British PM promises PM Kamla he'll review Air Passenger Duty

Prime Minister Kamla Persad Bissessar met on Friday with her British counterpart, David Cameron, and Foreign Secretary Williams Hague, at 10 Downing Street following a working lunch with diplomatic representatives of CARICOM.

She met with diplomats to hear their concerns about pressing concerns affecting CARICOM nationals.

Chief among the concerns was a decision by the British government to introduce an Air Passenger Duty next month, which members states of the community see as detrimental to their economies.

They also spoke about reviving of the UK/Caribbean forum and the relevance of the Commonwealth to the Caribbean.

The duty, which takes effect on November 1, replaces the current levy for passengers travelling by air from from London based on actual air miles, with higher rates for greater distances.

The current tax is £80 for all non-European destinations. It will go up to £100 for most Caribbean destinations.

When Persad-Bissessar and her ministerial colleagues, Suruj Rambachan and Stephen Cadiz, met with Cameron and Hague they raised the Air passenger issue and got a commitment from Cameron that he would review the matter.

Persad-Bissessar also spoke with Cameron about the need to ensure "common wealth" in the Commonwealth, especially since some 700 million people live on $1 US per day. The two leaders also discussed the strengthening of UK/Caribbean relations.

Cameron said the Caribbean is important to him and his government and assued Persad-Bissessar that the UK/Caribbean Forum would be held next year.

On the issue of the Commonwealth, Cameron said he is also keen to support Commonwealth and address some of the issues raised by Persad-Bissessar, especially as it relates to poorer states and the development of children.

The Prime Minister assured Cameron that her government is keen to preserve the good relationship that exists between the two countries.

Rambachan discussed the criteria used by the British Government to assess persons applying for student visas. This has been a concern for students in Trinidad and Tobago for some time. Cameron promised to look into the matters.

PM Kamla Persad-Bissessar in the BBC Radio studio

Following the meeting at number 10 Downing Street Persad-Bissessar and her team then headed off to the BBC for a series of interviews.

Persad-Bissessar returns home Saturday. She has scheduled a news conference on her arrival at Piarco International Airport.