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Register of Business | Guidance for Officers
Background
On 20th April 2021 Standing Orders were amended in Tynwald Court to introduce -
- New submission dates
- Updated process for submitting Business (online)
- Updated process for submitting Questions (online)
- Answering Written Questions (online)
- Creation and publication of a Register of Business
These came into force on into force on 1st September 2021.
Written Questions
Written questions are now separated from the sittings in the three Chambers and run on web-based system every day of the year.
Members of both Branches are able to submit written questions to the Clerk of Tynwald’s Office at any time. Each question is checked on behalf of the President to ensure that it is in order. It is then sent to the relevant Department, Board or Office. Once the question has been viewed by the relevant Department and any necessary redirections carried out, it is published on the Tynwald website.
Answers will be provided within two weeks (or three weeks, during August and September) and published on the Tynwald website.
Oral Questions
The process for Oral Questions is largely unchanged, other than an amended submission deadline. Members are required to submit Oral Questions to the Clerk of Tynwald’s Office at 12 noon a week and a day before the sitting via the online web portal.
Register of Business
The Register of Business is the most significant change. The Register acts as a publically visible list of upcoming business and enables Officers, Member and the public to have advanced notice or opportunity to consider items before they reach the Order Paper.
The Register is be used for papers for laying and motions for debate.
Register of Business – Submission Dates
Routine business should be submitted at least four weeks before the sitting. When it is submitted, it will be published on the Register of Business. It will then be transferred from the Register to the Order Paper at a later stage.
Papers and motions for consideration and decision should be lodged as soon as possible and may be submitted at any time. All submissions will be registered for the next available sitting. The Register will be updated once a day.
Which deadline do you need?
| Deadline | Item Type |
| Register of Business Deadline | • Any item that requires a motion (except appointments to a statutory body). |
| Order Paper Deadline | • Laid before items. • Statements. • Government responses to Parliamentary Committees. • Adjourned debates. • A procedure to fill a Parliamentary Committee vacancy or discharge a Committee Member. • Appointments to a statutory body. |
Register of Business – Urgent Business
There is provision for urgent items to by-pass the four-week Register of Business period. To do this you must ask the President for permission for the submission to be included on the next Order Paper. Please email your request to the President, copying in the Clerk of Tynwald (j.king@tynwald.org.im) and Table (table@tynwald.org.im), and explain why the submission is urgent.
The new Standing Orders will not impede the handling of any regulations where specific timescales for Tynwald approval are laid down in statute. For example, if there were to be a need for urgent regulations under section 51Q(3) of the Public Health Act 1990, the timescales would still be as set out in the Act.