Short: it's time for everyone to calm down

Short Defends Handling of Montserrat

Ms Short's defence is made in an article in the Times, in which she says it is time for everything to calm down. The arguments between parties and across the Atlantic, she states, are only causing more distress and uncertainty.

Downing Street has denied suggestions that Foreign Secretary Robin Cook has effectively taken charge of the Montserrat crisis.

In recent days there has been controversy prompted by Ms Short's criticism of senior Montserratian politicians, whom she accused of seeking "golden elephants" as compensation for their plight - a remark for which she later apologised.

A Downing Street spokesman said: "There is no snub to Clare Short. Hers is one of the key departments that will coordinate dealing with this problem on that particular island."

Cook: heads senior department

Mr Cook had commented on the affair because because historically the Foreign Office is the senior department. The Downing Street spokesman said that the Foreign Office was also primarily responsible for dependent territories. "It would not therefore be unreasonable for him to talk about Montserrat but he will not be talking about it exclusively. Where appropriate other ministers will talk about it," he said.

Ms Short is rumoured to be about to make a decision as to whether her deputy George Foulkes should fly out to Montserrat to see the situation at first hand. She has turned down a request to visit the island herself.

But British Ministers face a difficult task in persuading angry Montserratians that either the new committee of officials or a visit from Mr Foulkes will improve matters. Mr Foulkes' planned visit - tentatively scheduled for late August or early September - has been put in doubt by Montserrat's Chief Minister David Brandt's statement that at present the British minister might not be welcome.

Department for International Development officials have confirmed that, if the Minister did go to Montserrat, it would not be in order to re-open negotiations over the scale of compensation on offer. The group of officials meeting on Tuesday will be made up of representatives from the Foreign Office, the Department for International Development, the Ministry of Defence, the Treasury, the Home Office and the Bank of England.

A Downing Street spokesman said that the group would be looking at four areas:

• Resettlement of Montserratians in other parts of the Caribbean
• Assistance for those who want to come to the UK
• Infrastructure improvements in the north of the island - the so-called 'safe zone'
• Assistance to places such as Antigua which are receiving displaced Montserratians

Foreign Secretary Robin Cook said: "Our assistance strategy needs to be delivered speedily and effectively but requires cooperation across Whitehall. The Whitehall committee will ensure that the Government's four-point plan is implemented without delay."

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