The Speaker of the House of Keys, the Hon Steve Rodan SHK, has returned from the Turks and Caicos Islands (TCI) after leading a two-day parliamentary good governance seminar with the Clerk of Tynwald Mr Roger Phillips.
The seminar, hosted jointly by the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) and the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA), brought together experienced parliamentarians from other similarly sized UK Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies to familiarise TCI elected politicians with parliamentary practices and procedures of the TCI House of Assembly, following the formation of the territory’s new constitution in October 2012 and elections in November 2012 that saw TCI resume local administration after three years of direct British rule.
Mr Speaker and Mr Phillips, who were joined by Gibraltar’s Minister for Enterprise, Training and Employment the Hon Joe Bossano, met with the Speaker of the TCI House of Assembly the Hon Robert Hall, the territory’s Premier, the Hon Dr Rufus Ewing, the Leader of the Opposition, ministers, politicians, Cabinet members, senior officers and representatives from the Integrity Commission.
Mr Speaker said: ‘This has been a very successful event. We have spent a useful two days in discussions with Members of the Turks and Caicos Islands House of Assembly about matters relating to setting up and running their recently re-established Parliament.
‘We have assisted the Turks and Caicos Islands House of Assembly in focusing its thoughts on financial procedure, the relations between ministers and officials, plenary sittings and establishing an effective scrutiny mechanism using Assembly committees. This two-day seminar, chaired by Speaker Robert Hall of the Turks and Caicos Islands House of Assembly, is part of a continuing relationship between the Turks and Caicos Islands and the Isle of Man.
‘We look forward to welcoming the Deputy Speaker and Clerk of the Turks and Caicos House of Assembly to the Isle of Man for an intensive course of study organised by the Clerk of Tynwald’s Office. I am proud that the Isle of Man Parliament has been asked by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association to lead this process.’
The territory’s acting governor, Ms Anya Williams, added: ‘The seminar was an excellent way for the new government of the Turks and Caicos Islands to reacquaint itself with goodwill, experience and support of the UK’s other Overseas Territories, Crown Dependencies and the wider Commonwealth.’
Pictured: Speaker of the House of Keys the Hon Steve Rodan SHK with Speaker of the Turks and Caicos Islands House of Assembly the Hon Robert Hall
