Info Commissioner Budget Under Review

The budget for the Information Commissioner will be reviewed to reflect the growth in the expectations of the office. 

Iain McDonald recently quit citing a reduction in the office’s budget and insufficient staffing, saying that funding had not kept up with what it is required to do.

In Tynwald, Treasury Minister Dr Alex Allinson said the office’s net budget for 2023/24, which was agreed by Tywanld, was £246,000 comprising of an income of £139,000 and expenditure of £385,000.

By comparison, in 2021/22, the net budget was £150,000 and in 2022/23 it was £153,000.

He said: ‘The net budget position therefore increased by some £93,000 in 2023/24. This position reflects a realignment of the budget to be closer to the actual income raised and expenditure incurred. It also includes an upward adjustment of the initial budget proposals of approximately £22,000 made after representations from the Information Commissioner’s Office. 

‘The budgets for public sector bodies are considered as part of the annual budget process, and inevitably, not all bodies get the budget they desire. The budget, by its very nature, is a process of prioritisation and compromise. I’ve already agreed that the budget for the Information Commissioner’s Office will be subject to review of the consideration of the outcome of the exercise commissioned for that purpose.’

Tim Glover (Arbory, Castletown and Malew) said that as the Office had taken on extra responsibility such as being responsible for the FoI Act and GDPR functions, resourcing is ‘vital for the correct checks and balances to be in place’.

Dr Allinson agreed and said that is why the review was being undertaken. 

Mr Glover said: ‘I thank the minister for his statements on the figures, but it does seem at odds with what the outgoing Information Commissioner was saying and that he is claiming that the budget is going down. There have been repeated attempts to have an extra member of staff to lighten the load and this had a devastating effect on the office staff and was the direct cause of the Commissioner stepping down.’

Dr Allinson said he didn’t want to comment on ‘things that I understand have been put on social media’ but said that the Treasury had responded to concerns over the budget not being sufficient and had raised it accordingly.