UK Foreign Office Minister Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon will visit the Cayman Islands on 30 May as part of a regional tour to discuss hurricane preparedness and public registers of Beneficial Ownership.
The Minister will discuss beneficial ownership issues and disaster preparedness with the Premier, the Cabinet, Leader of the Opposition, senior members of the financial services industry and officials on the trip. He will also visit the RCIPS Air Operations Unit to receive a briefing and thank them for their recent work in the Turks and Caicos Islands.
Speaking ahead of the visit, Foreign Office Minister for the Overseas Territories, Lord (Tariq) Ahmad of Wimbledon said:
“The UK has provided critical aid and support across the region to assist in recovery from last year’s widespread devastation, and we can already see this help from the UK has made a real difference on the ground.”
“However, there’s more that needs to be done. We will continue to work extremely closely with the British Overseas Territories, as well as the rest of the Caribbean, to make sure that the region has plans in place to prepare for, and better withstand, future hurricanes.”
The Minister will also seek to address concerns held on the Islands about the UK’s recent Anti Money Laundering Bill.
Speaking on beneficial ownership, Lord Ahmad said:
“We strongly value the relationship between the UK and the Overseas Territories and will work closely with the Overseas Territories Governments to find a solution which works for everyone.”
The visit follows on from a further telephone discussion yesterday (24 May) between the Prime Minister Theresa May, Lord Ahmad, Premier McLaughlin and other leaders of the Overseas Territories to discuss company ownership transparency and, in particular, the issue of public registers of beneficial ownership.