Presiding Officer meets counterparts from Northern Ireland and Scotland

The Presiding Officers of the National Assembly for Wales, Northern Ireland Assembly and the Scottish Parliament are holding their first formal meeting since taking up their offices. Lord Dafydd Elis-Thomas, William Hay and Alex Fergusson are meeting in Belfast today (Tuesday September 11) to discuss the challenges faced within their roles and share good practice. Topics will include corporate governance, communicating with the wider world and representing legislatures at home and abroad. Lord Elis-Thomas said: “As the Speakers and Presiding Officers of the three devolved legislatures within the UK, we face many similar issues and it will be very useful to discuss them. We shall continue to have a dialogue and learn from each others’ experiences.” The meeting is the first time the Presiding Officers have formally met since 2002, when Sir David Steel, Lord Alderdice and Lord Elis-Thomas met at Stormont.