The Speaker of the House of Commons has welcomed his counterparts from across the British Overseas Territories to their first ever Speaker-led conference.
Speakers from Anguilla, Bermuda, Cayman Islands, Montserrat, Saint Helena, Turks and Caicos Islands, and representative from Gibraltar are gathering for a three-day event in Speaker’s House.
A range of topics are being discuss at the conference, with a focus on how the British Overseas Territories can get their voices heard in the UK Parliament.
Welcoming delegates to London, Commons Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle said: “For too long I have felt the British Overseas Territories have been overlooked, yet so many of the decisions we make here in the UK have a huge impact on their futures.
“I’m delighted to welcome my counterparts to London for this long overdue forum, and I’m looking forward to some really fruitful and interesting discussions.”
Sir Lindsay hopes the new forum, entitled Commons and Overseas Territories Speakers’ Conference 2022 (COTSC 2022), will help foster contacts, share information and experiences.
Notes for editors:
Sir Lindsay Hoyle aims to use his Speakership to give a voice to the 14 British Overseas Territories, which are located from the Pitcairn Islands in the Southern Pacific Ocean to the British Indian Ocean Territory almost 10,000 miles away.
Last summer he held an inaugural virtual meeting of the Commons and Overseas Territories Speakers’ Conference with a pledge to host a face-to-face conference as soon as it was possible.
A Joint Ministerial Council is already in existence to promote security and good governance of the British Overseas Territories and their sustainable economic and social development.
Speakers attending the conference include:
Hon Barbara Webster-Bourne – Speaker of the Anguilla House of Assembly
Hon Dennis P. Lister JP, MP –Speaker of the House of Assembly, Bermuda
Dr Hon W. McKeeva Bush, JP, MSc, MP – Speaker of the Cayman Islands Parliament
Hon Charliena White – Speaker of the Legislative Assembly, Montserrat
Hon Cyril Gunnell – Speaker of the St Helena Legislative Council
Hon Gordon Burton – Speaker of the House of Assembly, Turks and Caicos Islands
Hon Steven E. Linares, CEd (Hons), LLB (Hons), BVC – Minister for Housing, Employment, Youth and Sport, Gibraltar.
The conference will also be joined by clerks, staff, and representatives from the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association.
– Press Release
