BY ALICE CAMPBELL
Prime Minister Jeremiah Manele on Wednesday evening had a private dinner with Lord Malcolm Bruce of the United Kingdom House of Lords.
The dinner was hosted by the British High Commissioner, HE Paul Turner at the British Residence.
The discussions focused on shared parliamentary insights and the importance of strengthening support for Members of Parliament, ensuring that MPs can effectively balance national legislative responsibilities with the needs of their constituencies.
Bruce is visiting Honiara from February 2-6 as part of the Westminster Foundation for Democracy (WFD) programme.
WFD has partnered with the National Parliament of Solomon Islands since November 2022 to support parliamentary accountability, transparency, and institutional development.
The meeting was marked by a candid exchange of lessons drawn from extensive careers in public service.
Bruce, who served as a Member of the UK House of Commons for more than three decades before his appointment to the House of Lords, shared insights into Parliamentary reform issues.
A key topic of discussion was the practical value of a parliamentary calendar, with both leaders noting that a predictable parliamentary schedule enables members to plan their work and constituency travel in advance, reducing pressure to choose between parliamentary obligations and community engagement.
PM Manele noted that, drawing on shared experiences highlighted by Lord Bruce, the effectiveness of parliamentary secretariats is a critical factor in ensuring that parliamentary committees function effectively.
Strong committees, supported by capable and well-resourced secretariats, were identified as essential to a well-performing and accountable parliament.
Manele was appreciative of the UK support for the National Parliament and highlighted that such discussions form part of ongoing efforts to ensure Solomon Islands MPs have access to international best practices.
He noted the continued engagement of WFD, with the rollout of forthcoming online learning resources for Members of Parliament, and follow-up consultations with those who participated in recent professional development visits to the United Kingdom and the Isle of Man.
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