Andrew Rosindell – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Rosindell on 2015-12-07.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what proportion of the budget of the Turks and Caicos Islands has been allocated to the funding of the Special Investigation and Prosecution Team (SIPT) and associated legal costs; and if he will take steps to offset the cost of SIPT for the Turks and Caicos Islands government to enable the necessary investment in other projects on those islands.

James Duddridge

In 2015/2016, expenditure on the Special Investigation and Prosecution Team represents approximately 1.34 per cent of Turks and Caicos Islands Government expenditure. Legal aid and security costs are 2.2 per cent and 0.98 per cent respectively. The Governor has committed to provide a full and transparent breakdown of Special Investigation and Prosecution Team costs, with as much detail as possible, once the trial has concluded. The implementation of good governance reforms alongside increased tourist arrivals means that Turks and Caicos Islands Government is projected to show a budget surplus of around $40 million in 2015/2016. This has also been supported by a loan guarantee from the Department for International Development to Turks and Caicos Islands Government of up to $260 million. Turks and Caicos Islands Government is therefore well placed to invest in projects without intervention from the UK.