Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what plans the Government has to support the Overseas Territories to introduce public registers of company beneficial ownership; and if he will make a statement.

The UK Government plans to work consensually with the Overseas Territories on introducing public registers at the earliest possible date. This will include through the OT-UK technical workshops that will be scheduled from spring next year and in line with our legal obligations to provide “all reasonable assistance”.