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 he plans to enhance the capacity of border security forces in the Turks and Caicos Islands to prevent the illegal arrival of small boats.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Whilst immigration is a devolved responsibility of the Turks and Caicos Islands (TCI) Government, the UK continues to support TCI in tackling irregular migration challenges and illicit maritime activity. I visited TCI in November 2024 and was briefed by National Security and Border Force leads, joined the maritime police patrol team and visited the maritime operations centre to see first-hand the impact of FCDO-funded advanced coastal sensors.
Further FCDO support on borders for TCI includes procuring new marine assets for the police that will arrive by February 2025 and funding the accommodation of US air crews based in TCI to improve maritime surveillance. HMS Medway, the Royal Navy's Offshore Patrol Vessel based in the Caribbean, visited the TCI in November 2024 to provide reassurance and exercise with TCI authorities, including the TCI Regiment. I continue to discuss with ministerial colleagues additional support to bolster the resilience of TCI agencies.
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 he has made of the adequacy of the measures in place in the Turks and Caicos Islands to prevent the overspilling of violent crime from Haiti.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK Government is resolutely committed to supporting the security of the Turks and Caicos Islands (TCI), including in addressing the impact of ongoing violent crime and its links to instability in Haiti. I visited TCI in November 2024 to understand better the security situation and I am in regular contact with colleagues in UK Government departments on how best we can collectively support TCI's response. The FCDO's support this past year has included: deploying privately contracted firearms officers; continuing to embed serious crime investigators within the police; and strengthening border security by procuring new marine assets due to arrive by February 2025, delivering advanced coastal sensors, and funding the accommodation of US air crews based in TCI to improve maritime surveillance. I personally met with the dedicated members of the Royal TCI Police and TCI Regiment and observed their teamwork at close hand, as did HMS Medway when she visited in November. We will continue to explore opportunities to work with the Governor and TCI Government on these challenges.
Asked by: Baroness Kennedy of Cradley (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking together with the Overseas Territories to improve the transparency of the beneficial ownership of assets.
Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Minister of State (Development)
On 21 November, the Foreign Secretary launched his campaign to tackle illicit finance and corruption. Tackling financial secrecy by raising the bar on corporate transparency globally, including in partnership with the Overseas Territories, will be an important priority within this campaign.
At the Joint Ministerial Council last month, I confirmed the UK Government's expectation that OTs implement fully public registers of beneficial ownership. Fully public registers have already been introduced in Montserrat and Gibraltar, and commitments were made by the Falkland Islands and Saint Helena to introduce these by April 2025. Saint Helena has recently passed relevant legislation.
Anguilla, Bermuda, the British Virgin Islands, the Cayman Islands and the Turks and Caicos Islands committed to implement registers of beneficial ownership accessible to those with legitimate interest, which offer the maximum possible degree of access and transparency whilst containing the necessary safeguards to protect the right to privacy in line with respective constitutions, at the latest by June 2025.
Asked by: Rachel Gilmour (Liberal Democrat - Tiverton and Minehead)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the adequacy of legislation on tackling (a) tax evasion and (b) illicit financial transactions in British Overseas Territories; and what estimate his Department has made of when full public registers for British Overseas Territories will be published.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Overseas Territories (OTs) work to uphold international standards such as those set out by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development and the Financial Action Task Force on tax transparency and countering illicit financial flows respectively. Responsibility for implementing their recommendations into legislation is a matter for OT governments.
At the Joint Ministerial Council last month, I confirmed the UK Government's expectation that OTs implement full Publicly Accessible Registers of Beneficial Ownership (PARBOs). Full PARBOs have already been introduced in Montserrat and Gibraltar, and commitments were made by the Falkland Islands and Saint Helena to introduce these by April 2025. Saint Helena has recently passed the relevant legislation.
Anguilla, Bermuda, the British Virgin Islands, the Cayman Islands and the Turks and Caicos Islands committed to implement Legitimate Interest Access Registers of Beneficial Ownership which offer the maximum possible degree of access and transparency whilst containing the necessary safeguards to protect the right to privacy in line with respective constitutions, at the latest by June 2025.
