Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps he is taking to help tackle the (a) recent increase in illegal transport of weapons from Haiti to the Turks and Caicos Islands and (b) the increase in gun crime in those islands.

Through the Conflict, Security and Stability Fund, the UK is spending £5.5 million in 2015/2016 to help the Caribbean region in its efforts to reduce serious and organised crime and build more secure borders. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office’s Law Enforcement Adviser in Miami oversees the use of programme funds to provide competency and capability training to Turks and Caicos Islands law enforcement officers to improve the maritime interdiction of illegal firearms, migrants and drugs. Furthermore, the Governor and Premier of Turks and Caicos Islands have agreed to the formation of a National Security Council. At its inaugural meeting on 21 October, it agreed to draft a National Security Strategy to address current and long term security issues facing Turks and Caicos Islands including gun crime. Meanwhile, UK Ministers approved a Supplementary Budget estimate of $0.75m submitted by the Turks and Caicos Islands government to carry out an external review of recent murders in the country and to purchase essential crime investigation equipment.