Asked by: Alexander Stafford (Conservative - Rother Valley)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether his Department has provided guidance to UK banks on their ability to provide services to overseas territories.
Answered by Bim Afolami - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)
The provision of UK banking services overseas is a commercial decision for firms based on a variety of factors, including the local law and regulation of individual countries, an assessment of profitability or other commercial drivers. The Government does not intervene in these commercial decisions.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Conservative - Romford)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, whether his Department has had recent discussions with the Commonwealth Secretariat on the potential merits of including the (a) British Overseas Territories and (b) Crown Dependencies as independent members of the Commonwealth of Nations.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Commonwealth is a voluntary association of independent and equal sovereign states. The British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies are represented through the UK's membership of the Commonwealth and are able to participate in many aspects of the Commonwealth, including the Commonwealth Games. The UK supports closer links between the British Overseas Territories and the Commonwealth and is committed to working together to examine options for the greater participation of the Territory Governments and peoples in its organisations.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Conservative - Romford)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent discussions he has had with his counterparts in the British Overseas Territories on increasing transparency in their financial services sectors.
Answered by Bim Afolami - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)
Treasury Ministers and officials regularly meet with representatives of the Crown Dependencies and the Overseas Territories, and of overseas jurisdictions, to discuss issues of mutual importance.
Details of ministerial and permanent secretary meetings with external organisations on departmental business are published on a quarterly basis and are available at: www.gov.uk/government/collections/hmt-ministers-meetings-hospitality-gifts-and-overseas-travel.
Asked by: Margaret Hodge (Labour - Barking)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, whether he has had recent discussions with his counterparts in the Overseas Territories on introducing publicly accessible registers of company beneficial ownership by the end of 2023.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We discussed the timeline for implementation of Publicly Accessible Registers of Beneficial Ownership at the Joint Ministerial Council over 14 - 15 November in plenary, in the margins and in bilateral meetings. We have made progress with the majority of the inhabited OTs. Some are yet to confirm precise timelines. Intensive discussions continue with these OTs, led by Ministers. We will inform Parliament of the outcome of those discussions before recess.
Asked by: Margaret Hodge (Labour - Barking)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what estimate he has made of when (a) the British Virgin Islands, (b) the Turks and Caicos Islands, (c) the Sovereign Base Areas of Akrotiri and Dhekelia, (d) the Pitcairn Islands, (e) St Helena, (f) Montserrat, (g) the Falkland Islands, (h) the Cayman Islands, (i) Bermuda and (j) Anguilla will implement a publicly accessible register of beneficial ownership.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We discussed the timeline for implementation of Publicly Accessible Registers of Beneficial Ownership at the Joint Ministerial Council over 14 - 15 November in plenary, in the margins and in bilateral meetings. We have made progress with the majority of the inhabited Overseas Territories (OTs). Some are yet to confirm precise timelines. Intensive discussions continue with these OTs, led by Ministers. We will inform Parliament of the outcome of those discussions before recess.
Asked by: Margaret Hodge (Labour - Barking)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to the Written Ministerial Statement of 14 December 2020 on Publicly accessible registers of company beneficial ownership in the UK Overseas Territories, HCWS643, whether he plans to review his decision not to lay the Order in Council prepared by the Secretary of State to comply with the requirement under section 51 of the Sanctions and Anti-Money Laundering Act 2018.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We continue to keep the Order in Council under review and continue to work with the Governments of the Overseas Territories to implement publicly accessible registers of beneficial ownership.
Asked by: Neale Hanvey (Alba Party - Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether UK airports were used by the US military for rendition flights for the transfer of terrorist suspects.
Answered by James Heappey
There were two previously declared incidents relating to the US in 2002, where British Territory was used for this purpose. The transition of two detainees through Diego Garcia was reported to Parliament by the then Foreign Secretary in February 2008. Since those events in 2002 the UK has not authorised any other instances of other countries rendering terrorism suspects through the territorial land, air or seas of the UK or our overseas territories.
Asked by: Lord Lancaster of Kimbolton (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what support they are offering each of the British Overseas Territories in building cyber-resilience, broken down by territory.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Since 2019 HMG has been working with British Overseas Territories to build cyber resilience. Cyber risk reviews have been completed in six British Overseas Territories (Bermuda, Cayman Islands, Falkland Islands, Montserrat, St Helena and Turks and Caicos Islands) with two more scheduled this financial year. The UK has also established an Overseas Territories cyber community which provides access to expertise and specialist training from the UK.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Conservative - Romford)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether the Government provides funding tor historical sites significant to British history in (a) France, (b) Malta and (c) Cyprus.
Answered by John Whittingdale
HM Government does not routinely provide funding for historical sites outside the UK or the Overseas Territories.
In some cases, particularly with reference to war memorials, HM Government can contribute towards funding together with the host country. This was the case with the British Normandy Memorial at Ver-sur-Mer, Normandy, inaugurated in 2019.
Historical sites in other countries – including France, Malta and Cyprus – are the responsibility of that country to maintain.
Asked by: Margaret Hodge (Labour - Barking)
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 Virgin Islands' implementation of publicly accessible registers of company beneficial ownership in line with the Draft Order in Council prepared by the Secretary of State to comply with the requirement under section 51 of the Sanctions and Anti-Money Laundering Act 2018; whether the Territory has (a) introduced and (b) passed the legislation required for the creation of a publicly accessible register of company beneficial ownership; whether the register will be (i) open and (ii) free at point of access; and when the register will be (A) live and (B) operational.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Government of the British Virgin Islands (BVIG) already shares confidential information on company beneficial ownership with UK law enforcement under the Exchange of Notes Arrangements. It has also committed to introduce a publicly accessible register of beneficial ownership (PARBO).
BVIG has passed the primary legislation required to enable the creation of a PARBO that would comply with the standards set out in a written ministerial statement (HCWS369) of 14 December 2020. How BVI seeks to recoup the costs of operating their PARBO will be a matter for the Territory Government.
BVIG is assessing its timeline for implementation in light of the November 2022 Court of Justice of the European Union judgment. The UK Government is engaging BVIG on the issues raised by this judgment and providing technical assistance, most recently at the UK-OT Beneficial Ownership Transparency Technical Working Group on 10 October. We will confirm the timeline with the British Virgin Islands and other Overseas Territories at the Joint Ministerial Council scheduled for 14-15 November.