Following the announcement by the Government on Tuesday 3 May 2022, that the licence issued to Crogga Limited to prospect for fossil fuels in the Isle of Man seabed is extended by 27 months, the Green Party wrote to Minister Crookall on Thursday 5 May 2022 asking for an explanation as to the reason(s) why the decision was made and to justify how it is compliant with the Department of Infrastructure’s legal duties under section 21 of the Climate Change Act 2021 (see our first letter HERE). The Ministers of the Council of Ministers, including the Chief Minister, were copied to that correspondence.
Surprisingly, given the significance of Minister Crookall’s decision in-light of the environmental and climate emergency declared by Tynwald on 18 June 2019, the Green Party was forced to write again to the Minister on Friday 27 May 2022 inviting the Minister to acknowledge receipt of the Party’s original letter and to indicate the date when a substantive response would be given (see our second letter HERE).
To date, five weeks after the Green Party first wrote to Minister Crookall, the Minister has ignored the Green Party’s request to explain the decision to extend Crogga’s gas licence in-light of the legal obligations the Government is under in respect of climate change. This is not only entirely unhelpful and obstructive in informing Isle of Man society as to why the decision has been taken, but it also brings into question the Minister’s compliance with the legal obligation Council of Ministers is under pursuant to section 6A of the Council of Ministers Act 1990, namely its duty to uphold and support the rule of law.
Green Party Leader Andrew Langan-Newton lamented that:
“It is entirely unsatisfactory and inappropriate for Minister Crookall to bury his head in the sand and ignore legitimate requests from the Green Party as to the legal justification for the decision to extend Crogga’s licence to explore for fossil fuels. At this stage, we can only speculate as to why the Minister is ignoring our requests for clarification but it may speak volumes for the legitimacy of the decision he has taken.”
The Green Party awaits a response from Minister Crookall, noting the fundamental public interest in the decision.