Constitution not on agenda with new UK minister

(CNS): The Leader of Government Business said that there will be no discussions regarding the negotiations for the Cayman Islands’ new constitution while the government is in London this for the Overseas Territories Consultative Council, OTCC meeting. Kurt Tibbetts said that they would take the opportunity to set the dates for the next round of talks in December but the constitution itself would not be discussed.

The delegation however will be meeting with the UK government’s new Overseas Territories Minister Gillian Merron who replaced Meg Munn in the recent Cabinet reshuffle. Tibbetts said that he saw no potential problems with the arrival of a new OT minister during the constitutional negotiations as Merron had been briefed and was up to speed on the situation. Tibbetts explained that this visit to concerns the issues affecting all of the territories and the delegation is facing a packed agenda.

“The Overseas Territories Consultative Council meets once a year in London,” he said. “It was established in 1999 and serves as a forum for the Government of the United Kingdom to engage in discussion of key policy issues with heads of territory governments.”

The discussions will include issues such as good governance and a follow-up to the FAC report;     Economic Issues related to Development; International human rights obligations; Immigration; Environment and Disaster Management; Financial Services and Anti-Money Laundering and a Caribbean Witness Protection Programme which will be chaired by the LoGB.

Tibbetts said aside from the OTCC meetings the delegation will also be meeting with the UK Foreign Affairs Committee and the All Parties Parliamentary Group/Friends of Cayman, which he said continues to give vital support within the UK Legislature on issues that affect Cayman.

“The first engagement following our arrival in London is a reception for Caymanian students on Saturday evening,” he said. “On Monday, we will discuss issues related to the future of the Cayman Islands office.”

Tibbetts added that the delegation, which includes Alden McLaughlin, Minister of Education, Attorney General, Samuel Bulgin, Financial Secretary, Kenneth Jefferson, Cabinet Secretary, Orrett Connor, Assistant Financial Secretary, Deborah Drummond, Barbara Conolly, Political Analyst to the Leader of Government Business; and Jennifer Dilbert, the Cayman Islands Government Representative in London, was looking forward to a successful meeting.