Committee to examine UK’s aid response after Hurricane Irma

After a succession of devastating storms hit the Caribbean in September, the International Development Committee will hear from officials and witnesses about the UK’s humanitarian response to region. 

In a joint letter to Boris Johnson and Priti Patel on September 8^th, the Chairs of the International Development and Foreign Affairs Committees stated that the UK’s response to the region had been ‘found wanting.’

In this one-off evidence session, the Committee will hear from some of the British Overseas Territories affected including the Premier of the British Virgin Islands, representatives from Anguilla and the Turks and Caicos Islands and journalists from The Times who reported from the region at the time.

Lord Bates, Minister of State at DFID, and officials who were involved in oversight of the response and aid deployment to the areas battered by the storm, will also give evidence on the effectiveness of the UK’s response. 

Tuesday 31 October, Committee Room 8, Palace of Westminster

At 10.05am:

• ·        Hon Dr D. Orlando Smith OBE, Premier of the British Virgin Islands
• ·        Blondel Cluff, Representative to the UK and EU, Government of Anguilla
• ·        Tracy Knight, UK Representative, Turks and Caicos Islands Government

At 10.50am:

• ·        Deborah Haynes, Defence Editor, The Times
• ·        Catherine Philp, Diplomatic Correspondent, The Times

At 11.05am:

• ·        Rt Hon Lord Bates, Minister of State, Department for International Development
• ·        Air Vice Marshal Edward Stringer, Assistant Chief of the Defence Staff (Operations), Ministry of Defence