Asked by: Baroness McIntosh of Pickering (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to work with Chester Zoo on global conservation and species recovery work.
Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government recognises the important role Chester Zoo plays in global conservation and species recovery. Chester Zoo has a strong partnership with Defra through the Darwin Initiative, which funds some of the zoo’s international conservation efforts. Since 2007, Chester Zoo has delivered 10 Darwin-funded projects worth £2 million across five countries, focusing on human-wildlife conflict, forest restoration, and community livelihoods. It has also partnered on a Darwin Plus project in Montserrat to help save the critically endangered mountain chicken frog.
In addition, Chester Zoo is an active stakeholder under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) through the British and Irish Association of Zoos and Aquariums (BIAZA) and undertakes significant work to support the conservation of CITES-listed species.
New rounds of Defra’s challenge funds, including the Darwin Initiative and Darwin Plus, are expected to open in 2026 for applications, and we would welcome applications from Chester Zoo.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Reform UK - Romford)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment she has made of the level of night time medical evacuation capability in Montserrat, and what steps she is taking to ensure that residents have access to safe and timely emergency medical evacuation comparable to that available in other UK Overseas Territories.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) is supporting the Government of Montserrat and Air Safety Support International to scope extending Montserrat's airport operations to night time, including to enable night time medical evacuations. The FCDO has also supported construction of a new air traffic control tower to ensure regulatory compliance, operational readiness and staff safety, due to complete this year.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Reform UK - Romford)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether her Department will undertake a review of Montserrat’s emergency medical evacuation arrangements including (a) nighttime capability and (b) the use of pre-evacuation financial liability agreements.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) is supporting the Government of Montserrat and Air Safety Support International to scope extending Montserrat's airport operations to night time, including to enable night time medical evacuations. The FCDO has also supported construction of a new air traffic control tower to ensure regulatory compliance, operational readiness and staff safety, due to complete this year.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Reform UK - Romford)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether the Government will consider providing technical or financial assistance to establish night time air or sea medical evacuation capability in Montserrat.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) is supporting the Government of Montserrat and Air Safety Support International to scope extending Montserrat's airport operations to night time, including to enable night time medical evacuations. The FCDO has also supported construction of a new air traffic control tower to ensure regulatory compliance, operational readiness and staff safety, due to complete this year.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Reform UK - Romford)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 6 November 2025 to Question 86191, what steps her Department has taken to improve the development of health services and specialist medical care in Montserrat.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I refer the Hon. Member to the answer I gave on 6 November to Question 86192.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Reform UK - Romford)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions he has had with the Government of Montserrat regarding the requirement that patients accept full financial liability for medivac costs and all overseas medical expenses prior to emergency evacuation, and whether this policy is consistent with UK support for the territory’s health budget and obligations under Article 73 of the UN Charter.
Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office provides budget support to the Government of Montserrat. Specific healthcare budget allocations are a matter for the Government of Montserrat. The United Kingdom Government fulfils all its responsibilities under Article 73 of the United Nations Charter to promote the political, economic, social, and educational advancement of the overseas territories.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Reform UK - Romford)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking to improve air safety standards in Montserrat.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The UK is responsible for aviation safety under the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) for Montserrat as a British Overseas Territory. The Department for Transport (DfT) established Air Safety Support International (ASSI), an Arm’s Length Body of Government established by Directions from the Secretary of State for Transport and a subsidiary company of the UK Civil Aviation Authority.
ASSI provides a dedicated system of aviation safety and security oversight for the British Overseas Territories and operates under the Air Navigation (Overseas Territories) Order, which is regularly updated in order to ensure the adoption and application of the internationally recognised aviation Standards and Recommended Practices, set out by ICAO. Audits are regularly conducted by ASSI in Montserrat to ensure continuing compliance with aviation safety requirements.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Reform UK - Romford)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps she is taking with Cabinet colleagues to ensure that (a) British nationals and (b) citizens of British Overseas Territories holding British passports are provided adequate (i) food, (ii) housing, (iii) medical care, (iv) welfare and (v) other humanitarian support whilst resident in the UK in search of specialist medical care unavailable within their home territory.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK remains committed to meeting the reasonable assistance needs of Montserrat. Much of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office funding allocated to the Government of Montserrat (£62 million in this financial year alone) is used to support the provision of primary healthcare on island. This includes the construction of Montserrat's new national hospital, as well as delivery of Montserrat's Health Transformation Strategy and when necessary medical evacuations off island.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Reform UK - Romford)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if she will make an assessment of the adequacy of the medivac provision on Montserrat.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK remains committed to meeting the reasonable assistance needs of Montserrat. Much of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office funding allocated to the Government of Montserrat (£62 million in this financial year alone) is used to support the provision of primary healthcare on island. This includes the construction of Montserrat's new national hospital, as well as delivery of Montserrat's Health Transformation Strategy and when necessary medical evacuations off island.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Reform UK - Romford)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if she will make an assessment of the adequacy of healthcare provision on Montserrat.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK remains committed to meeting the reasonable assistance needs of Montserrat. Much of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office funding allocated to the Government of Montserrat (£62 million in this financial year alone) is used to support the provision of primary healthcare on island. This includes the construction of Montserrat's new national hospital, as well as delivery of Montserrat's Health Transformation Strategy and when necessary medical evacuations off island.