Asked by: Scott Arthur (Labour - Edinburgh South West)
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 progress made on the introduction of a publicly accessible register on beneficial ownership of businesses registered in their jurisdiction by each British Overseas Territory.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
At the Overseas Territories Joint Ministerial Council (JMC) in November 2024, the Falkland Islands and Saint Helena committed to implement fully public registers by April 2025. The British Virgin Islands (BVI), Cayman Islands, Bermuda, Anguilla and Turks and Caicos Islands agreed to implement registers of beneficial ownership, accessible to those with a legitimate interest, by June 2025. It remains our expectation that the Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies will ultimately implement fully public registers as those that are already in place in Gibraltar and Montserrat.
I discussed progress on beneficial ownership transparency with Premier Wheatley (BVI) last month. A Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) senior official visited BVI earlier this month and met with government and the finance industry. Every Territory is making progress towards the JMC commitments and FCDO officials are in regular contact with counterparts in the Overseas Territories on their proposals for registers to ensure they meet the agreement made at the JMC. I have and will continue to raise this directly with elected leaders across the Overseas Territories.
The Government is keeping this under close review and will carefully consider what further steps to take if the registers are not delivered as per JMC agreements.
Asked by: Scott Arthur (Labour - Edinburgh South West)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with his counterparts in (a) the British Virgin Islands and (b) the Cayman Islands on the introduction of public registers of beneficial ownership.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
At the Overseas Territories Joint Ministerial Council (JMC) in November 2024, the Falkland Islands and Saint Helena committed to implement fully public registers by April 2025. The British Virgin Islands (BVI), Cayman Islands, Bermuda, Anguilla and Turks and Caicos Islands agreed to implement registers of beneficial ownership, accessible to those with a legitimate interest, by June 2025. It remains our expectation that the Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies will ultimately implement fully public registers as those that are already in place in Gibraltar and Montserrat.
I discussed progress on beneficial ownership transparency with Premier Wheatley (BVI) last month. A Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) senior official visited BVI earlier this month and met with government and the finance industry. Every Territory is making progress towards the JMC commitments and FCDO officials are in regular contact with counterparts in the Overseas Territories on their proposals for registers to ensure they meet the agreement made at the JMC. I have and will continue to raise this directly with elected leaders across the Overseas Territories.
The Government is keeping this under close review and will carefully consider what further steps to take if the registers are not delivered as per JMC agreements.
Asked by: Edward Morello (Liberal Democrat - West Dorset)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether his Department plans to issue formal guidance to higher education providers on assessing the eligibility of students from the Cayman Islands for home fee status under the Education (Fees and Awards) (England) Regulations 2007.
Answered by Janet Daby
Since 2007, persons who have settled status in the UK, and who come to the UK from specified British Overseas Territories, have been eligible for home fee status if they meet the requirement of three years’ ordinary residence in the UK, Channel Islands, Isle of Man and/or specified British Overseas Territories.
Higher education (HE) providers in England are autonomous bodies, and as such are responsible for their own affairs, including the charging of fees, subject to compliance with the relevant regulations. The department expects that they will take the same approach as the Student Loans Company when awarding home fee status.
The department does not consider it appropriate for it to monitor provider decision making regarding home fee status.
The department has recently amended the relevant regulations, effective from 1 August 2024, to provide additional clarification on the criteria for home fee status, so as to assist HE providers.
Guidance is readily available online to assist providers with their decision making. It can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/student-finance-eligibility-2021-to-2022-academic-year/eligibility-rules-for-home-fee-status-and-student-finance-from-the-2022-to-2023-academic-year-onwards.
The department has, and will continue to, engage fully with all stakeholders whenever a potential issue around home fee status arises and we have provided guidance on the relevant regulations.
Asked by: Edward Morello (Liberal Democrat - West Dorset)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that British citizens from the Cayman Islands with a right of abode in the UK are not mistakenly denied access to home fee status due to administrative misinterpretation of their (a) immigration and (b) nationality status.
Answered by Janet Daby
Since 2007, persons who have settled status in the UK, and who come to the UK from specified British Overseas Territories, have been eligible for home fee status if they meet the requirement of three years’ ordinary residence in the UK, Channel Islands, Isle of Man and/or specified British Overseas Territories.
