Lord Speaker news: 26 January 2010

Delegation from the Afghan National Assembly

The delegation of parliamentarians from Afghanistan was in the UK on a visit organised by the Inter-Parliamentary Union and included the Speaker, HE Younus Qanooni, and other members of the the Wolesi Jirga – the Afghan Lower House of Representatives.

During the meeting at the House of Lords, Speaker Qanooni discussed some of the difficulties Afghanistan faced in establishing a strong parliamentary democracy and his hopes for electoral reform in the country.

The Lord Speaker commented:

“It is always interesting to meet parliamentarians from other countries, but particularly from developing parliamentary democracies. The Wolesi Jirga is working hard to establish itself in very difficult circumstances and building relationships with parliamentarians in the UK is an important part of that process.”

National Council for Voluntary Organisations

On 26 January, the National Council for Voluntary Organisations (NCVO) held a one-day conference bringing together representatives of charities and voluntary organisations with key parliamentary contacts.

The conference, held in conjunction with Parliamentary Outreach, concluded with a reception in the River Room, House of Lords, hosted by the Lord Speaker, Baroness Hayman, and the NCVO’s President, Lord Hodgson of Astley Abbotts.

The Lord Speaker commented:

“The connect with voluntary organisations is an important part of making our Parliament a responsive and representative institution. This is a particular strength of the House of Lords where Members have a myriad of strong and effective relationships with the voluntary sector. I was delighted to welcome delegates of the conference and hear about the important work being done by the NCVO and Parliamentary Outreach.”

Further information

• Parliamentary Outreach