Written Evidence Nov. 29 2023
Inquiry: The Status of the UK’s Overseas Territories in the 21 CenturyFound: SOT0076 - The Status of the UK’s Overseas Territories in the 21st Century Government of Montserrat Written
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Conservative - Romford)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, whether he plans to visit Montserrat.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Montserrat is a valued member of the British family and was recently visited by Sir Philip Barton, Permanent-under-Secretary of State at the FCDO. It is long-standing policy not to comment on Ministerial travel. To do so could compromise the integrity of protective security arrangements and affect the safety of the individuals involved.
Asked by: Margaret Hodge (Labour - Barking)
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 Montserrat's implementation of publicly accessible registers of company beneficial ownership in line with the Draft Order in Council prepared by the Secretary of State to comply with the requirement under section 51 of the Sanctions and Anti-Money Laundering Act 2018; whether that Territory has (a) introduced and (b) passed the legislation required for the creation of a publicly accessible register of company beneficial ownership; whether the register will be (i) open and (ii) free at point of access; and when the register will be (A) live and (B) operational.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Government of Montserrat (GoM) has committed to introduce a publicly accessible register of beneficial ownership (PARBO).
Montserrat has recently completed consultations on a Bill; the Government expects to introduce this Bill to the House of Assembly in the current session. This Bill would enable the creation of a PARBO that would comply with the standards set out in a written ministerial statement (HCWS369) of 14 December 2020. How Montserrat seeks to recoup the costs of operating their PARBO will be a matter for the Territory Government.
GoM is assessing its timeline for implementation in light of ongoing constraints on capacity and expertise. The UK Government is providing technical assistance, most recently at the UK-OT Beneficial Ownership Transparency Technical Working Group on 10 October. We will confirm the timeline with Montserrat and other Overseas Territories at the Joint Ministerial Council scheduled for 14-15 November.
Oral Evidence Jan. 29 2024
Inquiry: The procedure of the House of Commons and the territorial constitutionFound: Farrell, Premier of Montserrat, and Hon Teslyn Barkman MLA (Member of the Falkland Island Legislative
Mentions:
1: David Rutley (Con - Macclesfield) Anguilla, Ascension, Bermuda, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Falkland Islands, Gibraltar, Montserrat - Speech Link
Jul. 17 2023
Source Page: UK–Montserrat development partnership summaryFound: UK–Montserrat development partnership summary
Mentions:
1: David Rutley (Con - Macclesfield) implemented a publicly accessible register of beneficial ownership in 2020.MontserratThe Government of Montserrat - Speech Link
Written Evidence Nov. 09 2023
Inquiry: The Status of the UK’s Overseas Territories in the 21 CenturyFound: Territories in the 21st Century Ministry of Communication, Works, Labour and Energy, Government of Montserrat
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Conservative - Romford)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is taking to help improve healthcare provision in Montserrat.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK is supporting Montserrat through a £40 million capital investment programme over 6 years from 2019-2025 which supports strategic infrastructure development, including a new hospital. A CT scanner and 3D mammography unit have been purchased with funding from the Improving Essential Equipment for Aided Overseas Territories Programme with an oxygen generator and a neonatal incubator to come. The UK Government funded a £1.5m COVID-19 programme which supplied vaccines, PPE, test kits, specialist healthcare staff, training programmes, in addition to a new laboratory with the ability to test for multiple viruses not just those pandemic-related. The UK Government more recently agreed to provide funds towards a new ambulance.
Written Evidence Nov. 29 2023
Inquiry: The Status of the UK’s Overseas Territories in the 21 CenturyFound: Part 1 of the Montserrat Constitution Order outlines fundamental rights and freedoms.