THE Isle of Man Chamber of Commerce has produced a series of public questions which it feels should be answered by all candidates seeking election to the House of Keys in September.

The questions have been put together by Chamber members which comprise the senior executives of all the major companies in the Isle of Man.

All the questions have been published this week in local newspapers and are repeated here . . .

1 Control of government spending:

Statistics suggest that government employees in the wider context now exceed 11,000. Chamber's call to reduce the numbers in the public sector is not a new one, but is certainly exacerbated by our current financial plight. The ultimate impact of not doing so will be upon our collective capability to compete and succeed. And of course, increased tax burden.

Candidate questions: Do you support the need to reduce government expenditure? How have you already demonstrated this and what are your proposals? Also, if you have aspirations and initiatives requiring funding, how will they be financed?

2 Government should reduce it’s scope:

 In our efforts to become a more efficient island, we need to consider who is best placed to run certain services. For example, public accounts highlight that the net cost (loss) to the taxpayer of Government running the Villa and Gaiety complex, for instance, is in excess of £1.5 million per annum. Surely private sector expertise could 'do better'?

Candidate questions: Should government seek to outsource more services in order to reduce the burden on the taxpayer? What priorities would you set?

3 Strength of Government on the International scene:

International challenges are unprecedented and are here to stay. We need strong politicians who can demonstrate that they understand what is best for the island and how to interact on the international scene to get it.

Candidate questions: What qualities do you possess that will stand us in good stead and protect our future? How important are 'national” issues?

4 Protecting the economy for future generations:

The island should rightfully be proud of it's economy. A total of 27 years of unbroken growth is incredible and our politicians should take credit. The revenue raised as a result is vital to ensure that we all enjoy Services which contribute to our quality of life.

Candidate question: How do/will you interact with the island's employers in order to ensure the ongoing success of our economy?

5 Ongoing economic diversity will be key:

Part of our success can be attributed to our economic diversity. We are the envy of many similar sized jurisdictions and need to keep it that way.

Candidate questions: What steps do we need to take to protect our diversity? How do we ensure our future workforce meets the need of employers? How do we contain, for example, energy costs and therefore our ability to attract and retain key employers?

6 Protecting our economic infrastructure:

 Not all Sectors succeed all of the time. The economic climate often places a strain upon, for example, retail, construction and hospitality. It is vital to our overall infrastructure that we retain a broad economy, protecting the many jobs that result. Sectors do not look for government hand-outs; more an understanding and willingness to work together through initiatives and innovation.

Candidate questions: Are you in favour of initiatives designed to support sectors within the economy? What have you previously advocated and what would you focus upon now? Do you have any proposals regarding 'shop local'? Is it important?

7 Island regeneration:

Notwithstanding our current economic plight, our island's towns deserve the regeneration and refurbishment that has already been identified (and more!). Douglas, in particular, warrants focus as our capital. Bids for the regeneration monies already exceed the amount of cash within the fund itself and we do need to ensure that monies continue to be allocated in order to maintain progress. If this results in additional savings elsewhere so be it.

Candidate questions: Do you support continued allocation of monies from future budgets toward the regeneration fund in order to refurbish our towns and villages. Are you prepared to seek additional cost savings elsewhere in order to accommodate?

8 Co-ordinated planning:

Economic prosperity is a priority. Maintaining the beauty of the island is too. The two can be jointly embraced through a co-ordinated and more strategic approach to planning. Chamber believes that this can be achieved by working together.

Candidate questions:  How do you view current planning policy? Is this an area where government and the private sector/individual can increasingly work together? Do you have any proposals?

9 Public Sector Pensions:

 Recent changes to the Public Sector Pension Scheme make it more affordable to the taxpayer. The liability is still £2bn, more than our island Reserves.

Candidate questions:  Should the Public Sector Pension Scheme be closed to new entrants in order to protect existing scheme members and the taxpayer? When will Tynwald members start to contribute to their own generous scheme?

10 Conquering a growing NEETs problem:

 The island's economy continues to thrive and benefits from near full employment as a result. However, perhaps below the radar there is a growing populus of NEETs (not in employment, education or training) amongst 16 -24 year olds. It is our collective responsibility to address this issue.

Candidate question: What are your proposals for addressing the NEETs problem?

See also . . . Chamber of Commerce gears up for a high profile awareness campaign leading up to the General Election