Government spent just over $14,000 to send representatives to Gibraltar, London and Jersey recently.

The Premier Hon. Alden McLaughlin and his Joint Ministerial Council “Sherpa” Ms Jennifer Ahearn, Chief Officer in the Ministry of Health, Sports, Youth and Culture, travelled to Gibraltar on 11 September to attend a three-day Pre-Joint Ministerial Council Meeting of the Overseas Territories.

Mr. McLaughlin and Ms Ahearn travelled premium economy on all flights at a cost of $2,738.95 each. They were each allotted a $150 daily per diem allowance for a total of $1,200 each for eight days.

Following Gibraltar, Ms Ahearn travelled to London for a meeting of Sherpas to help set the agenda for November’s Joint Ministerial Council meeting, which will be held in London.

Accommodation in Gibraltar was provided by the JMC. Ms Ahearn had no accommodation costs in London as she stayed with friends.

In London, the Premier was joined by Minister for Financial Services, Environment, and Commerce Hon. Wayne Panton, and Councillor for Financial Services Roy McTaggart. The three travelled to Jersey at the invitation of Chief Minister Ian Gorst and the Government of Jersey, which provided accommodation.

Airfare for Mr. Panton and Mr. McTaggart was $2,439.15 each and was for premium economy seats. They were each given $750 for five days in per diem allowance.

The total cost of the trip for all four was $14,256.20.

The meeting in Gibraltar provided an opportunity for the Premier to meet with his counterparts and discuss issues that affect the Cayman Islands; many of which are unique to Overseas Territories. This Pre-Joint Ministerial Councillors meeting provided a forum to explore how the Cayman Islands and other OTs can work together collectively to better address some of these issues when they all attend the JMC meeting in November. The meeting in London gave the Premier and delegates an opportunity to meet with the staff at the Cayman Islands Shipping Registry at the Southampton office, which benefits the profile of the Cayman Islands as one of the world’s most respected jurisdictions for registering yachts and commercial vessels.

The expertise of the Cayman Islands Shipping Registry, the reputation of the Cayman Islands flag, the ease with which a vessel can be registered, the security of the Cayman Islands, and the determination to personally monitor and uphold high standards, have made the Cayman Islands Shipping Registry one of the top 13 registries in the world. The delegation also joined the Cayman Islands Department of Tourism’s European team at the UK’s high profile Southampton Boat Show today, Friday, 13 September, to lend support to the team’s efforts to bring the Cayman Islands to the forefront of the affluent yachting fraternity. The delegation was invited to Jersey to review that Government’s procurement process, which is very relevant as the Cayman Islands Government is in the process of implementing procurement legislation, discuss immigration and the country’s budgeting process.