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Written Question
British Overseas Territories: Internet and Telecommunications
Thursday 11th January 2024

Asked by: Stephen Doughty (Labour (Co-op) - Cardiff South and Penarth)

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, what steps he is taking to help improve (a) internet and (b) communications connectivity in the Overseas Territories.

Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

This UK Government is committed to supporting the UK Overseas Territories as valued members of the British Family. Whilst telecommunications are mostly devolved matters which are the responsibility of the local governments in the Territories the UK provides significant support to the four Official Development Assistance (ODA) eligible Territories. The FCDO funded capital investment programme in Montserrat recently delivered a sub-sea fibre cable and in St Helena we are supporting improvements in the local telecommunications infrastructure. The FCDO also supports the provision of internet to Pitcairn Island and Tristan da Cunha.


Written Question
British Overseas Territories: Companies
Thursday 23rd November 2023

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 estimate he has made of when (a) the British Virgin Islands, (b) the Turks and Caicos Islands, (c) the Sovereign Base Areas of Akrotiri and Dhekelia, (d) the Pitcairn Islands, (e) St Helena, (f) Montserrat, (g) the Falkland Islands, (h) the Cayman Islands, (i) Bermuda and (j) Anguilla will implement a publicly accessible register of beneficial ownership.

Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

We discussed the timeline for implementation of Publicly Accessible Registers of Beneficial Ownership at the Joint Ministerial Council over 14 - 15 November in plenary, in the margins and in bilateral meetings. We have made progress with the majority of the inhabited Overseas Territories (OTs). Some are yet to confirm precise timelines. Intensive discussions continue with these OTs, led by Ministers. We will inform Parliament of the outcome of those discussions before recess.


Written Question
Military Attachés
Friday 17th November 2023

Asked by: John Healey (Labour - Wentworth and Dearne)

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, which countries do not have a resident UK Defence Attache.

Answered by James Heappey

The table below has a list of countries covered on a Non-Residential Accreditations (NRA) basis, where a UK Defence Attaché (DA) is not resident in country, but a DA elsewhere has the responsibility. This ensures that we have coverage across the world’s regions.

Country (NRA)

Location of DA

Angola

Pretoria – South Africa

Anguilla

Jamaica - Kingston

Antigua & Barbua

Jamaica - Kingston

Armenia

Georgia – Tbilisi

Azerbaijan

Georgia – Tbilisi

Bahamas

Jamaica - Kingston

Barbados

Jamaica - Kingston

Belarus

Ukraine – Kyiv

Belize

Jamaica - Kingston

Benin

Accra - Ghana

Bermuda

USA – Washington DC

Bolivia

UK – London

Botswana

Harare - Zimbabwe

British Virgin Islands

Jamaica - Kingston

Burkina Faso

Ghana - Accra

Burundi

Uganda – Kampala

Cambodia

Singapore

Cape Verde Islands

UK-London

Cayman Islands

Jamaica – Kingston

Congo

UK - London

Cuba

Mexico – Mexico City

Djibouti

Ethiopia – Addis Ababa

Dominica Dominican Republic

Jamaica - Kingston

Democratic Republic of the Congo

Kampala - Uganda

Eritrea

Sana’a - Yemen

Ecuador

Bogota - Colombia

Gabon

London

Grenada

Jamaica - Kingston

Guinea

Sierra Leone – Freetown

Guyana

Jamaica - Kingston

Guatemala

Mexico – Mexico City

Guinea-Bissau

Senegal - Dakar

Haiti

Jamaica - Kingston

Hungary

Croatia - Zagreb

Iceland

Norway - Oslo

Ivory Coast

Ghana – Accra

Khartoum

Egypt - Cairo

Kosovo

Macedonia - Skopje

Kyrgyzstan

Kazakhstan – Astana

Lesotho

South Africa - Pretoria

Liberia

Sierra Leone - Freetown

Libya

Libya - Tripoli

Malawi

Zimbabwe – Harare

Malta

Rome

Mauritania

Morocco – Rabat

Monaco

France – Paris

Mongolia

Japan – Tokyo

Montenegro

Tirana – Albania

Myanmar

Singapore (BDS SEA)

