The UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office has submitted written evidence to the British Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee inquiry into the future of the British Overseas Territories.
The evidence addresses a variety of matters including security, the environment, same sex marriage, hurricane relief, economic stability, sovereignty and more.
While the Overseas Territories are largely self-governing they remain under British sovereignty but are not constitutionally part of the UK and have no international legal personality separate from the UK. Most people living in the Overseas Territories are British nationals. The Governor is the Queen’s representative in an Overseas Territory, and while their powers vary depending upon jurisdiction, in general they include responsibility for external affairs, defence and internal security, and the public service. In turn, the UK government relies on locally elected ministers and legislatures to deliver expected standards of governance in areas that have been devolved to the jurisdictions such as education, health, environment, immigration, economic development, sport and culture, social policy, and transport.
