Visit of the Honourable Noël A. Kinsella, Speaker of the Senate, and a Parliamentary Delegation, United Kingdom

On September 9, 2014, the Speaker of the Senate, the Honourable Noël A. Kinsella, led a parliamentary delegation on a visit to the United Kingdom. The delegation was composed of the Honourable George Furey, Senator and the Honourable Larry Smith, Senator. Accompanying the delegation was Mr. Gary W. O’Brien, Clerk of the Senate and Clerk of the Parliaments and Mr. Gérald Lafrenière, Deputy Principal Clerk, Parliamentary Exchanges.

In London, the delegation held meetings with:

• The Right Honourable the Baroness D’Souza CMG, Lord Speaker;
• Senator Paddy Burke, Cathaoirleach of the Seanad Éireann;
• Lord Sewell CBE, Lord Chairman of Committees, House of Lords;
• Ms. Deirdre Lane, Clerk of the Seanad and Director of Library and Research, Seanad Éireann;
• Mr. Simon Burton, Reading Clerk and Clerk of the Overseas Office, House of Lords;
• Mr. Benet Hiscock, Director of Public Information, House of Lords; and
• Mr. Simon Blackburn, Private Secretary to the Lord Speaker, House of Lords.

The objectives of the meetings were to exchange information between the three Upper Houses about how their houses can address political disengagement amongst their citizens; strategies for improvement, including transparency and accountability; and what the different institutions can, more generally, learn from each other.