CPA Scotland Branch Report of the 44th British Islands and Mediterranean Region (BIMR) Annual Conference of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA): Cardiff: 27-30 May 2014
1. The 44th British Islands and Mediterranean Region (BIMR) Annual Conference of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) took place in Cardiff from 27-30 May 2014. The BIMR Conference is held annually and attended by delegates from the member Branches: Alderney, Cyprus, Gibraltar, Falkland Islands, Guernsey, Isle of Man, Jersey, Malta, Northern Ireland, St Helena, Scotland, Wales and the UK.
2. CPA Scotland Branch Executive Committee members Patricia Ferguson MSP, Margaret Mitchell MSP, Tavish Scott MSP and Sandra White MSP attended the Conference, accompanied by the Branch Secretary. There were around 40 delegates and special guests from 12 legislatures within the BIMR. Representatives from Australia and the Cayman Islands observed.
3. The theme of the Conference was “Equality of Access to Democracy”. Guest speakers were invited to address three plenary sessions on selected relevant topics followed by workshops in which delegates were invited to contribute and discuss. The topics were as follows:
Gender and the Promotion of Women in Parliament and Public Life; Bilingualism and the role of official languages in parliament; Youth Parliaments and engagement of young citizens in the democratic process.
Opening Ceremony
The Presiding Officer of the National Assembly of Wales, Dame Rosemary Butler AM, welcomed delegates to the Conference. This was followed by an address from Carwyn Jones AM, First Minister of Wales. The address focussed on the background to devolution in Wales.
Plenary sessions
4. Professor Laura McAlister, from the School of Governance, Liverpool University and Stephen Brooks, Director of the Electoral Reform Society Wales, addressed the first plenary session, entitled “Campaign for Women in Public Life”. This was followed by a Q&A session. The main points made during this session were:
The number of women parliamentarians in the National Assembly of Wales has gradually decreased from 50% in 1999 to 40% in 2011. Many women parliamentarians who were first elected in 1999 are due to stand down in 2016. There is concern that if this trend continues, these Members will be replaced by male candidates. The Additional Member System is well suited to putting in place a method of managing the selection of candidates to include candidates from marginalised groups. For example, twinning and zipping mechanisms work well to enhance the number of women elected. Research suggests that attitudes to gender equality in politics have not really improved and although progress has been made through various initiatives it will take time to filter through and produce results. It was suggested that there should be more debate on positive action. It was also suggested that the concept of meritocracy is male defined and needs to be challenged. Wales has a strong male culture and research has shown that in the policy areas of child care and equal pay, most questions are raised by women. That gender equality impacts of the work of the Assembly – what it does and how it does it. Dame Rosemary Butler AM had used the power of her office to effect change through her work to encourage more women into public life and delegates were encouraged to take every opportunity, through their respective legislatures, to do likewise. It was suggested that to effect cultural change in politics non-inclusive behaviour should be challenged and that women should take the lead in challenging the structures within political parties. Mentoring programmes and academies for women were considered useful tools to progress women in politics. It was acknowledged that for many years there has been access to excellent initiatives and information however women were still not coming through in sufficient numbers. Outdated attitudes were still prevalent in some countries. For example women could still be questioned about domestic and family matters at interviews.
5. The second plenary session was entitled “Bilingualism and the Role of Official Languages in Parliament”. There were three lead speakers: Rhodri Glyn Thomas AM, an Assembly Member with responsibility for the Commission’s Welsh language functions and policy; Professor Diarmait Mac Giolla ChríostCardiff University School of Welsh Research Unit on Language, Policy and Planning; and Meri Huws, Welsh Language Commissioner. The session was chaired by Simon Thomas AM.
6. The first part of this plenary was conducted in Welsh and all delegates used the translation facilities to follow the discussion. The lead speakers highlighted the following points:
A Commission for the Welsh language had been established which has powers to scrutinise the Welsh Government on its Welsh language policy and powers to punish institutions who do not comply with the legislation. The National Assembly for Wales treats the Welsh and English languages equally. Assembly Members receive support to learn Welsh language. All front line Assembly staff have a basic understanding of Welsh language Microsoft has developed a Welsh translation package. It is hoped this will inspire others to introduce a bi-lingual service.
7. It was established that other Branches had traditional/national languages e.g. Scotland, Isle of Man, Gibraltar, Cyprus, Malta.
