In his capacity as Acting Governor, the Honourable Franz Manderson* has today made the following statement:

“In his statement on 26 July, the Governor said that discussions between the Cayman Islands Government and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office to agree the Cayman Islands budget were ongoing. The Governor explained that the Minister for the Overseas Territories, Henry Bellingham, had asked the Cayman Islands Government to ensure that its budget proposals were credible, sustainable, and consistent with the Framework for Fiscal Responsibility signed by the Premier in November 2011.”

“The Honourable Premier intends to present the 2012/13 Budget to the Legislative Assembly today.  If so, he will be doing so in the knowledge that the Minister for the Overseas Territories has not given, and may not give, his approval to these budgetary plans. In any event the FCO will wish to continue to work closely with the Cayman Islands Government to develop budgetary plans which are in the best interests of the Cayman Islands for the future.”

*The Foreign and Commonwealth Office has no objection to the Acting Governor delivering the Throne Speech on the occasion of the State Opening of the Legislative Assembly.