Questions about the future relationship of Britain’s Overseas Territories have been raised in parliament
On January 27, Home Office and immigration shadow minister Afzal Khan raised the issue of the government’s policy on the future governance of the British Overseas Territories. Specifically he questioned whether and what assessment had been made of the potential merits of a devolution settlement for those territories similar to those for the devolved nations of the UK, or alternatively, whether there should be representation for the British Overseas Territories in the UK’s parliament.
In response, minister of state Christopher Pincher noted that each territory has its own unique constitution which sets out the responsibilities of the local government and the government of the UK. He went on to state that in the last year the UK government has held formal negotiations on constitutional reform with the Cayman Islands and Anguilla and any request for constitutional reform must ultimately come from the territories and is not forced upon them. Pincher conformed that none of the British Overseas Territories has requested a constitutional relationship comparable to the devolution settlements that currently exist within the UK.
