The Cabinet Office has refused an FoI request seeking correspondence with the UK government about the Assisted Dying Bill, citing the need to protect international relations.
The request asked for “any correspondence between External Relations, The Cabinet Office and the UK Ministry of Justice regarding the Assisted Dying Bill since February 2025”.
However, the Cabinet Office said the information is exempt under the Freedom of Information Act 2015, as disclosure “would be likely to prejudice relations between the Island and the United Kingdom”.
It said that “Royal Assent is a Crown prerogative process” and that “the effective conduct of the island’s external relations depends on maintaining trust and confidence between the Isle of Man and UK Governments”.
The response noted that UK Government has refused a similar request.