Higher education (HE) providers in England are autonomous bodies, and as such are responsible for their own affairs, including the charging of fees, subject to compliance with the relevant regulations. The department expects that they will take the same approach as the Student Loans Company when awarding home fee status.
The department does not consider it appropriate for it to monitor provider decision making regarding home fee status.
The department has recently amended the relevant regulations, effective from 1 August 2024, to provide additional clarification on the criteria for home fee status, so as to assist HE providers.
Guidance is readily available online to assist providers with their decision making. It can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/student-finance-eligibility-2021-to-2022-academic-year/eligibility-rules-for-home-fee-status-and-student-finance-from-the-2022-to-2023-academic-year-onwards.
The department has, and will continue to, engage fully with all stakeholders whenever a potential issue around home fee status arises and we have provided guidance on the relevant regulations.
Asked by: Edward Morello (Liberal Democrat - West Dorset)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she has made an assessment of the potential impact of incorrectly assessing people as ineligible for home fee status on students from the Cayman Islands.
Answered by Janet Daby
Since 2007, persons who have settled status in the UK, and who come to the UK from specified British Overseas Territories, have been eligible for home fee status if they meet the requirement of three years’ ordinary residence in the UK, Channel Islands, Isle of Man and/or specified British Overseas Territories.
Higher education (HE) providers in England are autonomous bodies, and as such are responsible for their own affairs, including the charging of fees, subject to compliance with the relevant regulations. The department expects that they will take the same approach as the Student Loans Company when awarding home fee status.
The department does not consider it appropriate for it to monitor provider decision making regarding home fee status.
The department has recently amended the relevant regulations, effective from 1 August 2024, to provide additional clarification on the criteria for home fee status, so as to assist HE providers.
Guidance is readily available online to assist providers with their decision making. It can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/student-finance-eligibility-2021-to-2022-academic-year/eligibility-rules-for-home-fee-status-and-student-finance-from-the-2022-to-2023-academic-year-onwards.
The department has, and will continue to, engage fully with all stakeholders whenever a potential issue around home fee status arises and we have provided guidance on the relevant regulations.
Asked by: Edward Morello (Liberal Democrat - West Dorset)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she has made an assessment of the adequacy of the consistency of decisions made by higher education providers on the eligibility of students from the Cayman Islands for home fee status.
Answered by Janet Daby
Since 2007, persons who have settled status in the UK, and who come to the UK from specified British Overseas Territories, have been eligible for home fee status if they meet the requirement of three years’ ordinary residence in the UK, Channel Islands, Isle of Man and/or specified British Overseas Territories.
Higher education (HE) providers in England are autonomous bodies, and as such are responsible for their own affairs, including the charging of fees, subject to compliance with the relevant regulations. The department expects that they will take the same approach as the Student Loans Company when awarding home fee status.
The department does not consider it appropriate for it to monitor provider decision making regarding home fee status.
The department has recently amended the relevant regulations, effective from 1 August 2024, to provide additional clarification on the criteria for home fee status, so as to assist HE providers.
Guidance is readily available online to assist providers with their decision making. It can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/student-finance-eligibility-2021-to-2022-academic-year/eligibility-rules-for-home-fee-status-and-student-finance-from-the-2022-to-2023-academic-year-onwards.
The department has, and will continue to, engage fully with all stakeholders whenever a potential issue around home fee status arises and we have provided guidance on the relevant regulations.
Asked by: Edward Morello (Liberal Democrat - West Dorset)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent discussions her Department has had with the Cayman Islands Government Office in the UK on improving access to home fees for students from the Cayman Islands.
Answered by Janet Daby
Since 2007, persons who have settled status in the UK, and who come to the UK from specified British Overseas Territories, have been eligible for home fee status if they meet the requirement of three years’ ordinary residence in the UK, Channel Islands, Isle of Man and/or specified British Overseas Territories.
Higher education (HE) providers in England are autonomous bodies, and as such are responsible for their own affairs, including the charging of fees, subject to compliance with the relevant regulations. The department expects that they will take the same approach as the Student Loans Company when awarding home fee status.
