Asked by: Bill Wiggin (Conservative - North Herefordshire)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what guidance her Department provides on whether British citizens residing in the Cayman Islands would be eligible for home fee status if they enter the UK (a) before 1 September, (b) on 1 September and (c) on the commencement date of their academic course later in September.
Answered by Robert Halfon
Students coming to the UK from specified British Overseas Territories will be eligible for home fee status in England if they have settled status on the first day of the first academic year of the course. Higher education providers in England are autonomous bodies, and they assess a student’s fee status in accordance with the Education (Fees and Awards) (England) Regulations. Where a student does not meet the criteria for home fee status, a provider has the discretion to waive or reduce the fees where they consider it appropriate.
Asked by: Bill Wiggin (Conservative - North Herefordshire)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what guidance her Department provides on whether the date of entry into England or Wales can determine whether a British citizen ordinarily residing in the Cayman Islands qualifies for home fee status.
Answered by Robert Halfon
Students coming to the UK from specified British Overseas Territories will be eligible for home fee status in England if they have settled status on the first day of the first academic year of the course. Higher education providers in England are autonomous bodies, and they assess a student’s fee status in accordance with the Education (Fees and Awards) (England) Regulations. Where a student does not meet the criteria for home fee status, a provider has the discretion to waive or reduce the fees where they consider it appropriate.
Asked by: Matthew Offord (Conservative - Hendon)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, for what reason the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Americas, Caribbean and the Overseas Territories) visited Antarctica.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I [Minister Rutley] have not visited Antarctica yet but will travel to the region at the end of December 2023. During the visit, I will see first-hand the impact of climate change on this unique environment. I will also have the opportunity to observe the world-class scientific work of the British Antarctic Survey. As the Minister with responsibility for the Polar Regions, the visit will also provide an opportunity to support and thank those who work in Antarctica for extended periods. This will be the first visit to Antarctica by an FCO/FCDO Minister since 2001.
Asked by: Lord Smith of Finsbury (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with the Governor of the British Virgin Islands in relation to the proposed referendum on same-sex marriage and partnerships; and whether they plan to instruct the Governor to intervene to ensure that international legal obligations are upheld.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
As separate, largely self-governing jurisdictions with their own democratically-elected representatives, the British Overseas Territories are responsible for their own legislation regarding marriage and civil partnerships.
The UK Government has had several discussions with the Governor of the British Virgin Islands (BVI) about the Premier's plans for a referendum on same sex marriage and civil partnerships.
We continue to encourage the Overseas Territories to ensure their legislation delivers greater equality and is compliant with international human rights obligations.
Asked by: Matthew Offord (Conservative - Hendon)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, what recent assessment he has made of the stability of biodiversity in the Overseas Territories.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Government is investing in the development of indicators to contribute to the provision of an evidence base for future biodiversity conservation efforts in the Overseas Territories (OTs). This includes reporting on species that are unique to the OTs and the status of protected areas in the OTs. The Government is also working closely with the OTs to develop a new shared Overseas Territories Biodiversity Strategy. The new strategy is being designed to benefit all OTs, providing a tool to guide and attract long-term investment in OT biodiversity, and highlighting the importance of building a stronger evidence base for biodiversity conservation efforts in the OTs.
Asked by: Matthew Offord (Conservative - Hendon)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, what steps his Department is taking to tackle the issue of invasive species in the Overseas Territories.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The FCDO, together with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA), is providing support to conservation and biodiversity projects in the UK Overseas Territories (OT) including those that tackle the issue of invasive species. The St Helena Cloud Forest project, funded by the cross-government Conflict, Stability and Security Fund, includes invasive species clearance at replanting sites and invasive invertebrate monitoring and management.
The Darwin Plus competitive grants scheme, hosted by DEFRA, has supported a number of projects that aim to tackle the threat posed by invasive non-native species to biodiversity and endemic species in the OTs and welcomes further applications for projects in this area. DEFRA work in combination with the Animal and Plant Health Agency and The Food and Environment Research Agency to bolster biosecurity capacity.
Asked by: Thérèse Coffey (Conservative - Suffolk Coastal)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, what steps he is taking to help preserve penguin populations in the Overseas Territories.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Many protections already exist for penguins in the Overseas Territories. These include the Marine Protected Area around South Georgia & the South Sandwich Islands, and the Antarctic Treaty System. The Government also supports biodiversity through Darwin Plus which, since 2012, has invested over £47 million in over 260 projects. Projects have aimed to conserve northern rockhopper penguins on Tristan da Cunha, and improve native tussac grassland to improve breeding habitat for Magellanic penguins in the Falkland Islands. In the UK-OT Joint Declaration, we committed to strengthen our partnership to protect and sustainably manage our unique and globally significant environments.
Asked by: Matthew Offord (Conservative - Hendon)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, how many Overseas Territories the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Americas, Caribbean and the Overseas Territories) has visited.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Overseas Territories are an important part of the British family. In addition to our ongoing support, visits by the UK Government reaffirms the unique bond between the UK and the Overseas Territories. After being appointed Minister responsible for the Overseas Territories in July 2023, I [Minister Rutley] have visited the Falkland Islands, Ascension Island and the Turks and Caicos Islands and have seen first-hand the positive impacts of the UK-Overseas Territories partnership.
Following a successful Joint Ministerial Council in November, we look forward to further engagement with the Territories, including future visits to the Territories.
Asked by: Anneliese Dodds (Labour (Co-op) - Oxford East)
Question
To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, whether she had discussions with her counterpart in the Canadian province of British Colombia before laying the Gender Recognition (Approved Countries and Territories and Saving Provision) Order 2023 on the removal of that territory from the list of approved countries and territories to qualify applicants for the overseas route to apply for gender recognition certificates.
Answered by Stuart Andrew - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
We conducted thorough research in collaboration with the Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office to verify our understanding of each overseas system in question, to then measure against the UK’s standard route to obtain gender recognition.
The Minister for Women and Equalities has been in conversations with the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office throughout this entire process and is monitoring the international reaction to this legislation. Diplomatic posts have been consulted on and notified of the changes, and we have provided them with comprehensive question and answer documents that address any potential misconceptions of what this Order does. We have benefited greatly from this collaboration and I am confident that our international counterparts are well informed about this piece of legislation and its outcomes.
Asked by: Viscount Waverley (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to conduct a review of the UK's relationship with the overseas territories.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
At the November UK-OT Joint Ministerial Council, the UK Government agreed a Declaration with the elected Governments of the Overseas Territories (OTs), providing a new framework for our relationship with the OTs that is based on our shared values, and is fit for the 21st Century.
This refresh and modernisation of the relationships between UK and OTs will continue with the ongoing development, announced by the former Foreign Secretary in the Spring, of a new UK Strategy for the Overseas Territories, building on the 2012 White Paper.