UK Overseas Territories legislatures: Census 2023

This Commons Library research briefing provides data on the makeup and administration of the 12 legislatures of the UK’s Overseas Territories (OTs): Anguilla, Bermuda, the British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, the Falkland Islands, Gibraltar, Montserrat, Pitcairn, St Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha, and the Turks and Caicos Islands.

Data was collected with the support of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, and Territory governments and legislatures from September to December 2023.

The briefing includes data on:

• The membership of Territory legislatures.
• The frequency of elections to the legislatures.
• The frequency and length of meetings of respective legislatures.
• The number of committees in each legislature.
• Number of staff supporting each legislature.
• Budgets, pay and remuneration for the Speaker, Members, and staff.

The data should be read in conjunction with the Commons Library research briefings on the UK’s OTs and their Governors and The Separation of powers in the UK’s OTs, which provide information on Territory legislatures, the role of appointed members, and their Public Accounts Committees.

Background on the Territories can be found on The Overseas Territories hub page, including the briefing, The UK OTs: An introduction.

The Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) has also undertaken reports on the administration and independence of three OT legislatures:

• Anguilla: Benchmarks report (PDF), 2020
• Monserrat: Benchmarks report, 2022
• St Helena: Benchmarks report (PDF), 2021

In October 2023, the CPA also began an assessment of the Cayman Islands Parliament.