Health and Social Care Minister Claire Christian has defended her department’s decision not to publish a revised mandate and operating plan for Manx Care, despite a change to its financial targets.
The question was raised in Keys by Lawrie Hooper, who argued that a statutory update was required after the department effectively lowered Manx Care’s cost improvement savings target.
In response, Ms Christian said that that the financial movement was “a planning assumption adjustment” that did not alter strategic priorities, adding, “a revision was considered unnecessary”.
Mr. Hooper countered: “The law says when you make a change, however big or small, you have to lay a new copy of the mandate and a new copy of the operating plan in front of Tynwald.” He later asked, “Why is the Minister choosing not to comply with the law?”
Ms Christian reiterated her position, adding that “the department may make a revision to the mandate, and the department considers that there are exceptional circumstances that may make the revision necessary”.