior market of the London Stock Exchange.

He said it was a 40 minute meeting and ‘there was no new information, we just recapped on the 2013 results.

‘We do a trading update in mid-July and then we announce our half yearly results in mid-September.

‘And that’s when we declare our initial dividend, subject to those results.’

In April it was announced shareholders can expect an ‘attractive dividend’ as the telecommunications company announced revenues were five per cent to £76m, generating generating adjusted operating profit of £18.1m, up 19.9 per cent.

Young people who make an exceptional contribution to Manx culture and life were honoured by the North American Manx Association (NAMA).

Awards are presented annually to under 25-year-olds who have excelled in their field.

The awards ceremony was held on Friday, with the winners receiving a specially minted silver medallion from NAMA president Jody Morey.

Her great-grandfather, John Beck, was from Laxey and emigrated to America in 1864.

Ms Morey said: ‘We welcome this annual awards ceremony as a great tradition, honouring the young peoples’ achievements.

‘It is hoped that they have a sense of accomplishment and go on to encourage others with their experiences of Manx culture, language and learning.’

World Manx Association president Peter Kelly and Professor Ronald Barr, chief executive of the Department of Education and Children, judged nominations.

Tynwald president Clare Christian thanked NAMA for its continued commitment to this award, adding: ‘The community spirit, creativity and understanding of Manx language shown by the standards of the nominations, demonstrate how relevant our traditional culture and practices are.

‘Our gratitude should also be expressed to those who tutor, mentor and guide all our young people in the many different aspects of our heritage.’

Owen Williams, aged 13, of Castle Rushen High School, was recognised for his outstanding achievement in Manx music.

He is a dedicated member of the Manx music youth group Bree which performs at many community events.

He is self-taught on a wide range of instruments, takes piano lessons and plays cornet with a brass band.

Owen enjoys composing Manx music, with his band ‘The Unwanted’ recently winning a Manx Folk Awards competition category with his composition.

Outstanding achievement in Arts and Crafts went to Queen Elizabeth II High School student Clara Nathan.

Clara, aged 18, is an exceptionally talented young artist who achieved an A at AS level and is looking forward to undertaking a Foundation Arts Diploma.

Taking her inspiration from the Manx countryside, light and shadow, weather and our dramatic landscapes, she works with quiet reflection and determination to bring them together to form unique mixed-media canvasses.

Fellow QEII student Isla Callister-Wafer, 17, was recognised for her outstanding achievement in Manx language.

Winner of the Manx music category in 2012, Isla continues to make a remarkable contribution to Manx culture, making it both visible and accessible to people of all ages.

Her enthusiasm, commitment and sense of humour have all helped her in working closely with Culture Vannin to help develop, record and produce numerous short Manx videos for the Manx Gaelic Video-a-Day project.

Accomplished and dedicated musician, actor and dancer Michelle Jamieson, aged 16, won the Manx culture (under 18) award.

The Castle Rushen High School student has held the titles of Young Singer in Mann and Young Actor in Mann. Representing the island at the recent Pan Celtic Festival in Ireland, the band Shenn Scoill, in which Michelle is the Manx Gaelic singer, beat off competition from five other Celtic nations with their song, Tayrn Mee Thie (Drawing Me Home).

She has played various roles through her work with amateur dramatic societies including her role as Mary in the promenade performances of the Manx Passion during Holy Week 2014.

The over 18 category Manx culture category was won by highly talented linguist and Manx speaker Christopher Lewin.

The 21-year-old, who is currently studying at the University of Edinburgh, has used his skill to translate and develop a wide range of literature into Manx for learners and speakers alike.

Recently he has edited a book on 19th century Manx language, called Lhaih-lioar Ghaelgagh: Original Manx Gaelic Prose 1821-1907. This has undoubtedly been one of the most important pieces of work about the Manx Language in recent years.

The group culture award went to Michael School, where staff and pupils strive to ensure Manx culture is an everyday part of life from infants through to year six.

As part of their Island of Culture celebrations, the school held a special week exploring Manx culture ending in an exhibition and concert for family and friends.

Pupils created Archibald Knox-style artwork and Celtic crosses, listened to Manx folklore and performed Manx traditional dances, researched local wildlife and learnt to make Bonnag.

Castle Rushen High School student Joanna Akitt, aged 18, was presented with the Manx community award.

Joanna is a member of her school’s intergenerational scheme, through which she became interested in volunteering.

At a recent AGM of the Southern Befrienders she spoke passionately about what volunteering for them means to her.

She has made an outstanding contribution to the Manx community through her mature, positive attitude in being a committed and reliable volunteer, even taking training in chair-based exercises, which she helps to run each week.

Rushen MHK Phil Gawne, a fluent Manx speaker, presented awards for the ‘Most Progress in Manx’ to Ballakermeen High School’s Caitlin Dodd and QEII student Breeshey Crookall.

Nominees for this annual award were made by DEC Manx language team head Bob Teare.