GRAND CAYMAN, Cayman Islands - The United
Kingdom Government has published its response to the Foreign Affairs
Committee’s report, “Global Britain and the British Overseas
Territories”.

Premier Hon. Alden McLaughlin had heavily
criticized the Committee’s report when it was published in
February. The Committee’s recommendations on registers of
beneficial ownership, same-sex marriage and giving all resident UK
citizens the right to vote and hold office were described by the
Premier as a “shameless and shameful attempt to reproduce
neo-colonialism.”

The Premier has welcomed the official UK
Government response as “a clear-headed restatement of the
fundamental principle of self-government that underpins the
relationship between Cayman and the UK.”

On the issue of registers of beneficial ownership,
the UK Government response reaffirms the existing understanding of
the consultative process to be followed and resists any acceleration
of the timetable in advance of the end of 2023.

On same-sex marriage, the UK Government notes the
on-going legal action in Cayman but makes clear that the issue
“should be one for the territories to decide and legislate on”.
The response confirms that “we have no plans to introduce an
Order-in-Council on this issue.”

On the critical issue of voting rights, again the
response recognises “the fact that immigration decisions are
primarily a matter for OT governments” and makes clear that there
is no intention to interfere with locally-determined franchise and
representational arrangements.

“I said when the Committee’s report was
released that these were only recommendations and that we needed to
wait for the UK Government’s official response,” Mr. McLaughlin
said. “I am very pleased that the UK has clearly listened to the
representations that I and other OT leaders have made.

“In the 21st Century, there can be no
justification for people 5,000 miles away, most of whom have never
even visited these Islands, thinking they know better than we do how
we should run our own affairs,’ he said. “The UK Government’s
response thoroughly rejects that idea and I am sure it will be
welcomed across the Overseas Territories.

“While we in the Cayman Islands and others in
the OTs will continue to resist the UK’s attempts to impose public
registers upon us in the absence of a global standard, it is positive
that the UK Government has pushed back on any suggestion that the
current timetable should be accelerated,” he said. “I would like
to thank the Governor for the assistance he has provided in
representing the views of Cayman back to the UK Government and to
ensure that those making the decisions were aware of the grave
concern we felt about the Committee’s recommendations.”

“The UK Government’s response underlines their
commitment to developing a positive and constructive relationship
with the OT’s,” Mr. McLaughlin said. “That commitment has been
seen too in the recent talks over the potential Constitutional
changes that we would like to put in place in order to clarify our
relationship. Those negotiations are nearing a conclusion and I hope
to be able to report back to the House and to the country shortly on
what has been agreed.”