8. The role of the media in promoting traditional and national languages was discussed. It was acknowledged that in some parts of the world, language could be a political issue and divisive. Within the Commonwealth, the official language is English and it was pointed out by a delegate that this shared language united member countries at government and parliamentary levels.
9. The third plenary session was entitled “Engagement of Young Citizens in the Democratic process”. This session took place in the Siambr Hywel and was chaired by David Melding AM from Wales Branch. The Siambr Hywel is the National Assembly’s former Debating Chamber and is regularly used for debates by young people.
10. The session was divided into two parts. The first part included a debate and involved Wales Schools Debating Championship Participants. The motion debated was “This House believes that political parties are currently failing to engage young people”. The motion was proposed by Radyr / Bishop of Llandaff Schools Team and opposed by Ysgol Dyffryn Aman. Topics raised during this debate included:
There could be potential for young people to be ignored by the political system. Responsibilities of politicians to engage with young people. Young people were a valuable untapped resource and could be utilised to better inform manifestos. The effect on young people when political parties fail to follow through on manifesto pledges. Youth sections in political parties. Politicians acting as role models for young people. Use of social media and other methods of communication to engage with young people. Social class barriers
11. A Q and A session followed. A number of points were raised about the different situations throughout the region. For example, it emerged that in the Isle of Man, where the age of suffrage is 16, only 20% of 16/17 year olds voted. The young
people who took part in the debate also raised concerns that many young people from working class backgrounds could not afford to continue in higher education.
12. The second part of this session was entitled “Creating the Voter Generation: Getting on the Right Track”. The presenter was Kyle Thornton MSYP Chair, Scottish Youth Parliament (SYP). The presentation was interesting and informative. Delegates heard about the composition of the SYP and how it endeavours to partner up with other organisation to meet its aims.
13. One of the key messages to come out of this session was that whilst the SYP was supported by the Scottish Government it was independent of it. Young people are involved at every level of decision-making and are supported by professional staff.
14. The system of selecting MSYPs was designed to ensure that it attracted members from ordinary backgrounds who could “bring something to the table”.
15. Mr Thornton cited the SYP’s single issue campaign on same sex marriage as a good example of the work of the SYP.
16. The SYP is working hard to get women into leadership roles and provides training in this area. To date no woman has held the position of Chair of the SYP however there has been female vice-chairs in the past.
17. A range of topics were discussed including elitism, young cares, interaction with politicians and political parties, peer to peer education, outreach programmes and youth culture.
Workshops
18. In addition to the plenary session, 4 workshops were arranged.
Workshop A: “More than a matter of numbers – How are Women Making a Difference?” How is female representation being reflected in public policy?
Workshop B: “Official Languages in Parliament “ Are We Just Paying Lip Service?
Workshop C: “Social Media and Beyond” Just How Are We Engaging with Young Citizens?
Workshop D: “The Case for Youth Parliaments” What Influence do they have in Informing Public Opinion?
19. On Wednesday 28 May 2014 Patricia Ferguson MSP was the facilitator at workshop A. This was attended by Sandra White MSP and Margaret Mitchell MSP while Tavish Scott attended workshop B. On Thursday 29 May 2014 Patricia Ferguson MSP, Margaret Mitchell MSP, and Tavish Scott MSP attended workshop B and Sandra White MSP attended Workshop D.
Final plenary session
20. The final plenary session took place on Thursday 29 May 2014 in the Senedd Siambr. The session was chaired by Joyce Watson AM while Margaret Neal, Scotland Branch Secretary, provided secretariat support. The rapporteurs from the four workshops provided feedback to all delegates. A full report will be available in due course on the BIMR 2014 website.
21. Plenary sessions were broadcast and a full verbatim report will be available in due course via the following link: www.assemblywales.org/bimr2014.htm
22. On Tuesday 27 May a meeting of the BIMR CWP Steering Committee was scheduled to take place. The Presiding Officer (NAW) addressed Members of the Steering Committee and women delegates. The main focus of the discussion was about the BIMR CWP Conference which had taken place in Edinburgh (15-16 March 2014). The Conference report was discussed by Members and several Branches showed interest in hosting a similar conference in the future. The gender situational analysis document which had been produced by the Scottish Parliament to support discussion at the conference was circulated.
