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 her Department is taking steps to help support the Turks and Caicos government with the procurement of outsourced professional services for the proposed expansion of the Providenciales International Airport.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I refer the Hon Member to the answer I gave on 15 January in response to Question 104147.
The UK is committed to expanding economic cooperation with the Overseas Territories, recognising that sustainable economic prosperity is central to our shared future. The 2025 Joint Ministerial Council included discussions with UK Export Finance regarding their infrastructure offer and credit finance opportunities in the UK, as well as a business engagement session alongside UK companies with infrastructure expertise, including in relation to airports. FCDO officials will continue to engage with their Turks and Caicos Island counterparts to understand their specific needs and plans.
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 her Department is taking steps to support the Turks and Caicos government with the procurement of outsourced professional services for the proposed expansion of the Providenciales International Airport.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I refer the Hon Member to the answer I gave on 15 January in response to Question 104147.
The UK is committed to expanding economic cooperation with the Overseas Territories, recognising that sustainable economic prosperity is central to our shared future. The 2025 Joint Ministerial Council included discussions with UK Export Finance regarding their infrastructure offer and credit finance opportunities in the UK, as well as a business engagement session alongside UK companies with infrastructure expertise, including in relation to airports. FCDO officials will continue to engage with their Turks and Caicos Island counterparts to understand their specific needs and plans.
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 support her Department is providing to the Turks and Caicos Islands Government for the proposed airport expansion in Providenciales.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK is committed to expanding economic cooperation with the Overseas Territories, recognising the importance of sustainable economic prosperity to the whole UK family. The 2025 Joint Ministerial Council included discussions with UK Export Finance regarding their infrastructure offer and credit finance opportunities in the UK, as well as a business engagement session involving UK companies with infrastructure expertise, including airports.
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, if she has made an assessment of the legality of the proposed changes to business licence legislation within the Turks & Caicos Islands.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I met Premier Misick of the Turks and Caicos Islands at the recent Joint Ministerial Council (JMC). Total trade between the UK and the Overseas Territories is worth around £17 billion annually, supported by tariff-free access to the UK for Overseas Territory exporters. The JMC included sessions with British Expertise International, UK Export Finance and a business engagement and networking event with UK companies. Supporting economic growth and diversification is a key UK Government priority.
Business licensing is a devolved matter for the Government of the Turks and Caicos Islands.
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 support the economic stability and continued growth of the Turks and Caicos Islands.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I met Premier Misick of the Turks and Caicos Islands at the recent Joint Ministerial Council (JMC). Total trade between the UK and the Overseas Territories is worth around £17 billion annually, supported by tariff-free access to the UK for Overseas Territory exporters. The JMC included sessions with British Expertise International, UK Export Finance and a business engagement and networking event with UK companies. Supporting economic growth and diversification is a key UK Government priority.
Business licensing is a devolved matter for the Government of the Turks and Caicos Islands.
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 February 2025 changes to the licencing of real estate brokers within Turks and Caicos; and whether she has recently consulted with industry representatives.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I met Premier Misick of the Turks and Caicos Islands at the recent Joint Ministerial Council (JMC). Total trade between the UK and the Overseas Territories is worth around £17 billion annually, supported by tariff-free access to the UK for Overseas Territory exporters. The JMC included sessions with British Expertise International, UK Export Finance and a business engagement and networking event with UK companies. Supporting economic growth and diversification is a key UK Government priority.
Business licensing is a devolved matter for the Government of the Turks and Caicos Islands.
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 recent discussions she has had with the Turks and Caicos government on investor confidence in the territory.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I met Premier Misick of the Turks and Caicos Islands at the recent Joint Ministerial Council (JMC). Total trade between the UK and the Overseas Territories is worth around £17 billion annually, supported by tariff-free access to the UK for Overseas Territory exporters. The JMC included sessions with British Expertise International, UK Export Finance and a business engagement and networking event with UK companies. Supporting economic growth and diversification is a key UK Government priority.
Business licensing is a devolved matter for the Government of the Turks and Caicos Islands.
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, if she will set out the proposed changes to business licence legislation within the Turks & Caicos Islands.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I met Premier Misick of the Turks and Caicos Islands at the recent Joint Ministerial Council (JMC). Total trade between the UK and the Overseas Territories is worth around £17 billion annually, supported by tariff-free access to the UK for Overseas Territory exporters. The JMC included sessions with British Expertise International, UK Export Finance and a business engagement and networking event with UK companies. Supporting economic growth and diversification is a key UK Government priority.
Business licensing is a devolved matter for the Government of the Turks and Caicos Islands.
Asked by: Wendy Morton (Conservative - Aldridge-Brownhills)
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 effectiveness of the pre-deployment of UK military teams to the Turks and Caicos Islands ahead of Hurricane Melissa, and whether similar pre-deployment strategies will be adopted in future hurricane seasons.
Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK military team pre-deployed to the Turks and Caicos Islands supported the disaster management preparations, response and recovery work as needed.
After Hurricane Melissa passed, HMS Trent redeployed to Jamaica. HMS Trent was equipped with humanitarian and disaster relief trained troops and crisis response equipment. It provided swift access to affected areas and the delivery of essential supplies, specialist recovery personnel, transport and damage assessments.
Similar pre-deployment strategies will be considered as part of response options in future hurricane seasons.
Asked by: Bell Ribeiro-Addy (Labour - Clapham and Brixton Hill)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what discussions the has had with the Royal Navy on the role of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary in the humanitarian aid and disaster relief operation in the Caribbean in the wake of Hurricane Melissa.
Answered by Al Carns - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans)
There have been no discussions on the role of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary in support of humanitarian aid and disaster relief operations in the Caribbean in the wake of Hurricane Melissa. The Ministry of Defence’s support to the region during the Hurricane season, Operation VENTUS, is, in the first instance, delivered through the presence of a Royal Navy ship with an embarked crisis response troop. HMS TRENT is currently serving this role and can provide an immediate response and, crucially, set the conditions for further recovery operations.
The Royal Navy, alongside FCDO colleagues, has delivered humanitarian aid and disaster relief in the Caribbean following Hurricane Melissa. This supported the deployment of Operational Liaison and Reconnaissance Teams to Jamaica and the Turks and Caicos Islands. HMS TRENT supported both locations with the ship’s crew and crisis response troop also deployed ashore in Falmouth, Jamaica to clear debris and conduct engineering repairs to restore critical infrastructure ahead of the arrival of other agencies.