Found: commission, (‘Failings in human rights protections for British Overseas Territories Citizens in the Turks

Found: recently completed in the Cayman Islands and St Helena, and productive talks are underway with the Turks

Found: I am a British Overseas Territory Citizen (Turks and Caicos Islands).

Found: Islands; Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha; South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands; Turks

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether he has had recent discussions with his US counterpart on training for police officers in (a) Turks and Caicos Islands, (b) Bermuda and (c) Cayman Islands.

Answered by Chris Philp - Shadow Leader of the House of Commons

While the UK works closely with US partners on a number of areas of cooperation, the Secretary of State has not had any conversations with his US counterpart relating to the training of police officers within the Turks and Caicos, Bermuda or Cayman Islands.

The Home Office, through the International Police Assistance Service (IPAS), are currently delivering training to Overseas Territories’ Police in line with identified requirements and funded by the International Security Fund (ISF).

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Deputy Foreign Secretary, how many terrorism incidents have been declared in (a) the Turks and Caicos Islands, (b) Bermuda and (c) the Cayman Islands in each of the last five years.

Answered by David Rutley

There have been no reported terrorist incidents in (a) the Turks and Caicos Islands, (b) Bermuda or (c) the Cayman Islands in each of the last five years. We are working with the authorities to increase local capacity to respond to threats to security.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Deputy Foreign Secretary, pursuant to the Answer of 26 April 2024 to Question 23264 on Haiti: Turks and Caicos Islands, how many additional specialist police officers have been recruited by the Turks and Caicos Islands in 2024.

Answered by David Rutley

Constitutionally, national security is a reserved responsibility. Operational policing matters, including recruitment, is the responsibility of the Commissioner of Police who is appointed by the Governor. The new Commissioner of Police took up post in April 2024 and is driving forward an active recruitment campaign to build capability and capacity. The FCDO has continued to provide support to the Royal Turks and Caicos Islands Police Force (RTCIPF) funding a team of privately contracted specialist serious crime investigators since 2022. The FCDO increased support to the RTCIPF this year, with five extra investigators and four firearms officers currently in territory. The FCDO are also supporting the RTCIPF through a variety of specialist training (including investigations, use of force, data and intelligence) and additional equipment to support efforts to combat serious crime (including new capabilities on digital forensics, body-worn cameras, drones and radar CCTV).

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Deputy Foreign Secretary, whether his Department has undertaken contingency planning with the British Overseas Territories in the Caribbean for steps to be taken in the event of a deterioration in the humanitarian situation in Haiti.

Answered by David Rutley

The UK remains committed to the safety and security of all British Overseas Territories. Since the deterioration of the humanitarian situation in Haiti we have worked closely, with other international partners, to continue to strengthen the resilience of the Turks and Caicos Islands (TCI) in responding to the risk of illegal migration. In March, the Foreign Secretary set out the support we are providing to TCI to secure its borders and we have funded a visit by a team of experts from the Home Office and Ministry of Defence to recommend further measures. We have also funded asylum training across the Overseas Territories and are working with the Home Office to bolster capabilities further.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Deputy Foreign Secretary, what support his Department is providing to the Turks and Caicos Islands in response to the security situation in Haiti.

Answered by David Rutley

The UK remains committed to the safety and security of the Turks and Caicos Islands (TCI) and supporting the security of TCI borders in response to worsening violence in neighbouring Haiti. The FCDO has been coordinating and funding a range of support to the TCI. This includes a package of coastal sensors overseen by the Joint Maritime Security Centre, recruiting specialist police officers, supporting the deployment of US government aircraft and procurement of other specialist equipment. Minister Rutley remains in close contact with the Governor and Premier.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 18 April 2024 to Question 21017 on Darwin Plus, if he will provide a breakdown of Darwin Plus fund projects funded since 2019.

Answered by Rebecca Pow

Pursuant to the Answer of 18 April to Question 21017, a summary of Darwin Plus projects funded since 2019, broken down by Territory, can be found below. These figures include the latest awards from Rounds 12 of Darwin Plus Main and Fellowships, Round 1 of Darwin Plus Strategic, and Round 3 of Darwin Plus Local.

Found: Order 2009, section 55 South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands n/a Akrotiri and Dhekelia n/a Turks

Found: The FCDO supported OTs to bolster security, including in Anguilla and the Turks and Caicos Islands,

Found: at County Hotel for Noise Abatement Systems Workshop MMO 26/03/2024 ISLAND CLUB TURKS MANA 1376.48 Turks

Found: Anguilla, Bermuda, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Falklands, Gibraltar, Montserrat, St Helena, Turks

Found: delivery and completion of EU Resembid Project: sustainable queen conch fisheries and livelihoods in Turks

Found: a Police officer with West Yorkshire Police and retired as the Deputy Police Commissioner Royal Turks

Found: Anguilla 110 6 Bermuda 111 12 British Virgin Islands 8279 685 Cayman Islands 323 47 Gibraltar 635 95 Turks

Found: St Helena, Ascension Island and Tristan da Cunha; • French Southern and Antarctic Territories;• Turks

Found: Tokelau TKL Tonga TON Trinidad and Tobago TTO Tunisia TUN Turkey TUR Turkmenistan TKM Turks