Annual General Meeting
23. The Agenda for the BIMR Annual General Meeting 2014 is attached at Annex B. Deputy Michael O’Hara chaired the AGM. Carmelo Abela MP, Sir Alan Haselhurst MP and Patricia Ferguson MSP provided reports for the areas within the responsibility. The AGM minutes will be available from the Regional Secretariat in due course.
24. The main topics discussed and decisions made were as follows:
The minutes of the 2013 AGM were agreed. Delegates ratified the decision that the status quo should prevail in relation to future funding of CPA Regional Conferences. Delegates agreed that the BIMR should write to the Spanish Government and the European Commission expressing concern about the actions of the Spanish authorities and the effect it is having on the economy of Gibraltar. Sir Alan summarised his work over the past three years and advised that the CPA Secretariat had undergone a re-shaping exercise. Salaries for any new CPAHQ posts would be adjusted in the future. Sir Alan also thanked Patricia Ferguson MSP for her work as BIMR CWP regional representative. Patricia Ferguson MSP updated delegates on her work as BIMR CWP regional representative and focussed on the first BIMR CWP Conference which took place in the Scottish Parliament. Ms Ferguson also mentioned that in South Africa she had attended the hustings for the Chair of CPA election and would like to see this activity become more formalised and asked the BIMR representatives to take this forward. Branches were requested to put forward nominations from members of the BIMR CWP steering committee to apply for places at the CPA women’s conference which would take place in London at the end of June 2014.
It was agreed that the BIMR CWP Conference would take place annually and that the BIMR constitution should be amended accordingly. It was noted that a small number of branches had a very small proportion of women parliamentarians and it may not be feasible for these branches to host the conference. It was also mentioned that the BIMR CWP would continue to make bids to the CPA for funding. Cyprus Branch confirmed it would host the BIMR 2015 Annual conference. Gibraltar Branch confirmed it would host the next BIMR CWP conference in January 2015. Jersey Branch confirmed it would host the BIMR 2016 Annual conference. Assurances had been given by the Government of Cameroon that there would be no further prosecutions for persons who engaged in homosexual relationships. The Commonwealth Plenary Conference 2015 may take place in Islamabad. However this suggestion was still to be confirmed. Deputy Michael O’Hara announced his intention to stand for the CPA Treasurer post. He requested that his term of office as a BIMR Regional representative be extended for 12 months to allow him to see through the work of the Internal Audit Committee. The meeting was re-convened to allow further discussion on this matter. The Falkland Islands agreed to stand down for 12 months and serve on the International Executive Committee for two years instead of the usual three year term.
Conclusion
25. The Scottish Parliament delegation participated fully in the Conference by attending all the meetings and events contained within the programme. The delegation also promoted the 2014 Commonwealth Games throughout the Conference.
26. Each Member of the delegation benefited from the networking opportunities and had the opportunity to discuss recent political developments in Scotland and elsewhere. The conference provided an excellent forum to meet politicians with both similar and different parliamentary systems and build relationships for mutual benefit.
27. The knowledge and experience gained at this conference should serve to deepen the delegation’s understanding of the CPA
Margaret Neal Secretary, Commonwealth Parliamentary Association Scotland Branch Room Q2.03, Queensberry House Tel: 0131 348 5323/Mobile 07713063684
Annex A
44th BRITISH ISLES AND MEDITERRANEAN REGION CONFERENCE
Tuesday 27 - Friday 30 May 2014
CONFERENCE THEME: “Equality of Access to Democracy.”
