MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Falklands present at the OT Consultative Council in London

Councillor Mike Summers MBE

Elected Councillor Mike Summers is representing the Falkland Islands at the tenth two day meeting of the Overseas Territories Consultative Council (OTCC) which opened Monday in London, presided by Foreign Office Minister Gillian Merron.

The OTCC, held each year in London, is a key annual event in the British Government/Overseas Territories calendar, providing a forum for the elected leaders of Britain's Overseas Territories and their representatives to discuss high-level policy with a team of British Government Ministers. Discussions cover a range of current issues including economic issues and the current global crisis; financial services regulation; human rights; prospects for the relationship between the EU and the Overseas Territories; the environment and disaster management. Proceedings will include the signing of a new Tax Information. "I'm glad to be welcoming so many elected leaders from the Overseas Territories and senior ministers to the OTCC this year. The forum is a critical part of debate and decision-making between the UK and the Overseas Territories", said Minister Merron before the formal opening of the OTCC. "We've got a great deal to discuss – from financial services to human rights - I'm looking forward to getting down to the business of ensuring continuing close relations and the security and prosperity of the OTs." According to the Foreign Office release attending for the Overseas Territories are the Hon Osbourne Fleming, Chief Minister, Anguilla; Hon Ewart F Brown, Premier of Bermuda; Hon Ralph O'Neal, Premier, the British Virgin Islands; Hon Kurt Tibbetts, Leader of Government Business, the Cayman Islands; Hon Michael Summers, Executive Councillor, the Falkland Islands; Hon Lowell Lewis, Chief Minister, Montserrat; Mr Leslie Jaques, Commissioner, Pitcairn Islands; Hon William Drabble, Councillor, St Helena; Hon Michael Misick, Premier, the Turks and Caicos Islands; and Mr Conrad Glass, Chief Islander, Tristan da Cunha. The British Government team is led by Gillian Merron, together with Michael Foster MP, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Department for International Development; the Rt hon Stephen Timms MP, the Financial Secretary to HM Treasury; Gareth Thomas MP, Minister of State at the Department for Business Enterprise and Regulatory Reform; and Huw Irranca-Davies MP, the Minister for the Natural and Marine Environment, Wildlife and Rural Affairs at the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. The Overseas Territories Consultative Council was established as a result of the 1999 White Paper Partnership for Progress and Prosperity on the UK's relationship with the Overseas Territories. The Consultative Council was set up as a forum for discussion of key policy issues between British Ministers and Heads of Overseas Territories' Governments.