Locate Isle of Man’s wider impact is set to come under renewed scrutiny following a written Tynwald question.
Speaker of the House of Keys Juan Watterson asks the Minister for Enterprise to spell out what benefits other than direct income the division has delivered.
The question, due for written answer by April 14, follows recent public debate about the unit’s cost‑effectiveness after new figures revealed a significant gap between its expenditure and the revenue it generated.
Locate Costs
A Freedom of Information response published last month showed LocateIOM cost taxpayers £647,896 in the last financial year while generating just £15,014 in income.
The Department for Enterprise confirmed that the majority of spending related to staffing, with £465,801 attributed to wage costs including national insurance and superannuation.
A further £83,240 was spent on employee travel, accommodation and mileage, and £113,669 on supplies and services. The unit employs six staff, equating to 5.8 full‑time equivalents.
For the current 2025/26 financial year, LocateIOM has been allocated £603,593, funded entirely from the Department for Enterprise’s annual revenue budget.
The division sits within the department’s Strategy & Policy Directorate and is tasked with promoting the island as a place to live and work.
DfE Minister Tim Johnston will now be expected to outline measurable outcomes, such as relocations supported, skills attracted, or economic uplift generated, that justify the unit’s continued funding at a time of heightened public scrutiny.
