Dependent Territories (Hansard, 1 June 1998)

§ Mr. Gordon Marsden
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what information is available from British Consular offices in North America to potential investors in British Dependent Territories in the Caribbean. [43423]

§ Mr. Fatchett
Our Consulates-General in North America assist with any inquiries about investment in the Caribbean Overseas Territories either by obtaining relevant information from the Governments of the Overseas Territories themselves, or by putting potentional investors in direct contact with them.

§ Mr. Gordon Marsden
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans(a) he and (b) other Ministers have to visit the Turks and Caicos Islands. [43427]

§ Mr. Tony Lloyd
Neither my right hon. Friend, the Foreign Secretary, nor other FCO Ministers have any immediate plans to visit the Turks and Caicos Islands.

§ Mr. Gordon Marsden
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on progress made in his review of the future status of Britain's Dependent Territories. [43446]

§ Mr. Tony Lloyd
My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary published a response on 13 May 1998 to the FAC's Interim Report on the Dependent Territories. A copy of this is available in the Libraries of the House.

§ Mr. Gordon Marsden
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what consultations he has had with the Governments of(a) the British Virgin Islands (b) the Cayman Islands and (c) the Turks and Caicos Islands on his proposals for their future status and citizenship. [43447]

§ Mr. Tony Lloyd
My right hon. Friend, the Foreign Secretary, discussed the proposals on the future status and citizenship with the Chief Ministers and equivalents of 151W all the Caribbean Overseas Territories' and Bermuda in February. We have consulted the Overseas Territories's governments on this matter at regular intervals since the announcement of the FCO Review last August. My noble Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Baroness Symons, wrote to the Chief Ministers updating them on progress with the Review last month.