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.

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.