A member of the Legislative Council has accused government of taxing Manx people when they are least able to afford it.

Eddie Lowey was speaking in relation to an increase in the cost of registering births, deaths and marriages.

It's the first increase for four years, but the rise in fees equates to more than 16 per cent.

It means in the next year the General Registry will collect an extra ?2,500 and the year after an additional ?5,900.

Mr Lowey (pictured) told Tynwald the cost of paper hadn't gone up by that amount, and suggested it was becoming very expensive to die in the Isle of Man.

Fellow MLC Alex Downie, who is in charge of the General Regsistry, defended the increase saying the cost of running the building had to be taken into account, and over a four year period the rise was very fair.

South Douglas MHK Bill Malarkey suggested that leaving it for so long before reviewing the cost of such procedures was to blame, and wondered if it could considered annually.

Treasury Minister Allan Bell agreed, and said the aim was to review such costs more often.