Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if his Department has made an assessment of the benefits of establishing cultural exchange programs with the British Overseas Territories.

The UK maintains strong cultural links with the Territories and our continuing partnerships bring benefits to the UK and to the Territories.

Currently, young people in the Overseas Territories have access to programmes such as the FCDO-funded Chevening Scholarships, which offers opportunities to develop professionally and academically, experience UK culture, and build lasting positive relationships with the UK. Inhabitants of our Overseas Territories are usually British Overseas Territory Citizens under British Nationality law. Often these British Overseas Territory Citizens also qualify for British citizenship and thus have access to institutions for further and higher education in the UK.