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Legislative plan:
2021 to 2026

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In addition to the progression of the primary legislation below, Government will need to focus considerable effort and resource on drafting and delivering important pieces of secondary legislation required to give effect to the significant primary legislation passed during the previous administration.

Council of Minister's Legislative Committee will review the remaining Bills proposed for introduction during this administration, for alignment to the policy priorities outlined in this Island Plan and Economic Strategy. An annual Income Tax Bill will be included in every Parliamentary term.

2021 to 2022

All items planned for the year 2021/22 have commenced or are on track

Bill

Department

Status

Summary

Income Tax Bill

Treasury

Underway

Annual Bill

Manx Care (Amendment) Bill

Department of Health and Social Care

Underway

A short enabling Bill to allow for new regulations in respect of complaints about Health and Care services.

Capacity (Phase 1)

Department of Health and Social Care

Underway

To provide a clear legal framework to support and protect people who lack capacity to make their own decisions.

Safeguarding (Amendment) Bill

Cabinet Office

Due December 22

A short Bill to allow for changes to the composition of the Safeguarding Board, through regulations; it requires repeal of provisions in the Safeguarding Act 2018.

Animal Welfare Bill

Department of Environment, Food and Agriculture

Underway

To overhaul of our principal law relating to animal welfare. It will ensure owners and keepers have duty of care to their companion and kept animals, and animal needs are met. This enabling legislation is aimed at keeping pace of the fast-evolving landscape on animal welfare law in the UK.

Trusts (Amendment) Bill

Treasury

Underway

To reform Trusts Law in the Island.

Energy Bill

Department of Environment, Food and Agriculture

Underway

To provide measures that will provide additional guarantees of security of supply to Island consumers, in light of the ongoing volatility in global energy markets. This will complement the broader market reform measures being introduced through the Gas (Economic Regulation) Bill.

Phase One - Anticipated 2022/2023

Bill

Department

Summary

Contempt Of Court Bill

Attorney General’s Chambers

This is a Bill that was started in 2018 and is wanted by the courts. The 2018 Bill has been resurrected and is to be updated.

Douglas Bay Tramway (Amendment) Bill

Department of Infrastructure

To ensure the current and future operation of the tramway is on a secure legal footing.

Financial Services (Amendment) Bill

Treasury

To amend existing regulatory law to ensure it reflects current developing international standards.

Retirement Benefit Schemes (Amendment) Bill

Treasury

To update requirements for Retirement Benefits Schemes and to increase consumer protection.

Local Government (Amendment) Bill

Department of Infrastructure

To amend known deficiencies in legislation and to adhere to previous Parliamentary Committee recommendations.

Fines Bill

Department of Home Affairs/Attorney General’s Chambers

To bring up to date the fines in all enactments so that they accurately reflect the maximum fine to be imposed as a result of the global amendments made by the Interpretation Act 2015.

Public Sector Payments Bill

Treasury

To replace the Payments of Members’ Expenses Act 1989.

Employment (Amendment) Bill (1)

Department for Enterprise

To enable the introduction of shared parental leave, providing parents with a more flexible option of sharing care for young children.

Phase Two

Bill

Department

Summary

Proceeds Of Crime (Amendment) Bill

Department of Home Affairs

To revise the Proceeds of Crime Act 2008.

Interception Of Communication Bill

Department of Home Affairs/Attorney General’s Chambers

To modernise and reform existing legislation taking into account developments in other jurisdictions.

Regulation Of Surveillance (Amendment) Bill

Department of Home Affairs

To empower the police to gain access to electronic devices where the person under investigation has refused to co-operate.

Information Rights Bill

Cabinet Office

Scoping exercise underway.

Beneficial Ownership (Amendment) Bill

Treasury

To amend the Beneficial Ownership Act 2017 in order to comply with Moneyval recommendations.

Justice Reform (Amendment) Bill

Department of Home Affairs

To make additional provisions and corrections to the Justice Reform Act 2021.

Sanctions Bill

Treasury

To ensure the Island has the ability to implement un and UK sanctions in a timely manner without the need to rely on the UK to extend legislation by Order in Council.

Gas (Economic) Regulation Bill

Cabinet Office

To update economic regulation of public gas suppliers (on behalf of CURA). Compliments the Energy Bill.

Electronic Transactions (Amendment) Bill

Department for Enterprise

To make amendments to the Electronic Transactions Act 2000 to further facilitate the use of electronic services by businesses and the public sector.

Phase Three

Bill

Department

Summary

Regulation Of Care (Amendment) Bill

Department of Health and Social Care

To ensure one level playing field for all Health and Social Care providers with clear requirements in terms of standard of care and treatment.

Capacity Bill (2)

Department of Health and Social Care

To introduce statutory safeguards for adults lacking mental capacity with respect to their care and treatment. Policy decision awaited on potential twinning with the Mental Health Bill (as seen in Scotland and Northern Ireland).

Health And Social Care Services Bill

Department of Health and Social Care

To replace the National Health Service Act 2001, National Health and Care Service Act 2016 and the Social Services Act 2001 with one modern, integrated Health and Social Care Services Bill. To clarify responsibilities between the Department and Manx Care within those Acts post the introduction of the Manx Care Act 2021 and to address weaknesses or gaps in the current system.