TUESDAY 27 MAY
17:00 BIMR CWP Meeting Senedd Oriel
Chair: Patricia Ferguson MSP (Scotland)
WEDNESDAY 28 MAY
09:00 Opening Ceremony
09:45 Plenary Session 1 Campaign for Women in Public Life (#POWiPL) Senedd Siambr
Chair: Dame Rosemary Butler AM Secretary: Alice Randone (Wales)
Presenters/panellists:
Professor Laura McAlister School of Governance, Liverpool University Chair, Institute of Sports Wales
Stephen Brooks Director – Electoral Reform Society Wales
Followed by Q&A
11:30 Plenary Session 2: “Bilingualism and the Role of Official Languages in Parliament” Senedd Siambr
Chair: Simon Thomas AM (Wales) Secretary: Al Davies (Wales)
Presenters/panellists:
Rhodri Glyn Thomas AM Assembly Member with responsibility for the Commission’s Welsh language functions and policy
Professor Diarmait Mac Giolla Chríost Cardiff University School of Welsh Research Unit on Language, Policy and Planning
Meri Huws, Welsh Language Commissioner
Followed by Q&A
12:45 Official Conference Photograph Senedd Neuadd
14:00 Workshop A:
“More than a matter of numbers – How are Women Making a Difference?” How is female representation being reflected in public policy? Committee Room 1/2
Facilitator: Patricia Ferguson MSP (Scotland) Rapporteur: Jo-Anne Dobson MLA (Northern Ireland) Secretary: Nicola Crawford (Northern Ireland)
Workshop B:
“Official Languages in Parliament – Are We Just Paying Lip Service?” Committee Room 3
Facilitator: Deputy Barry Paint (Guernsey) Rapporteur: Hon. Carmelo Abela (Malta) Secretary: John Vella (Malta)
15:30 BIMR AGM Siambr
THURSDAY 29 MAY
09:15 Plenary Session 3
“Engagement of Young Citizens in the Democratic Process” Siambr Hywel
Chair: David Melding AM (Wales) Secretary: Roger Philips (Isle of Man)
Part 1
Wales Schools Debating Championship Participants: Debate: “This House believes that political parties are currently failing to engage young people”
Proposed by: Radyr / Bishop of Llandaff Schools Team Opposed by: Ysgol Dyffryn Aman
Followed by Q&A
10:45 Part 2
“Creating the Voter Generation: Getting on the Right Track”
Presenter: Kyle Thornton MSYP, Chair, Scottish Youth Parliament
11:45 Workshop C: Social Media and Beyond – Just How Are We Engaging with Young Citizens? Siambr Hywel
Facilitator: William Powell AM (Wales) Rapporteur: Deputy Sam Mézec (Jersey) Secretary: Michael de la Haye (Jersey)
Workshop D: The Case for Youth Parliaments – What Influence do they have in Informing Public Opinion? Siambr Hywel Classroom
Facilitator: Cllr Les Baldwin (St Helena) Rapporteur: Alfred Cannan MHK (Isle of Man) Secretary: Simon Ross (Guernsey)
14:00 Final Plenary - Report-backs from Workshops A-D Chair: Joyce Watson AM Secretary: Margaret Neal (Scotland)
15:10 Conference Closing Remarks
Annex B
ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING 1530 WEDNESDAY 28 MAY 2014 THE SENEDD CARDIFF AGENDA 1. Apologies for Absence.
2. Welcome and Opening remarks from the Chair: Senior Regional Representative Deputy Mike O’Hara (Guernsey).
3. Minutes of Regional AGM 13 February 2013 – Paper 01.
4. Matters Arising, including ratification of the status quo for funding of CPA BIMR Conferences.
5. Standing Item: EU – Commonwealth Activities and Issues.
6. Reports: a. Commonwealth & CPA Matters from CPA Chairperson, Rt Hon. Sir Alan Haselhurst MP. b. Regional Representatives; Hon. Carmelo Abela MP (Malta), Dr Roberta Blackman-Woods MP (UK), Deputy Mike O’Hara (Guernsey). c. CWP from CWP Regional Representative Patricia Ferguson MSP (Scotland) – Paper 02. d. Branches – in addition to the e-reports received for distribution with the Minutes. e. Regional Secretary, to include Conferences – Commonwealth Parliamentary Conferences (CPC), CPA BIMR Regional Conferences, & BIMR CWP Conferences – weekend nearest International Women’s Day (8 March) – with requests for branches to host: • 60th: Oct 2014 (Cameroon) • 61st: 2015 (Islamabad?) • 62nd: 2016 (Barbados?) • 45th & AGM: 2015 Cyprus • 46th & AGM: 2016 Jersey • 47th & AGM: 2017 (?) • 2nd: 7/8 March 2015 (?) • 3rd: 12/13 March 2016 (?) • 4th: 11/12 March 2017 (?)
7. Proposed amendment to Constitution establishing annual CPA BIMR CWP Conference – Paper 03.
8. Next CPA BIMR Meetings: • 6 or 7 (?) October 2014 at 60th CPC in Yaoundé • CPA BIMR AGM at 45th Regional Conference in Cyprus