Asked by: Bell Ribeiro-Addy (Labour - Clapham and Brixton Hill)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether she has made a comparative assessment of the accessibility and cost of the register of beneficial ownership of (a) the Turks and Caicos Islands, (b) Gibraltar and (c) Montserrat.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Hon Member has asked a large number of related questions on the Turks and Caicos Islands Government (TCIG), some of which we are unable to answer because they fall within the responsibility of the devolved government, and others because they relate to ongoing proceedings, on which it would not be appropriate to comment.
Among the devolved matters for which the TCIG are responsible are procurement and infrastructure development. In addition, decisions regarding land use - including applications, allocations, challenges and oversight - are all made by appropriate bodies within the TCIG. The Governor appoints agency heads but is independent of these entities' operations. Agency effectiveness is governed by established legal and regulatory frameworks and concerns can be raised with them as appropriate.
Establishing wider access to beneficial ownership data - even if limited to those with a legitimate interest - is a step forward towards enabling greater scrutiny of illicit finance. The UK welcomed TCI's Legitimate Interest Access (LIA) Register of Beneficial Ownership when it launched in 2025. But we are clear that there is more work to be done, and alongside other Overseas Territories (OTs), TCI has committed to improving their LIA. The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) is working closely with the OTs to ensure LIA registers provide the maximum possible degree of access and transparency, whilst protecting the right to privacy in line with each OT's respective constitutions. The UK's expectation remains for the OTs and Crown Dependencies to establish fully public registers of beneficial ownership.
The UK is committed to expanding economic cooperation with the OTs. Sustainable economic prosperity is important to the whole UK family. The FCDO co-convened an OT Trade and Investment Study Visit in March 2026 bringing together senior representatives from across the OTs - including from the TCIG - to strengthen awareness of UK capabilities, and give our support to commercial partnerships and economic development opportunities. The UK Government remains available to provide advice and technical support where requested.
We regularly raise our expectations on publicly accessible and legitimate interest access registers of beneficial ownership with Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies, and I most recently discussed this with OT leaders and representatives on 16 July.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Reform UK - Romford)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to the UK Small Island Developing States strategy 2026 to 2030, published 13 January 2026, what steps she is taking to protect the British Overseas Territories from economic shocks.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK is committed to strengthening the economic resilience of the Overseas Territories (OTs), including the resilience of critical infrastructure.
We support the OTs to diversify their economies, strengthen their fiscal governance, and invest in the upgrade and maintenance of critical infrastructure. Major investments in recent years include completion of the Rupert's Bay port on Saint Helena and Road Bay jetty in Anguilla, support for new telecommunications infrastructure on Ascension Island, and significant progress in construction of a new hospital and solar energy farm in Montserrat.
The UK also provides targeted environmental support to the OTs through the Blue Belt Programme, including in relation to plastic pollution. We are also continuing to work closely with our partners in the High Ambition Coalition to End Plastic Pollution, and with other countries, to reach an ambitious agreement that addresses the full lifecycle of plastics.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Reform UK - Romford)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to the UK Small Island Developing States strategy 2026 to 2030, published on13 January 2026, what steps she is taking to protect the British Overseas Territories from plastic pollution.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK is committed to strengthening the economic resilience of the Overseas Territories (OTs), including the resilience of critical infrastructure.
We support the OTs to diversify their economies, strengthen their fiscal governance, and invest in the upgrade and maintenance of critical infrastructure. Major investments in recent years include completion of the Rupert's Bay port on Saint Helena and Road Bay jetty in Anguilla, support for new telecommunications infrastructure on Ascension Island, and significant progress in construction of a new hospital and solar energy farm in Montserrat.
The UK also provides targeted environmental support to the OTs through the Blue Belt Programme, including in relation to plastic pollution. We are also continuing to work closely with our partners in the High Ambition Coalition to End Plastic Pollution, and with other countries, to reach an ambitious agreement that addresses the full lifecycle of plastics.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Reform UK - Romford)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment she has made of the resilience of critical infrastructure in the British Overseas Territories.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK is committed to strengthening the economic resilience of the Overseas Territories (OTs), including the resilience of critical infrastructure.
We support the OTs to diversify their economies, strengthen their fiscal governance, and invest in the upgrade and maintenance of critical infrastructure. Major investments in recent years include completion of the Rupert's Bay port on Saint Helena and Road Bay jetty in Anguilla, support for new telecommunications infrastructure on Ascension Island, and significant progress in construction of a new hospital and solar energy farm in Montserrat.
The UK also provides targeted environmental support to the OTs through the Blue Belt Programme, including in relation to plastic pollution. We are also continuing to work closely with our partners in the High Ambition Coalition to End Plastic Pollution, and with other countries, to reach an ambitious agreement that addresses the full lifecycle of plastics.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Reform UK - Romford)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether any patients in Montserrat who are (a) naturalised and (b) full British citizens and must travel to the United Kingdom for specialist treatment unavailable locally but fall outside the NHS–Montserrat referral scheme have been (i) denied (A) accommodation and (B) welfare support and (ii) advised to return to Montserrat.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I refer the Hon. Member to the answers he was previously provided on these issues on 6 November and 1 December 2025.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Reform UK - Romford)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what plans she has to support alternative methods for nighttime medical evacuation from Montserrat following the decision of the Governor of Montserrat to disallow fixed wing aircraft night medevac operations.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I refer the Hon. Member to the answers he was previously provided on these issues on 6 November and 1 December 2025.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Reform UK - Romford)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps she is taking to help (a) reduce the cost of air access to Montserrat and (b) support its transition away from UK Government funding dependence.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I refer the Hon. Member to the answers he was previously provided on these issues on 6 November and 1 December 2025.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Reform UK - Romford)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps she is taking to improve emergency medical evacuation and overseas treatment on Montserrat.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I refer the Hon. Member to the answers he was previously provided on these issues on 6 November and 1 December 2025.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Reform UK - Romford)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether the development needs of the Overseas Territories have first call on the UK’s Official Development Assistance programme.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK remains committed to meeting the reasonable needs of the Overseas Territories (OTs) where financial self-sufficiency is not possible. As such, the OTs continue to have the first call on Official Development Assistance to facilitate sustainable economic growth and development.
We have recently informed Montserrat of their new allocation, and I held a positive and constructive call with Premier Meade on 25 March.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Reform UK - Romford)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of maritime safety, search and rescue capability, and maritime security resources available to the British Overseas Territory of Montserrat; and if she will take steps to ensure that the territory retains an appropriately equipped maritime patrol and rescue vessel in order to meet the UK’s constitutional responsibilities for the security and good governance of the territory and its obligations under international law, including the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and the International Convention on Maritime Search and Rescue, to protect life at sea.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Since 2016 the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) has established a programme of activities to improve Montserrat's capacity to meet its international maritime safety and search and rescue (SAR) obligations. Montserrat has three UK-funded multipurpose vessels including two new fast police patrol boats provided by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office which improve the Royal Montserrat Police Service's capability to respond to maritime threats more efficiently and effectively, as well as fulfilling international obligations in relation to search and rescue.