Keys Preview: Credit Cards, Films and Sex Education

It’s a busy Tuesday in Tynwald this week, well for MHKs at least, LegCo isn’t sitting as the lack of policies from the gov continues to give them little parliamentary work to be getting on with.

We haven’t done of these for a while, but there’s a big question paper and, as a special treat for our readers, Paul Speller will be covering Keys this week while Sam is off on his holidays.

A big topic, given the recent announcement from a certain supermarket chain, is credit cards, which makes up three of the first four questions on Tuesday morning.

Questions will come from Jason Moorhouse, Tim Glover and Andrew Smith, as Chief Min Alf Cannan and captain of the Starship Enterprise Dr Alex Allinson face a grilling over access to and retention of credit cards for islanders.

One question which really caught our eye is coming from Dr Michelle Haywood who is asking Education Minister Julie Edge whether any secondary school lessons in personal, social health and economic education, including sex education, are being delivered by religious groups? It’ll be interesting to hear not only the first answer but also what Dr Haywood and her backbench colleagues come back with in supplementaries here as it raises the issue of who is allowed to teach their beliefs in the island’s schools.

Further down the list, Mr Moorhouse is back again with questions on investment managers, Joney Faragher wants to know what plans the Treasury has to link benefit rates with inflation and progress has been made with setting benefit rates as a proportion of the living wage and John Wannenburgh asks the DoI Minister whether there is a river management programme to tackle silting and blockages.

Given events elsewhere in the world, Mr Thomas’ question on what energy risks are being monitored and what tools the Treasury Minister David Ashford has to respond to them, will potentially be the most immediately consequential question of the day. The island is heavily reliant on gas and prices are rising again after Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, equally oil prices are rising too, putting further pressures on islander’s wallets.

Mr Moorhouse is back (back again) later on Tuesday as he asks the DoI Minister what the total cost was of the Civica housing management system was and why it does not allow cash payments before asking Post Office chair Chris Thomas what discussions have taken place in the last six months between the Post Office and the Housing Division of the Department of Infrastructure about cash rent payments?

These relate to the recent announcement that people will no longer be able to pay the DoI their rent through the Post Office in cash.

The Arbory, Castletown and Malew MHK’s other questions in Keys include what the DESC is doing to help its schools deliver mental wellbeing programmes and he’ll also ask Manx Utilities chair Rob Callister what increase will be applied to electricity tariffs. This, like Mr Thomas’ earlier question is (pardon the pun) highly charged, given the situation in Ukraine and spiralling energy bills. But with this matter currently sat with CoMin, it isn’t clear what Mr Callister will be able to say.

Also appearing on this week’s order paper is Tim Johnston who will ask Justice and Home Affairs Minister JPW what is being down to dress speeding on country roads. While Tim Glover will ask Dr Allinson how much financial support has been offered to feature films and television productions in each of the last two years.