To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the state of political affairs in the Turks and Caicos Islands, in the light of the "grave concerns" expressed by the Caribbean Community following its 24th Intersessional Meeting in February.

The political parties in the Turks and Caicos Islands (TCI) are focused on a critical by-election on 22 March that will determine which party has a majority in the National Assembly and is thus able to form a Government.

In their 20 February communiqué, the Caribbean Community Heads of Government drew on the speech made to the meeting by the Premier of the TCI, Dr Rufus Ewing. We regret the way Dr Ewing misrepresented the efforts of the Government to ensure good government in the TCI. The 2009 Commission of Inquiry found that there was a high probability of systemic corruption in the previous TCI Government, and the interim administration implemented a broad reform programme to deal with the situation and to prevent it being repeated.