Lord Speaker visits Birmingham
4 June 2015 (updated on 4 June 2015)
The Lord Speaker, Baroness D’Souza, visited Birmingham on Friday 5 June, to speak to schoolchildren and women's groups about the work of the House, the role of the Lord Speaker and how they can all become more engaged with the political process.
Peers in Schools programme
Baroness D'Souza visited the Cardinal Wiseman Catholic Technology College, as part of her Peers in Schools programme. She spoke to staff and students at the school about her role as Lord Speaker, and the work of the House of Lords, to encourage the students to take an interest in politics and the democratic process.
Women in Parliament
Later in the day, the Lord Speaker spoke to a number of women’s groups as part of the Women in Parliament outreach programme. The organisations represented included:
- Saheli Women’s Group
- Black Women in Politics
- Women Acting in Today’s Society (WAITS)
- Women’s Networking Hub
- Women of Wolverhampton.
Speaking ahead of her visit, the Lord Speaker said:
'One of the most enjoyable aspects of my job is leaving Westminster and travelling to different parts of the country to talk to people outside of London; not just about the House and its work, but about their experiences, their lives and the issues that matter to them.
'Speaking to the women’s groups and organisations about their concerns, the issues they want to discuss and how they can get their voices heard is an important aspect of my role as Lord Speaker, and I hope to use my visit to remind everyone of the importance of Parliament to the scrutiny of laws, which can have a direct relevance to people all over the country.'