Up Front
FCO Visits
White Paper issues tobe discussed
A team of officials from the Foreign andCommonwealth Office arrived in the Cayman Islands on Monday (12thFebruary) for a weeklong programme of discussions, tours and visitsfocusing on the full menu of White Paper issues.
The team comprises FCO deputy legal adviser Ian Hendry; Ms GillianDare, the Overseas Territories Department (OTD) lead officer onWhite Paper issues; and Ms Sue Lloyd, who is in charge of FCOspecial projects.
On the team's itinerary are: meetings with Executive Council andMLAs, and discussions on nationality, citizenship and constitutionalmatters with a number of persons, including Chief Secretary JamesRyan, Attorney General David Ballantyne, Law Revision CommissionerMichael Bradley, and Chief Immigration Officer Orrett Connor.Human rights will be the subject of discussion when the team meetswith Chief Justice Anthony Smellie and judges of the Grand Court.
They will also visit a number of departments and agencies, suchas Department of Environment (DoE), National Trust, and the ImmigrationDepartment, and call on the Chamber of Commerce. Discussions atthe DoE meeting are expected to include Ministry of Tourism andEducation Department officials.
The team will meet with local media at a press conference at GovernmentHouse on Friday.
This is the second visit to the Cayman Islands for both Mr. Hendryand Ms Dare. Mr. Hendry visited for a day in January 2000, andin August 1999 Ms Dare accompanied the late Mr. Alan Hoole, thenconstitutional adviser, on a fact-finding visit.
The White Paper, tabled in the House of Commons on 17th March1999, proposes a "new partnership" between Britain andthe OTs. It offers British citizenship to those who want to takeit up, and addresses ways of encouraging good governance, withparticular emphasis on the financial services sector, human rights,and promotion of sustainable development.