Ahead of the general election the Manx charity Crossroads is asking candidates - what will you do for the Island's carers?

It's written an article titled 'The Hidden Economy of Caring' in which it says: "We spend a lot of time talking about the cost of care. We spend far less time talking about its value.

"Yet without unpaid carers, our health and social care system would look fundamentally different."

Jackie Betteridge is the CEO at Crossroads.

She told Lewis Foster why they've put together this article - and why now.

A man living with severe ME on the Island says there are times when he can only manage around 15 minutes of conversation a day.

The cause of Myalgic Encephalomyelitis, otherwise known as Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, is relatively unknown and can be difficult to diagnose.

It causes extreme tiredness and often leaves people housebound, confined to their beds or even immobile.

Thirty-eight-year-old Juan Corlett has suffered from the full effects of ME since 2018 after first catching the Epstein-Barr virus.

Ahead of Severe ME Awareness Day (8 August) he's been speaking to Lewis Foster.

Castletown Commissioners is wanting to see charges introduced for Freedom of Information requests after it received 14 in one year.

Chair Tony Brown says at the moment the cost of responding is being borne by ratepayers, and he would also like the anonymity element removed from the act.

The local authority is planning to ask the Council of Ministers to look into changing the regulations to allow local authorities and other statutory bodies to charge for the service.

Mr Brown adds the commissioners are there to 'provide information' to residents and it has 'nothing to hide'.

He believes people should be making their requests in writing first, before resorting to an FoI request if the response isn't sufficient.

Local Democracy Reporter Emma Draper has been speaking to him.