Asked by: Alicia Kearns (Conservative - Rutland and Stamford)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many UK military personnel are deployed in each Overseas Territory.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
The Ministry of Defence has UK military personnel across various UK Overseas Territories. The approximate* breakdown of military personnel permanently based in UK Overseas Territories is as follows:
Ascension Island | Falkland Islands | Gibraltar | British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT) | The Sovereign Base Areas of Akrotiri and Dhekelia | Turks and Caicos Islands |
20 | 830 | 140** | 40 | 2,370 | 1 |
In addition to this, across all UK Overseas Territories, there are also personnel deployed on operations.
While there may be other categories of personnel in other UK Overseas Territories, this information is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
* Personnel change over and transition on a regular basis. With leave and other commitments (such as training), specific numbers may fluctuate.
** This figure excludes the Royal Gibraltar Regiment (RG), around 270 personnel whose home base is Gibraltar.
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, how many cases of gun crime were reported in the Turks and Caicos Islands in each of the last five years.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The FCDO does not hold this data. The Royal Turks and Caicos Island Police Force (RTCIPF), who hold this data, is regulated under Turks and Caicos Islands (TCI) law and is independent of the UK Government. However, we are acutely aware of the increase in gun crime in TCI, as well as the rising number of fatal shootings in TCI. I have already responded to a clear request for additional support from the Governor, Premier and local authorities, and visited in person last week to see the situation on the ground, including undertaking a patrol with police and to view training of the Royal TCI Regiment in support of local police. Our support has included deploying externally contracted Authorised Firearms Officers to boost police numbers and embedding investigators within the RTCIPF to support the investigation of cases of fatal shootings and to build long-term local capability. I was also able to announce our plans to provide two additional vessels to enhance maritime patrols by the police. I will continue to discuss additional ways we can provide sustainable support with ministerial colleagues.
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 he has made of the potential implications for his policies of levels of crime in the Turks and Caicos islands.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK is committed across government to supporting the Overseas Territories to reduce crime levels affecting their residents. I visited the Turks and Caicos Islands (TCI) in early November to understand better the security situation there, and I am in regular contact with colleagues in other UK Government departments on how best we can support the Overseas Territories. The FCDO support in TCI this year includes: deploying privately contracted Authorised Firearms Officers; continuing to embed serious crime investigators within the police; and strengthening border security by procuring new marine assets, delivering advanced coastal sensors, and funding the accommodation of US air crews based in TCI to improve maritime surveillance.
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 information his Department holds on how many citizens of (a) Haiti and (b) the Dominican Republic are resident in Turks and Caicos.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The FCDO does not hold this data. In line with the Turks and Caicos (TCI) Constitution, immigration is a devolved matter for the TCI Government, and therefore the FCDO does not hold details on any nationalities. However, the FCDO is aware of the ongoing pressure of inward immigration, including irregular migration, on TCI including from Haiti and is supporting its authorities to strengthen its border security. This support includes procuring new marine assets for its police force; delivering the rollout of advanced coastal sensors; and funding the accommodation of US air crews based in TCI to improve maritime surveillance.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Reform UK - Romford)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether he has had recent discussions with his US counterpart on training for police officers in (a) Turks and Caicos Islands, (b) Bermuda and (c) Cayman Islands.
Answered by Chris Philp - Shadow Home Secretary
While the UK works closely with US partners on a number of areas of cooperation, the Secretary of State has not had any conversations with his US counterpart relating to the training of police officers within the Turks and Caicos, Bermuda or Cayman Islands.
The Home Office, through the International Police Assistance Service (IPAS), are currently delivering training to Overseas Territories’ Police in line with identified requirements and funded by the International Security Fund (ISF).
Asked by: Carol Monaghan (Scottish National Party - Glasgow North West)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Deputy Foreign Secretary, what recent progress his Department has made on the introduction of public registers of ownership by British overseas territories.
Answered by David Rutley
In March, the UK and Overseas Territories discussed their commitments and timelines to implement public registers, either accessible to all members of the public or with access predicated on 'legitimate interest'. I [Minister Rutley] re-stated the UK's expectation that where public access is predicated on 'legitimate interest' this will include media and civil society, among others, and is an interim step to access for all members of the public. The FCDO is funding expert NGO, Open Ownership, to provide technical assistance to expedite implementation; they are providing advice to the governments of Anguilla, British Virgin Islands, Cayman, Montserrat, St. Helena, and Turks and Caicos. Officials are conducting a stocktake of progress.