Ministers have rejected calls for a new independent whistleblowing watchdog, insisting the current system is “robust” and still being embedded across the public service.
In its response to a Tynwald select committee report, the government defended recent reforms including the Employment (Amendment) Act 2024 which came into effect in April.
Chief Minister Alf Cannan said ministers are committed to strengthening a culture where concerns can be raised “safely, confidently and in the public interest”.
The government has accepted or amended several committee recommendations, including clarifying reporting routes and reviewing how whistleblowing data is published.
However, ministers strongly resisted the committee’s proposal for a comprehensive statutory whistleblowing framework with an independent oversight body.
The response argued there is currently “insufficient evidence to justify such reform” and that introducing “an additional structural layer risks weakening clear lines of responsibility”.
The Council noted that the number of whistleblowing cases where detriment is subsequently established is “small” and that suggesting such outcomes are the norm would be “misleading.”