Speaker visits North East to encourage engagement
28 September 2010 (updated on 29 September 2010)
The Speaker of the House of Commons John Bercow will be in Newcastle on Wednesday 29 September to look at the issue of public engagement with Parliament.
During the visit, the Speaker will host a reception to discuss engagement issues, join 100 young people at St James Park for a conference on social inclusion and give a keynote speech to Northumbria University students and staff.
His lecture, entitled 'Parliament Beyond Westminster: Connecting the House of Commons with the country that it serves', will look at new ways of reuniting Parliament and the public.
Commenting on the visit Speaker Bercow said:
"When I was appointed Speaker I promised to try and re-engage the country with the work of Parliament and that is a process I want to continue with a series of visits around the UK. I am determined to get across that the House of Commons is a vibrant and exciting place that is relevant to the people of the UK no matter where they live.
"During my time in Newcastle, I don't just want to talk about why I think Parliament is important but to find out what people think the House of Commons ought to be doing to make itself more relevant to them."