More than £27,000 was spent on off-island trips between September and the end of 2022.

In September Chief Minister Alfred Cannan travelled to the Labour and Tory conferences and to Belgium, Bahrain and South Africa.

A trip to the Labour conference for Mr Cannan, Infrastructure Minister Chris Thomas and a civil servant was £3,409.91, whereas a trip to the Tory conference in Birmingham for the Mr Cannan, Treasury Minister Alex Allinson and a civil servant was £5,299.54.

From there, Mr Cannan headed to Bahrain with a civil servant, at a cost of £6,771.71.

A trip to Brussels, accompanied by two civil servants, cost the taxpayer £2,571.92 and a trip to South Africa for the chief minister and one civil servant cost £10,212.36.

The final trip of the year was to Blackpool for the British and Irish Council where the Mr Cannan was accompanied by two civil servants cost £2,047.60.

In total, the taxpayer spent £27,742.12 on trips between September and the end of the year.

In September, Mr Cannan said: ‘Growing our economy is vital to funding high quality public services and maintaining our cherished quality of life. That is why securing a strong and diverse economy is one of the key pillars of our Island Plan.

‘To deliver on this ambition we must engage, build relationships and market ourselves in the UK, Europe and further afield, ensuring we seize opportunities and play to our strengths. The rewards include attracting new workers, increased exports and growing inward investment.

‘This won’t happen on its own, nor will it happen overnight. It will take a sustained long-term effort that we must commit to if we are to succeed.

‘I recognise the current cost of living crisis is affecting everyone across the island, but if we are serious about securing our future then we must roll our sleeves up and set about strengthening existing relationships and forging new ones.

‘We want to create an environment where Isle of Man companies can flourish and grow, and government has a significant role to play in this.’