Today, Minister for the Overseas Territory, the Rt. Hon. Amanda Milling, arrives in the British Virgin Islands for discussions following the early publication of the Commission of Inquiry Report.

The purpose of the visit is to meet with; Governor John Rankin CMG, Acting Premier Honourable Natalio Wheatley, leaders of the parties represented in the House of Assembly, and other key individuals and groups in the Territory to discuss the range of recommendations contained in the COI Report.

Decisions are yet to be made on the Report and the aim of this visit is to engage as wide a range of BVI society as possible to get their feedback on how to improve governance in the Territory, and discuss next steps for the British Virgin Islands.

The Rt. Hon. Amanda Milling said, “I recognise that these are difficult times for the people of BVI. I am here to listen, and to understand. It is important that we are honest and open with each other when discussing the COI Report and the issues it has identified.”

Outlining his objectives for the visit Governor Rankin said, “I welcome Minister Milling back to the Territory following her recent visit in March. There is a lot of work to do and we are meeting with a wide range of elected officials, key individuals and community groups across the Territory. It is important that we get as wide a range of views as possible to help inform decisions on the back of the COI Report and recommendations.”

”As I mentioned previously, no decisions have been made yet on which recommendations to take forward, but we need to work together and discuss these important issues in an open and frank way, so that we can improve governance and get the best outcome for the people of the British Virgin Islands.”

And Acting Premier Natalio Wheatley said, “I welcome UK Minister for the Overseas Territories Rt. Hon. Amanda Milling, MP back to the Territory for these very important discussions on the recommendations of the Commission of Inquiry report. Our collective focus must be on what is in the best interest of the people of the Virgin Islands, engaging in partnership to strengthen areas requiring improvement and maintaining the historical progress we have made together in these islands."

The three day trip involves a series of meetings with elected officials and key individuals from across the Territory to discuss the issues identified in the COI Report and get feedback from the people of the BVI to help inform decisions for the future of the Territory.