WHAT is the UK's hidden agenda for the Isle of Man?
Anger and confusion have greeted 'unfortunate and ill-informed' comments by UK Chancellor Alistair Darling, who told a Commons select committee that there was a need for a 'long, hard look' at the UK's relationship with the Isle of Man, describing us dismissively as a 'tax haven sitting in the Irish Sea'.

Fears of a hardening attitude towards the Island from our bigger neighbour have been prompted by a series of unwelcome moves by the UK Government in recent weeks.

At the beginning of October, it announced it will scrap our reciprocal health agreement, leading to Island residents potentially facing hefty hospital bills in future when visiting the UK.

Later the same month, the use of anti-terror legislation by the Gordon Brown administration against Icelandic banks ultimately sparked the collapse of the Island's Kaupthing bank.

Mr Darling's comments to the Treasury Select Committee were variously condemned by government ministers as 'astonishing', 'unprecedented' and 'ill-informed'.

UK Treasury moved quickly to deny Mr Darling was considering a review of the constitutional relationship with the Crown Dependencies.

In a statement aimed at clarifying the position, a UK Treasury spokesman said it was 'vital that in these times of global economic turbulence that we make sure the financial regulatory framework between the UK and the Crown Dependencies is appropriate'.

Chief Minister Tony Brown responded: 'The Isle of Man Government is seeking clarification of the UK's position following Mr Darling's comments.

'As far as financial regulation is concerned, the Isle of Man meets the highest international standards, and the UK Government is aware of that.'

Douglas North MHK John Houghton said: 'There does appear to be some form of conspiracy building up against us. It doesn't help when Britain's most senior politician makes ill-informed comments about how we operate and how we're regulated. I think he's being badly advised.'

Fellow Douglas North MHK Bill Henderson said he saw the comments as a 'veiled threat'.

Treasury Minister Allan Bell said the UK was looking for a scapegoat for its own financial ills, adding: 'Whether there is a wider agenda – well the situation is so serious that to speculate does not help at all.'

Trades Union Council president Bernard Moffatt said the UK Chancellor had by his comments 'kicked every hard-working family in the Island in the teeth' – and he urged the unions to drop paying their political levies to the UK Labour Party.

He said: 'This is an act of hypocrisy on the part of Alistair Darling who has attacked the working people of the Island. He and his party have benefited from trade union members through their political levies.

'I personally believe this money should not be exported to people who have let us down terribly.

'I've not had any illusions about the UK Labour Party. They have a mean streak and have always had it in for the Isle of Man. They've attacked us at every turn. They've an idea that everybody here has millions in the bank and is knocking back pink gin.

'Their very negative image of the Island has now crystallised into these ill advised comments by Alistair Darling. The Chancellor is scapegoating the Isle of Man to deflect attention from himself.'

Mr Moffatt, a Manx nationalist, said we should now look at cutting our links with the UK and join Europe.

'Do we want to be part of the UK or part of a bigger club?' he asked

COUNCIL DECISION of 11 November 1996 on the extension of the legal protection of topographies of semiconductor products to persons from the Isle of Man

(96/644/EC)

THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,

Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community,

Having regard to Council Directive 87/54/EEC (1) of 16 December 1986 on the legal protection of topographies of semiconductor products, and in particular Article 3 (7) thereof,

Having regard to the proposal from the Commission,

Whereas the right to legal protection of topographies of semiconductor products in the Community applies to persons qualifying for protection under Article 3 (1) to (5) of Directive 87/54/EEC;

Whereas this right can be extended by Council Decision to persons who do not benefit from protection under the said provisions;

Whereas the extension of the protection in question should be decided by the Community as a whole;

Whereas the Community has, since 7 November 1987, extended such protection to persons from the Isle of Man by successive Council Decisions taken on an interim basis, the latest of which is Decision 94/828/EC (2);

Whereas that Decision applied until 31 December 1995;

Whereas the Isle of Man has appropriate legislation (3) on the protection of topographies of semiconductor products; whereas that legislation entered into force on 1 January 1994; whereas it applies Directive 87/54/EEC and gives effect to the Council's previous Decisions on the topic; whereas the Isle of Man extends application of the legislation to nationals of Member States of the Community;

Whereas the Agreement on trade-related aspects of intellectual property rights, concluded on 15 April 1994, requires Members of the World Trade Organization to grant protection to integrated-circuit topographies in compliance with its own provisions and with those of the Treaty on Intellectual Property in Respect of Integrated Circuits to which it refers;

Whereas the Agreement, together with that establishing the World Trade Organization, to which it is annexed, entered into force on 1 January 1995;

Whereas it is foreseeable that the Government of the United Kingdom will apply the Agreement establishing the World Trade Organization to the Isle of Man and that the Agreement on trade-related aspects of intellectual property rights will be implemented in respect of the Isle of Man;

Whereas the provisions guaranteeing protection of topographies in the Isle of Man for persons from the Community are still in force there;

Whereas protection should continue to be extended under Directive 87/54/EEC to the Isle of Man, with effect from 1 January 1996, until such time as the Isle of Man is bound by the provisions of the Agreement on trade-related aspects of intellectual property rights following the extension of the Agreement establishing the World Trade Organization to the Isle of Man,

HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION:

Article 1

Member States shall extend the right to legal protection under Directive 87/54/EEC as follows:

(a) natural persons who are nationals of the Isle of Man or who have their habitual residence in the territory of the Isle of Man shall be treated in the same way as nationals of a Member State;

(b) companies or other legal persons from the Isle of Man which have a real and effective industrial or commercial establishment there shall be treated as if they had a real and effective industrial or commercial establishment in the territory of a Member State.

Article 2

This Decision shall apply from 1 January 1996.

Member States shall extend the right to protection under this Decision to the persons referred to in Article 1 until such time as the Isle of Man is bound by the provisions of the Agreement on trade-related aspects of intellectual property rights following the extension of the Agreement establishing the World Trade Organization to the Isle of Man.

Any exclusive rights acquired under Decisions 87/532/EEC, 90/511/EEC, 94/828/EC or under this Decision shall continue to produce their effects for the period laid down under Directive 87/54/EEC.

Article 3

This Decision is addressed to the Member States.

Done at Brussels, 11 November 1996.

For the Council

The President

R. QUINN

(1) OJ No L 24, 27.1.1987, p. 36.

(2) Council Decision 87/532/EEC of 26 October 1987 on the extension of legal protection of topographies of semiconductor products in respect of persons from certain countries and territories (OJ No L 313, 4.11.1987, p. 22); Council Decision 90/511/EEC of 9 October 1990 on the extension of the legal protection of topographies of semiconductor products to persons from certain countries and territories (OJ No L 285, 17.10.1990, p. 31); Council Decision 93/16/EEC of 21 December 1992 on the extension of the legal protection of topographies of semiconductor products to persons from the United States of America and certain territories (OJ No L 11, 19.1.1993, p. 20), as amended by Decision 93/520/EEC (OJ No L 246, 2.10.1993, p. 31); Council Decision 94/828/EC of 19 December 1994 on the extension of the legal protection of topographies of semiconductor products to persons from certain territories (OJ No L 351, 31.12.1994, p. 12).

(3) Design Right (Semiconductor Topographies) Order of 14 December 1993 and Design Right (Semiconductor Topographies) Regulations of 18 January 1994.