Assisting islands ravaged by Hurricane Ivan was yesterday set to take centre stage at this week's London meeting of the Overseas Territories Consultative Council, at the request of Premier Alex Scott.

A statement yesterday from Government's Press office reported that the representatives of the Overseas Territories had agreed in a preliminary meeting to ask the UK Minister for the Overseas Territories to allow the matter to be discussed following his opening remarks this morning.

“The Overseas Territories agreed to have a united voice in their meetings later this week with Bill Rammell, the UK Minister for Overseas Territories,” the statement said.

“On hearing that the situation in the Cayman Islands, following Hurricane Ivan is ‘more serious than we think' and that Grenada was not in a position to help itself rebuild as some 90 percent of their buildings had been destroyed in the hurricane, the Overseas Territories representatives agreed with the suggestion made by Premier Scott of the need to prioritise discussions with Mr. Rammell on the UK's responsibility to provide both islands with immediate financial help.”

A category five hurricane packing winds up to 160mph, Ivan ripped through parts of the Caribbean and Florida last week before slowing down to tropical storm strength over Alabama in the southern United States.

Cayman reportedly got the worst of the storm's wrath but at least 17 people were killed in Jamaica and many of Grenada's 90,000 people were left homeless. More than 60 people were estimated killed in the Caribbean - about half of them in Grenada.

In Cuba close to 1.5 million people had to be evacuated to safer areas.

The conference is also expected to discuss constitutional modernisation, disaster preparedness and Britain's relationship with its colonies.

And Mr. Scott is set to open a session on sustainable development.