Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the capacity of the Parliament of the Turks and Caicos Islands to provide effective scrutiny of the executive following the 2025 General Election.

The British Overseas Territories (OTs) have longstanding and diverse constitutional arrangements, but all reflect a modern UK-OT partnership where constitutional evolution occurs through consultation, negotiation, and agreement between the UK and territory. OT governments should gain support for their proposals through public consultations and cross-party deliberations. UK Ministers will consider OT proposals, mindful that the UK must retain the constitutional powers necessary to discharge our sovereign responsibilities and international obligations. All formal proposals are subject to rigorous assessment, including governance implications and sustainability, by both the UK and the OT.

This approach was reflected in the Turks and Caicos Island's 2024 constitutional reform process. Since then, the TCI Government has sought a further amendment. It would not be appropriate for me to comment further on ongoing discussions.