Twila Escalante, Deputy Clerk of the Parliament of the Cayman Islands, visited the Scottish Parliament for a clerk attachment in March 2025.

This opportunity was organised by CPA UK, as part of the UK Overseas Territories Project (UKOTP), which supports good governance and oversight of public finances in the UK Overseas Territories.

Ms Escalante shares her experience below:  

"I participated in a Clerk Attachment at the Scottish Parliament in March 2025. Prior to my arrival, a programme was specifically tailored for the time and I am pleased to say, I was not disappointed.  

"On my arrival, I was very warmly welcomed by Mr. David McGill, Clerk and Chief Executive of the Scottish Parliament and Mr. Alexander Catechis of the International Relations Office of the Scottish Parliament who very ably facilitated my visit.

"The Clerk Attachment began with a tour of the magnificent Scottish Parliament, a landmark building which is relatively new and very modern but holds much historical interest.  

"The programme consisted of a series of presentations which were efficiently delivered with great care given to content and structure from a cross section of Presenters whose expertise were clearly demonstrated.

"I recognized some similar parliamentary procedures between the Parliament of the Cayman Islands and the Scottish Parliaments, for example, both Parliaments have Devolved powers and Reserved powers.

"One of the topics presented was on Business Continuity. The Cayman Islands is in a hurricane zone and most recently have experienced earthquakes. It is always critical that in the event of a disaster, any disruptions are minimal to allow Parliamentarians and Parliamentary staff to continue their duties in a seamless manner.

David McGill, Clerk and Chief Executive of the Scottish Parliament, and Twila Escalante, Deputy Clerk of the Parliament of the Cayman Islands

"The Parliament of the Cayman Islands has a robust Business Continuity Plan and it was most interesting to note that the Cayman Islands Plan was similar to the Legislative Assemblies Business Continuity Network (LABCON). On my return, the LABCON website and link were shared with our Parliament’s IT Department for subscription consideration and collaboration. 

"I had the opportunity to attend a Meeting of the Parliament where I observed General and First Minister Questions put to the Scottish Government. It was during this meeting that I observed that the Scottish Parliament was a fully accessible to persons with disabilities.  

"It was indeed an honour and a privilege to be given the exceptional opportunity to participate in a Clerk Attachment at the Scottish Parliament in Edinburgh. My Clerk Attachment was truly an all-round learning experience and I would encourage anyone afforded such a placement to embrace the learning experience."