British Virgin Islands: Politics and Government

(asked on 20th January 2021) - View Source

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask Her Majesty's Government, following the announcement of an independent inquiry into the governance of the British Virgin Islands, what plans they have (1) to support the expansion of its terms of reference to include, and (2) to support any consideration of, the Islands' role in global tax avoidance and money laundering as part of the inquiry.


Answered by
 Portrait
Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
This question was answered on 3rd February 2021

The Commission of Inquiry was established by the Governor of the British Virgin Islands (BVI) to investigate specific allegations where such an investigation would be in the interests of public welfare in the BVI. The Governor set the Terms of Reference as:

  • to establish whether there is information that corruption, abuse of office or other serious dishonesty in relation to officials, whether statutory, elected or public may have taken place in recent years;
  • if there is such information, to consider the conditions which allowed that corruption, abuse of office or other serious dishonesty to take place and whether they may still exist;
  • if appropriate, to make independent recommendations with a view to improving the standards of governance, to give the people of the Virgin Islands confidence that government is working in a fair, transparent and proper manner;
  • if appropriate, to make independent recommendations with a view to improving the operation of the agencies of law enforcement and justice;
  • should the Commissioner at any time consider that a change to these terms of reference would be beneficial to public welfare in achieving the objectives of the Inquiry, to inform the then Governor of the Virgin Islands at the first opportunity; and
  • to prepare and submit a written report to the then Governor of the Virgin Islands within six (6) months from the commencement of the Inquiry, making all such recommendations as seem fit provided that the Governor may extend the period for submission of the report to a period no longer than 9 months from the date of the Inquiry.

It will be for the Commissioner, Sir Gary Hickinbottom, to determine how best to carry out these Terms.

Reticulating Splines