UK opens inquiry to review relations with VI, other OTs
According to a notice posted on the UK’s House of Commons official website, “this inquiry will consider the resilience of the Overseas Territories (OTs), how effectively the FCO manages its responsibilities towards them, and how it envisages their future.”
The notice indicated that the inquiry is likely to be structured around overarching themes but may look at individual OTs, as and when appropriate.
Shocks
Chairman of the Committee, Tom G. Tugendhat MP, in the notice posted on July 20, 2018, said, "the OTs have a special place in our constitution…They are self-governing but part of the UK…As our place in the world changes, we need to think about the effect on them and whether the structure of our relationships still work.”
He said the Committee will “look at these distant parts of our community and look at how we work to support all our communities."
It was noted that in recent years, the OTs have been exposed to shocks, from the Panama Papers in 2015, to the Brexit vote in 2016, and Hurricanes Irma and Maria in 2017.
This, he conceded “led some OTs to question the Government’s willingness to support them.”
He observes too that “relations have been put under further strain due to high-profile instances of divergence between the UK and some of the OTs on issues such as civil rights and financial transparency.”
OTs Resilience
The notice said that in light of these concerns, “this inquiry will consider the resilience of the OTs, how effectively the FCO (Foreign and Commonwealth Office) manages its responsibilities towards them, and how it envisages their future.”
The inquiry is likely to be structured around overarching themes but may look at individual OTs, as and when appropriate, according to the notice.
The Committee is currently accepting written submissions from the public and other stakeholders groups on: the governance of the OTs, including their adherence to human rights frameworks; the benefits to the UK and the OTs of the relationship between them; the financing of the OTs; representation of the OTs in the UK and in the Commonwealth and other international fora; Assets and liabilities (including but not limited to ecological richness and the effects of extreme weather, and natural resources such as minerals and fish).
Deadline for submissions, for consideration by the UK House of Commons Committee is September 3, 2018.
Secretive NDP
To date, there has been no information forthcoming from the normally secretive National Democratic Party (NDP), alerting VI residents of the inquiry.
Over the past two years several members of the ruling NDP have been calling for Independence.
These include, the Minister for Education and Culture, Honourable Myron V. Walwyn (AL), Honourable Mark H. Vanterpool (R4), Minister for Communications and Works and Deputy Premier, Dr the Honourable Kedrick D. Pickering (R7).
Residents have proclaimed however, that they refuse to go into Independence, under the current NDP administration and will instead await the outcome of the next General Elections.
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