The Speaker of the House of Keys, the Hon Juan Watterson SHK, attended a summit meeting of Commonwealth Speakers and Presiding Officers hosted by Sir Lindsay Hoyle at the Palace of Westminster on March 11 for Commonwealth Day and the 75^th anniversary of the Commonwealth, followed by a Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) special meeting at Speaker’s House on March 12.

(Photo courtesy CPA HQ)

Mr Speaker (pictured second row, furthest right) joined attendees from Australia, Bangladesh, Barbados, British Virgin Islands, Cameroon, Canada, Cayman Islands, The Gambia, Grenada, Guernsey, Kenya, Malta, Namibia, Nigeria, Northern Ireland, Pakistan, Scotland, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Sri Lanka, St Kitts and Nevis, Tonga, the United Kingdom, Wales and Zambia.

The event also gave the opportunity to mix with UK Members of Parliament from the Commons and Lords, lay a wreath at the Commonwealth Memorial Gates, as well as meet with institutions of the Commonwealth with Secretary-General, Baroness Scotland.

The CPA meeting provided an opportunity for the chairperson of the CPA Executive Committee, Hon. Ian Liddell-Grainger, MP and the CPA Secretary-General, Stephen Twigg to update members on the progress of the CPA Status Bill conferring bespoke status akin to an international organisation and to outline the latest programmes and activities for CPA branches.

Mr Speaker said: ‘This event was a useful opportunity to cement relationships with Commons Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle, and explain our constitutional position to MPs and other Speakers from around the Commonwealth. The debates and votes on beneficial ownership in the past serve as a salutary lesson that we need to constantly remind UK parliamentarians of our special relationship with the UK.’

Costs will be published in due course on the Tynwald website.

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For further information contact:

Joann Corkish
Deputy Clerk of Tynwald
Legislative Buildings
Douglas
IM1 3PW
Tel: 01624 685511
j.corkish@tynwald.org.im