Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of recent violence in the Turks & Caicos Islands.

The UK is committed to the security of the Turks and Caicos Islands (TCI) and is supporting their response to the continued high levels of violence in TCI. The safety of residents in Turks and Caicos is of paramount importance to the UK government. During my recent visit to TCI, I [Minister Rutley] met with the Premier and Governor and reiterated the UK's support for reducing the ongoing gang violence. The UK is supporting TCI directly, including through the ongoing funding of a serious crime team, embedded in the local police force.