Alexa Lightbourne, the Minister of Home Affairs, responded to her Opposition counterpart last night, calling Michael Fahy’s citation of statistics on Budget Book performance measures as outdated.

Ms Lightbourne said she welcomes the One Bermuda Alliance’s support for the publication of the Green Paper on Bermuda's transition to Full Caribbean Community membership, but said corrected figures were formally circulated to all Members of the House of Assembly on February 26.

Ms Lightbourne added: “The Shadow Minister was in receipt of the updated information before making his public statement. The suggestion that Government anticipates no progress on the Caricom process or the Green Paper is factually incorrect.”

She said that a Letter of Entrustment was tabled in the House “in full precisely because transparency is the standard this Government holds itself to”.

She added: “The conditions the Shadow Minister now highlights are not concealed facts. They are the documented framework within which Bermuda operates as a British Overseas Territory.

“They have been publicly available since the Letter was tabled. The Green Paper addresses these constitutional arrangements directly and in plain language.”

She added the Ministry notes that a decade ago, the OBA government itself engaged with Caricom “under analogous entrustment arrangements”.

“This process has never been a partisan one. It is a question of Bermuda's strategic interest, and this Government is determined to let Bermudians answer it on the basis of full information.”

Ms Lightbourne added that a White Paper will follow the Green Paper consultation period.

She added: “The timeline for the White Paper will be determined by the quality and breadth of public engagement. Government will not compress that process in order to meet an artificial deadline.

“When the Green Paper is available to the public Bermudians are encouraged to read it, engage with it, and participate in the consultation that follows.”

Ms Lightbourne, added: “The Ministry of Home Affairs welcomes the Opposition's stated support for the publication of the Green Paper on Bermuda's transition to Full Caricom membership.

“The paper is forthcoming and is a substantive, evidence-based document prepared for the benefit of all Bermudians.”