Robin Cook: Britain is committed to her dependencies

Cook Orders Review of British Dependencies

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The Foreign Secretary Robin Cook has ordered a review of Britain's dependent territories following the disarray in the Government's handling of the Montserrat volcano crisis.

He has asked Foreign Office staff to produce "as a priority" a cohesive policy on Britain's 12 remaining dependencies in time for a speech to the Dependent Territories Association in February, 1998.

Mr Cook has emphasised Britain's commitment to all dependent territories and their populations. The Government has been deeply embarrassed by the row over compensation for the islanders of Montserrat.

Bill Samuel: "People feel a sense of neglect"

Montserrat has increased Government concern about the 12 remaining dependencies that represent the remains of the British Empire. From Bermuda and Gibraltar, to the Pitcairn Islands in the Pacific and the romantic-sounding Tristan da Cunha, the numbers of people can now be counted in tens of thousands rather than hundreds of millions.

Bill Samuel, of the Association of Dependent Territories, welcomed news of the review. He said people had a sense that they were "drip fed" to keep them happy but there was no coherent strategy to make them less dependent.

Mr Cook, who is beginning a six-day tour of south-east Asia, admitted that concerns over the future of Hong Kong had left thinking on Britain's other dependencies in the shadows. "But now we can focus on what we do with our remaining dependent territories," he said.

"We have to make sure that there is no suspicion of any neglect by Britain. We recognise they are British territories and the people on them are a British responsibility."

Mr Cook said each of the 12 dependencies would have to be treated as a separate case. The Pitcairn Islands, for example, have just 56 inhabitants and rely on stamp production as the major industry.

And there is little room for manoeuvre on Gibraltar because of the Treaty of Utrecht, which ceded the Rock to Britain almost 300 years ago and which offers it back to Spain should UK sovereignty be given up.

Mr Cook said: "We will go through the dozen territories and produce a custom-made solution for each one.

The aim is to give them confidence that we are committed to them for the future. We want to give them the maximum opportunity to get on with their own business."