To ask Her Majesty's Government what is their assessment of the statement on 14 February by the British Virgin Islands Minister for Health and Social Development, Ronnie Skelton, regarding the reasons for their discussions with the Government of the British Virgin Islands about its budget.

We recognise that there was substantial scrutiny by the Standing Finance Committee in the British Virgin Islands' House of Assembly during the budgetary process. We welcome the steps that the British Virgin Islands' Government have taken to return their public finances to a sustainable footing, demonstrated by the signing in April 2012 of Protocols for Effective Financial Management, which set out a range of measures to strengthen public financial management in the territory. The protocols are a reaffirmation by both Governments of their desire to work in partnership, in line with the British Government's strategy towards the Overseas Territories.