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Hi - Thank you for taking the time to visit my web site. May I offer you a warm welcome and take this opportunity to introduce myself, I am Mary Lowe, a Deputy in the Guernsey States of Deliberation. What is the States of Deliberation you might ask, well let me give you some background information about Guernsey. Guernsey is an island of approximately 24 square miles (63sq kilometres) situated in the Gulf of St Malo 30 miles west of the Normandy coast and 75 miles south of Weymouth on the south coast of England. It is the second largest of the Channel Islands (Jersey being the biggest) and lies in close proximity to the smaller islands of Alderney, Sark, Herm and Jethou. Guernsey's population at the time of the last census in 2001 was almost 60,000. The Bailiwick of Guernsey is a Crown Dependency and its association with the UK government is through the sovereign as the successor to the Dukes of Normandy. The sovereign in council exercises supreme legislative and judicial powers but the island is self-governing through its own parliament, 'The States of Deliberation', which is usually referred to simply as 'the States'. Guernsey is not a member or associate member of the European Community. It has a special relationship with the EC as set out in Protocol 3 to the Treaty of Accession of the United Kingdom to the EC. In effect, EC Directives and UK laws do not apply to Guernsey, unless so determined by the States which have the power to raise taxation, determine expenditure and pass legislation. The States comprise 47 members (including 2 members representing Alderney) who stand for election as independents. There are no political parties in Guernsey. The main functions of government are carried out by 10 Departments. The Minister heading each department also sits as a member of the Policy Council, led by the Island's Chief Minister, which is the corporate body responsible for co-ordinating government activity. Following that brief explanation about Guernsey, this web site is my opportunity to explain officially who I am, what I believe in and what I can do to contribute to Guernsey as a well-governed, beautiful Island. In this web site you will learn a bit about how I got started in the States, about some of my achievements and some of the other aspects of my life in and around politics. The main charity that I support is the Guernsey Women's Refuge where I preside, as Chairman of The Board. If you wish to contact me about any issues on this web site or indeed any other issues, please
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or send me a quick note through my Contact page. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