Insolvency Bill

Treasury

To modernise and consolidate insolvency law in one Act.

National Infrastructure Security Bill

Department of Home Affairs

To define and introduce measures to protect and secure the Island’s critical national infrastructure.

Firearms Bill

Department of Home Affairs

To modernise the Island’s existing firearms legislation (Firearms Act 1947 and 1968).

Medicines Bill

Department of Health and Social Care

To provide a comprehensive, fit for purpose and up to date framework for medicines legislation.

Phase Four

Bill

Department

Summary

Registration Of Electors (Amendment) Bill

Cabinet Office

To create a gateway for obtaining electors National Insurance numbers for the purposes of individual registration, including automatic registration for 16 year olds at the point of issue of their NI number.

Sentencing Bill

Department of Home Affairs

To put in place changes committed to within the criminal justice strategy reform process by production of a sentencing code.

Vaping Bill

Cabinet Office

A Bill to place age restrictions on the purchasing and advertising of vapes, vape fluid and associated items/issues.

Education (Amendment) Bill (1)

Department of Education, Sport and Culture

An initial Amendment Bill, to address urgent issues, such as; Additional Educational Needs (AEN); Route of appeal for parents, carers and young people (Education Tribunal); Emergency closures of schools etc.

Estate Agents Bill

Office of Fair Trading (Department of Environment, Food and Agriculture)

To replace the Estate Agents Act 1975 and the not in force Estate Agents Act 1999 which require modernisation, to provide a consumer protection framework around the sale and lease of property.

Phase Five

Bill

Department

Summary

Mental Health Bill

Department of Health and Social Care

To update and modernise mental health legislation, in line with the longer term objectives of the department in relation to the reform of mental health.

Policy decision awaited on potential twinning with the capacity (2) Bill (as seen in Scotland and Northern Ireland).

Children and Young Person’s Bill

Department of Health and Social Care

To increase safeguards and protection for children by introducing provisions dealing with leaving care and corporate parenting, amongst others.

Civil Aviation Bill

Department of Infrastructure

To bring all civil aviation primary legislation into one place while ensuring it is contemporary and compliant with international requirements.

Fire Safety Bill

Department of Home Affairs

To modernise the legislation in respect of the Manx fire and rescue service.

Safeguarding Vulnerable Adults Bill

Cabinet Office

To create an IOM equivalent of the Care Act 2014 (England and Wales).

Town and Country Planning Amendment Bill

Cabinet Office

To review schedule 1 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1999 relating to the development plan procedure and which specifically makes provision for the correction of errors in an approved development plan under certain circumstances and as so defined.

Hate Crime Bill

Department of Home Affairs

To meet with international obligations around racial discrimination/offences motivated by racial discrimination and aggravation of such offences.

Fire Services Bill

Department of Home Affairs

To modernise the legislation in respect of the Manx Fire and Rescue Service by repeal and replacement of existing provisions found in the Fire Precautions Act 1975 and the Fire Services Act 1984.

Housing (and Communities) Bill

Department of Infrastructure & Cabinet Office

Three proposed Bills combined – collective purpose requires policy decision.

Civil Registration Bill

Department for Enterprise

To allow modern working practices and enable digital working for the registration of births, deaths and marriages.

Public Records Act 1999

Department for Enterprise

To address anomalies between the current provision, FOI & GDPR legislation.

Coastal Footpath Bill

Department of Infrastructure

To create coastal footpaths and allow access to coastal margins.

Coroner (Powers and Procedures) Reform Bill

Treasury

To consolidate and update in more modern form the powers and procedures of the Coroners in respect of the performance of their respective roles and functions. The Bill may also make miscellaneous amendments, and repeal outmoded legislation.

Gambling Supervision Bill

Treasury

To provide greater clarity, consistency and enhancement of the GSC’s entry controls, regulatory requirements applicable to regulated entities, supervision of regulated entities, and the ability to sanction regarding non-compliance across each of its regulated sectors to further its regulatory objectives.

Employment (Amendment) Bill (2)

Department for Enterprise

To make a number of changes to employment and related law including:

  • To improve the legislative regime for whistle-blowers;
  • To amend the Employment Act 2006 to: (i) provide greater protection for those not in regular employment; (ii) clarify the definitions of employees and workers;
  • Consolidate and update trade dispute and Trade Union legislation; and
  • Potentially make changes to the Employment Agencies Act 1975.

Financial Intelligence Unit (Amendment) Bill

Department of Home Affairs

To amend existing regulatory law, ensuring it reflects current developing international standards.

Border Security (Information Sharing) Bill

Cabinet Office

To introduce an information sharing gateway to enable Government departments and agencies to share information.

Agricultural Marketing Bill

Department of Environment, Food and Agriculture

To review and update the provisions of the Agricultural Marketing Act 1934.

Education (Amendment) Bill (No.2)

Department of Education, Sport & Culture

A further Amendment Bill, to address issues, such as; Quality Assurance; Governance; Catchment Areas and provide general modernisation