The Honourable Speaker of the Anguilla House of Assembly, Mrs. Barbara Webster Bourne, was pleased to attend the first ever Conference of Speakers of the Overseas Territories and House of Commons. Madam Speaker fully endorses the Communique of the Conference found at the following link:
https://www.parliament.uk/…/commons-and-overseas…/
Madam Speaker led session One of the Conference which examined:
“Effective Parliamentary representation within an Overseas Territory: Improving the efficiency of the Westminster Model in the OT’s and Administrative and Financial dependence of OT Legislatures on the Executive.”
In her presentation, Madam Speaker raised several questions for discussion:
1. Is the application of the Westminster model practical in the overseas territories considering, the size of the legislatures, scale and the availability of resources?
2. Should the Territories seek to find models that suit their particular situations and depart from the Westminster Model?
3. Has the UK Government succeeded as the guarantor of Good Governance in the Territories; and are the UK and Territory Governments prepared to engage in the spirit of true partnership to ensure that the established system of governance works as it should?
4. Within the present context, how do the territories finance the change that is required?
In her closing statement to the conference Madam Speaker stated:
“The cornerstone of strong parliaments lies in the autonomy of Parliaments and their capacity to function in the manner that they are designed to. It is the responsibility of local governments and the UK Government, working in partnership to guarantee that our democratic institutions function in the manner that they should. Size and scale, economy, while being issues, must never be an excuse for our territories and the UKG to withhold the rights of our people to truly democratic institutions.”
Madam Speaker would like to thank the Speaker of the House of Commons, Sir Lindsay Hoyle and his team for organising the Conference and extending an invitation to Anguilla to participate.
– Press Release
