The Chair of the Committee, MP, said:
“India is half of the Commonwealth and a fifth of the world.
It’s importance as an economic power is growing. As a democratic
partner it has never been more important. How we work with India
will be key to our place in the world in coming decades. The
Committee will be looking at our relationship and considering the
opportunities for greater cooperation.
“The Overseas Territories have a special place in our
constitution. They are self-governing but part of the United
Kingdom. As our place in the world changes, we need to think
about the effect on them and whether the structure of our
relationships still work. The Committee will look at these
distant parts of our community and look at how we work to support
all our communities.
“We welcome your thoughts on either or both of
these topics by 3 September.”
The future of the UK Overseas Territories
How the Foreign Office manages its responsibility to ensure the
security and stability of the UK’s 14 Overseas Territories is to
be considered in a new inquiry by the Foreign Affairs Committee.
The Committee welcomes written submissions on:
- The governance of the
OTs, including their adherence to human rights frameworks;
- The benefits to the UK
and the OTs of the relationship between them;
- The financing of the
OTs;
- Representation of the
OTs in the UK and in the Commonwealth and other international
fora;
- Assets and liabilities
(including but not limited to ecological richness and the effects
of extreme weather, and natural resources such as minerals and
fish).
Global Britain and India
The UK’s relationship with India will form the next chapter of
the Foreign Affairs Committee’s over-arching inquiry into Global
Britain.
The Committee welcomes written submissions on:
- What is the UK’s
foreign policy towards India?
- How strong is the UK-India relationship at present? What
are India’s perceptions of the Global Britain strategy?
- What is the
Government’s approach to leveraging soft power in the
relationship between the UK and India?
- What should be the
main objectives for the UK’s future relationship with
India?
- What should be the appropriate balance between political,
strategic and trade issues in setting objectives for the UK-India
relationship?
- What happens when UK and Indian objectives and values
differ significantly?
- In which areas can the
UK and India work effectively towards shared objectives within
multilateral settings, such as in the UN and the G20? And where
do their objectives, values and interests differ
significantly?
- How effective are the
FCO and other parts of government in building effective relations
with India and capitalising on shared objectives and
values?
- How should relations
between the UK and India be managed in the run-up to and after
Brexit? Are the FCO and other parts of government preparing
effectively?
- How will the relationship between India, the UK and the EU
be managed?
- What impact does the
UK’s visa regime have on our relationship with India? Does it
help facilitate the type of relationship the government seeks
with India?
- What are the
implications of the government’s ‘All of Asia’ policy for the
UK’s relations with India?
Full details of both inquiries can be found on the inquiries page
of the Committee’s website.
The deadline for written evidence is
3rd September. Evidence can be submitted via the
individual inquiry page on the Committee’s website.