The department does not consider it appropriate for it to monitor provider decision making regarding home fee status.
The department has recently amended the relevant regulations, effective from 1 August 2024, to provide additional clarification on the criteria for home fee status, so as to assist HE providers.
Guidance is readily available online to assist providers with their decision making. It can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/student-finance-eligibility-2021-to-2022-academic-year/eligibility-rules-for-home-fee-status-and-student-finance-from-the-2022-to-2023-academic-year-onwards.
The department has, and will continue to, engage fully with all stakeholders whenever a potential issue around home fee status arises and we have provided guidance on the relevant regulations.
Asked by: Steff Aquarone (Liberal Democrat - North Norfolk)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions he has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on increased tax receipts as a result of new registers of beneficial ownership in overseas territories and crown dependencies.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, Home Office and Treasury officials coordinate regularly on work around advancing beneficial ownership transparency. We are clear on the benefits of accessible registers of beneficial ownership, which not only include tackling illicit finance and corruption, but also fighting tax and sanctions evasion.
At the Overseas Territories Joint Ministerial Council (JMC) in November 2024, the Falkland Islands and Saint Helena committed to join Montserrat and Gibraltar in implementing fully public registers by April 2025. The British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Bermuda, Anguilla and Turks and Caicos Islands agreed to implement registers of beneficial ownership, accessible to those with a legitimate interest, by June 2025. It remains our expectation that the Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies will ultimately implement fully public registers.
The Crown Dependencies have committed to increasing the transparency of their beneficial ownership registers and are working towards implementing access to those with legitimate interest, in line with the EU's 6th Anti-Money Laundering Directive.
I have and will continue to raise this directly with elected leaders across the Overseas Territories, and Home Office Ministers and officials will continue to engage with the Crown Dependencies. I regularly engage with Ministerial colleagues on matters related to the Overseas Territories, including in HM Treasury.
Asked by: Steff Aquarone (Liberal Democrat - North Norfolk)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate she has made of the amount of tax income which could be generated by new registers of beneficial ownership in overseas territories and crown dependencies.
Answered by James Murray - Chief Secretary to the Treasury
We are clear on the benefits of beneficial ownership registers, which not only include tackling illicit finance and corruption, but also fighting tax and sanctions evasion.
At the Overseas Territories Joint Ministerial Council (JMC) in November 2024, the Falkland Islands and Saint Helena committed to join Montserrat and Gibraltar in implementing fully public registers by April 2025. The British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Bermuda, Anguilla and Turks and Caicos Islands agreed to implement registers of beneficial ownership, accessible to those with a legitimate interest, by June 2025. It remains our expectation that the Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies will ultimately implement fully public registers.
The Crown Dependencies have committed to increasing the transparency of their beneficial ownership registers and are working towards implementing access to those with legitimate interest, in line with the EU's 6th Anti-Money Laundering Directive.
HMRC draws on a variety of data sources to tackle offshore non-compliance, including exchange of information under double taxation agreements and Tax Information Exchange Agreements.
Asked by: Christine Jardine (Liberal Democrat - Edinburgh West)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to the meeting of the UK and Overseas Territories Joint Ministerial Council between 19 and 21 November 2024, what progress has been made on the implementation of public registers of beneficial ownership in the Overseas Territories.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Work is ongoing to improve beneficial ownership transparency in the Overseas Territories. At the Joint Ministerial Council (JMC) in November 2024, the Falkland Islands and Saint Helena committed to join Montserrat and Gibraltar in implementing fully public registers by April 2025. The British Virgin Islands (BVI), Cayman Islands, Bermuda, Anguilla and Turks and Caicos Islands agreed to implement registers of beneficial ownership, accessible to those with a legitimate interest, by June 2025. It remains our expectation that the Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies will ultimately implement fully public registers.
Every Territory is making progress towards these commitments and FCDO officials are in regular contact with counterparts in the Overseas Territories on their proposals for registers to ensure they meet the agreement made at JMC. I have and will continue to raise this directly with elected leaders across the Overseas Territories. I have recently spoken with the Premiers of BVI and Bermuda on this issue.