Friday 28 September 2018
The UK Ministry of Justice spokesperson for the House of Lords - who is also the Minister with responsibility for Crown Dependencies' business in Whitehall - has made his first official visit to the Bailiwick to develop further his understanding of the islands, their constitutional relationships and the current issues they are facing.
The Rt Hon the Lord Keen of Elie QC spent three days visiting Guernsey, Alderney and Sark on his first visit to the Bailiwick since he took up his responsibility for managing the relationship with the Crown Dependencies at the end of 2017. As Lords' Spokesperson for the Ministry of Justice he has responsibility for MoJ matters in the House of Lords. His portfolio also includes responsibility for advising the Secretary of State for Justice on issues relating to the Crown Dependencies. Lord Keen is also the Advocate General for Scotland.
During his visit Lord Keen met with political representatives to discuss a wide range of current issues and priority matters, including the implications of Brexit for the Bailiwick.
Lord Keen spent one day in Guernsey, one in Alderney and one in Sark to understand the similarities and differences between the islands, inter-island relationships, their constitutional relationships with the UK and the current priorities for each government.
President of the Policy & Resources Committee, Deputy Gavin St Pier, said:
"It has been a pleasure to welcome Lord Keen on his first official visit to the Bailiwick.
"The Ministry of Justice acts as the Crown Dependencies' link to the UK Government on behalf of the Crown. I have met Lord Keen a number of times previously in London and know that he has a strong and genuine interest in the Bailiwick. We are grateful for this but it is important for him to see the Islands for himself in his current role. We have been able to cover a range of topics during the series of meetings in Guernsey, including our Brexit preparations and various social and economic policy objectives.
"Lord Keen already had an excellent understanding of our constitutional relationship with the Crown. We took the opportunity to discuss again the progress of the UK's Sanctions and Anti-Money Laundering Act through parliament earlier this year and the associated attempted imposition of UK domestic policy upon us without our consent. The proposed amendment which caused us greatest concern was resisted by HM Government, which was greatly appreciated. We have now discussed again the importance of our constitutional relationship with the Crown being upheld and respected. I outlined some possible future safeguards that we are considering to ensure that we have even greater constitutional resilience should a similar attempt be made to undermine our autonomy in the future."
Lords' spokesperson for the Ministry of Justice, the Rt Hon the Lord Keen of Elie QC, said:
"The relationship between the UK and the Crown Dependencies is an important one and this was a valuable opportunity for me to understand more about the workings of Guernsey, Alderney and Sark, and their key priorities for the months ahead.
The UK Government respects the constitutional position of the Crown Dependencies and I look forward to continuing to work with the Governments of all the Bailiwick's islands through constructive, open and candid engagement, which has been the hallmark of the UK's relationship with the Bailiwick for many years.
I would also like to thank everyone for their generous hospitality during my first official visit."
