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British Overseas Territories: Companies

Asked by Andrew RosindellReform UKForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled Answered 17 March 2025UIN 36372

The question

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent progress has been made on adopting publicly accessible registers of beneficial ownership in the British Overseas Territories.

Answered by Stephen Doughty

At the Joint Ministerial Council (JMC) in November 2024, all Overseas Territories (OT) committed to implementing registers with the maximum possible degree of access and transparency by June 2025. The registers will be fully public, or at least accessible to those with a legitimate interest in the interim.

UK Officials are working proactively with OT officials to ensure their proposals meet the JMC requirements. I have and will continue to raise this directly with elected leaders, including in my meeting with Premier Wheatley of the British Virgin Islands, in his own capacity, and as President of the United Kingdom Overseas Territories Association (UKOTA) last week.

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