Ship Registry found out about Manxman update from news

The board has asked management to review its communications protocol for major operational incidents

The government criticised the Steam Packet over its handling of communications during the Manxman dry dock disruption.

Documents released following a freedom of information request revealed that the Ship Registry learned about the delay in the flagship's return to service through Manx Radio.

In a July letter to the company's chairman Dan Clague, the Treasury's Chief Financial Officer Caldric Randall said ministers expressed concern about the timeliness and completeness of information provided to the public, the department and the shareholder.

He wrote: "The absence of regular updates inevitably created a degree of speculation and uncertainty, particularly as reports and rumours circulated in the public domain."

Mr Randall added: "While it is appreciated that the Company may have been seeking to avoid releasing information before key facts had been established, the approach adopted has nevertheless raised questions regarding transparency and has the potential to undermine public confidence."

The criticism follows confirmation that the DoI and Treasury were not notified before the company issued a press release about the extended dry docking.

A Council of Ministers paper states that the DoI and the Treasury were not notified in a timely manner through the established governance and liaison arrangements and the company notified the media in the first instance.

The paper also records that the Isle of Man Ship Registry found out about the delay through a Manx Radio news release.

In an email to the Chief Executive of the government, Mark Lewin and Mr Randall, the DoI's Head of Corporate Services and Programme Change, Helen Goldie, confirmed: "Yes, the IOM Ship Registry also found out via the Manx Radio news release too."

In his response to Mr Randall, Mr Clague said the board understands the concern expressed about the timing and extent of public communications.

He added: "We accept, however, that there is a balance to be struck between accuracy and timeliness and that in circumstances of significant public interest there is value in providing more regular holding updates, even where the technical assessment is unknown."

Mr Clague confirmed the board has asked management to review the communications protocol for major operational incidents, focusing on earlier stakeholder briefings, more frequent public holding statements and a more structured cadence of updates to the department and shareholder.