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MPs to attend Westminster programme on oversight of public finance

Photo by Stefan Rousseau/PA Wire

A cross-party delegation of Gibraltar MPs will have an opportunity to repeat Gibraltar’s Brexit concerns when they travel to London to participate in a Westminster programme on public finances.

The visit will be led by Sir Joe Bossano and he will be joined by GSD MPs Roy Clinton and Edwin Reyes and Independent MP Marlene Hassan Nahon at the two and a half day programme.

The visit has been organized by the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (UK) in partnership with the Gibraltar Parliament.

According to a statement issued by the Gibraltar branch of the CPA, the programme will facilitate the sharing of approaches between the Gibraltar Parliament and UK Parliament on the oversight of public spending and parliamentary public financial management.

The programme will contain discussion of experiences and good practice to support effective public financial management mechanisms.

It will also include discussions on how Parliament and Members can work with Supreme Audit Institutions, and the work of parliamentary scrutiny bodies such as the UK Scrutiny Unit and the UK Public Accounts Committee.

In addition, the programme will include opportunities to further other mutual issues and priorities of the Gibraltar Parliament and UK Parliament.

This will involve trade, Brexit, and the Commonwealth.

Delegates will meet with members of the House of Lords European Union Select Committee and the House of Commons Committee on Exiting the European Union, as well as members of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Gibraltar.

Mr Clinton, Shadow Minister for Public Finance, said: “I’m delighted to be participating in this programme which focuses on enhancing the parliamentary scrutiny of public finances which is an area on which I have been actively campaigning and raising awareness since I entered politics.”

“It is an important initial meeting forming part of the three year CPA project to strengthen the Overseas Territories’ scrutiny of public spending chaired by Lord Foulkes.”

“As is well known it is GSD policy that public finances should be managed transparently and in an accountable fashion.”

“In our view systems of control and to allow public and parliamentary scrutiny need to be enhanced,” Mr Clinton said.

“This meeting will provide us with a useful opportunity to interact with UK MPs and officials and gain an insight as to how the UK Parliament deals with such issues.”

“I am especially pleased that Sir Joe Bossano will be attending as part of the delegation together with the two independent members of the Opposition.”

“It will also be an excellent opportunity to informally repeat Gibraltar’s concerns as regards Brexit on a cross-party basis,” he added.

In a statement Mrs Hassan Nahon said that she will use this opportunity to meet with representatives from the Treasury select committee and other public bodies in the UK, as well as networking opportunities with the All Parliamentary Group.

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