The Cayman Islands Public Accounts Committee (PAC) will welcome a clerk from the Isle of Man from 7-17 January 2019.

The attachment is part of the UK Overseas Territories Project (UKOTP), a three-year project on public financial oversight delivered in partnership by the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association UK (CPA UK), the UK National Audit Office (NAO) and the Government Internal Audit Agency (GIAA).

Jonathan King – who is Deputy Clerk and Clerk of the Economic Policy Review Committee of Tynwald as well as Clerk of the Legislative Council – will work alongside the Clerk of the PAC in the Cayman Islands Legislative Assembly and other relevant stakeholders.

The role of the PAC is to look at how public money has been spent and scrutinise value for money, holding the government to account on the delivery of policies.

The attachment will provide bespoke face-to-face assistance in the preparation of inquiry planning, public reporting, and communicating findings with the aim of strengthening the capacity of the committee.

The UK Overseas Territories Project has organised previous clerk attachments to PACs in Anguilla, Montserrat, St Helena and Turks & Caicos Islands drawing on expertise from the legislative bodies of Northern Ireland, Wales and Jersey.

Jonathan King stated:

“With many years’ experience as a Clerk, I hope that through the attachment I will be able to provide some relevant insight and support to the Cayman Islands PAC.

Hopefully, this will also allow for long term communication between Cayman Islands and the Isle of Man.”

Support to the Cayman Islands PAC will continue in March 2019 when the PAC Chair and Clerk will attend the UKOTP Oversight of Public Finances Forum in Miami. The Forum will explore progress in Territories to date; address some of the common challenges faced by PACs, Internal and External Audit agencies; and look ahead to future opportunities for further development around public financial oversight.