Montserrat

Jamaica - Kingston

Mozambique

South Africa – Pretoria

Panama City

Puerto Rico

Namibia

South Africa – Pretoria

Niger

Mali - Bamako

Papua New Guinea

Australia – Canberra

Paraguay

Argentina – Buenos Aires

Peru

Colombia - Bogota

Rwanda

Uganda – Kampala

Seychelles

Kenya - Nairobi

St Kitts & Nevis

Jamaica - Kingston

St Lucia

Jamaica - Kingston

St Vincent

Jamaica - Kingston

Slovakia

Czech Rep - Prague

Slovenia

Austria – Vienna

South Sudan

Addis Ababa – Ethiopia

Switzerland

Vienna - Austria

Syria

Lebanon

Tajikistan

Kazakhstan – Astana

Tanzania

Kenya – Nairobi

The Gambia

Senegal - Dakar

Timor-Leste (East Timor)

Indonesia - Jakarta

Togo

Ghana – Accra

Tonga

Fiji – Suva

Trinidad & Tobago

Jamaica - Kingston

Turkmenistan

Uzbekistan - Tashkent

Turks & Caicos Islands

Jamaica - Kingston

Uruguay

Argentina - Buenos Aires

Vanuatu

Fiji – Suva

Venezuela

Bogota - Colombia

Zambia

Zimbabwe - Harare


Written Question
British Overseas Territories: Cybersecurity
Thursday 26th October 2023

Asked by: Lord Lancaster of Kimbolton (Conservative - Life peer)

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what support they are offering each of the British Overseas Territories in building cyber-resilience, broken down by territory.

Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

Since 2019 HMG has been working with British Overseas Territories to build cyber resilience. Cyber risk reviews have been completed in six British Overseas Territories (Bermuda, Cayman Islands, Falkland Islands, Montserrat, St Helena and Turks and Caicos Islands) with two more scheduled this financial year. The UK has also established an Overseas Territories cyber community which provides access to expertise and specialist training from the UK.


Written Question
Montserrat: Companies
Monday 23rd October 2023

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.


Written Question
Montserrat: Health Services
Monday 18th September 2023

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 Question
Montserrat: Tourism
Monday 10th July 2023

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 his Department is taking to support the development of the tourism industry in Montserrat.

Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

I [Minister Rutley] refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 31 May 2023 to Question UIN 186051 which can be found on the Parliamentary Written Questions and Answers webpages: [https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-questions/detail/2023-05-22/186051]


Written Question
Health Services: Montserrat
Wednesday 5th July 2023

Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Conservative - Romford)

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to support the development of healthcare services in Montserrat.

Answered by Will Quince

The Department of Health and Social Care works with the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, the UK Health Security Agency, and the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities, to provide health system support to all Overseas Territories, including Montserrat. This includes practical and technical support to supply COVID-19 vaccines, therapeutics and antivirals, medical equipment, and support on workforce recruitment and retention. We also administer the NHS Quota System which allows Montserrat to refer ten patients for a free course of NHS treatment not available on island.


Written Question
Treasury: Electronic Purchasing Card Solution
Wednesday 21st June 2023

Asked by: Cat Smith (Labour - Lancaster and Fleetwood)

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to his Department's publication entitled Government procurement card HMT spend greater than £500: October 2022, published 31 May 2023, for (a) which individuals and (b) how many nights, was accommodation purchased at the Tropical Mansion Suites on 29 October 2022; and what was the purpose of that stay.

Answered by Gareth Davies - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

Accommodation was purchased for delivering technical assistance to the government of Montserrat, supporting them in preparation for their assessment conducted by the Caribbean Financial Action Task Force (CFATF).


Written Question
Montserrat: Roads
Tuesday 20th June 2023

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, whether his Department is taking steps to improve road transport infrastructure in Montserrat.

Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The UK Government has supported Montserrat through a £40 million Capital Investment Programme for Resilient and Economic Growth (CIPREG), which has been spread over six years from 2019-2025. Under this programme a new hot mix asphalt plant has been procured and is currently completing its commissioning. This new plant will allow the Government of Montserrat to undertake routine maintenance of the roads and begin resurfacing high priority areas.