Whether it will report on the outcome of the recent summit meeting of the British-Irish Council in Guernsey.

I attended the 45th British-Irish Council meeting held in St Peter Port, Guernsey on 10 July.The summit was hosted by the Chief Minister of Guernsey and attended by ministers from across the UK and Ireland. The First Minister of Wales attended as did the Taoiseach and Irish Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade and Defence, and the Chief Secretary to the Prime Minister. The Northern Ireland Executive was represented by its Ministers for Economy and for Communities and the Chief Ministers of Guernsey, Jersey and the Isle of Man attended.The theme of this year’s summit was ‘Nurturing Beginnings: Strengthening Early Years and Family Support for Happy, Healthy Childhoods and Lifelong Wellbeing.The main summit plenary provided an opportunity to highlight Scottish Government policies to ensure our children receive the best start in life alongside learning from activity being undertaken in other jurisdictions.During the main plenary discussion on latest political developments, I reflected on the significant global challenges we all face including the conflict in the Middle East and the resulting domestic impacts, including on the cost of living. I highlighted the importance of the Scottish Child Payment in tackling poverty. I also raised the need for public service reform.I reiterated the Scottish Government’s position in relation to our constitutional future alongside our commitment to Scotland’s relationship with Europe and welcomed the reset in relations with the EU and the opportunities presented by Ireland’s EU presidency.Ahead of the main summit I met with the First Minister of Wales, during which we discussed the relationship between our governments, wider intergovernmental relations and devolution.I also met with the Chief Secretary to the Prime Minster, during which I reflected on the importance of meaningful and constructive engagement between our governments.In addition, I held a range of introductory bilateral meetings including with the Chief Minister of Guernsey, the Chief Minister of the Isle of Man, the Minister for the Economy in Northern Ireland and the Irish Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade/Minister for Defence.The Communiqué that was issued by the British-Irish Council after the meeting can be found on its website at:www.britishirishcouncil.org/resources/45th British-Irish Council SummitGuernseyFriday 10 July 2026CommuniquéThe British-Irish Council (BIC) held its 45th Summit meeting today, Friday 10 July 2026, hosted by the Government of Guernsey in St Peter Port.The theme of the Summit was Nurturing Beginnings: Strengthening Early Years and Family Support for Happy, Healthy Childhoods and Lifelong Wellbeing. The meeting was chaired by Deputy Lindsay de Sausmarez, Chief Minister of the Government of Guernsey.Nurturing Beginnings: Strengthening Early Years and Family Support for Happy,Healthy Childhoods and Lifelong Wellbeing.The plenary focussed on efforts to support integrated, high quality early years systems which can help give every child a happy, healthy and secure start to life. Among several important discussion points was the topical matter of children and young people’s digital access. Council members discussed how children’s digital needs, risks and opportunities evolve as they grow.Latest Political DevelopmentsMembers briefed the Council on recent developments within their administrations and discussed several domestic and international topics of mutual interest.Cross-BIC Symposium Leaders welcomed preparations by officials to mark the breadth and depth of the Council’s work through a cross-cutting Symposium in Edinburgh on 29 September, the title of which is These Islands: Cultivating Communities and Tackling Inequalities.Next Summit MeetingThe Council noted that the next BIC Summit will be hosted by the UK Government.BIC Secretariat10 July 2026Plenary ParticipantsGovernment of GuernseyDeputy Lindsay de SausmarezChief MinisterDeputy P