The theme of partnership reigned yesterday as members of the House of Assembly and the Senate converged to salute the first visit of Baroness Patricia Scotland to the Island.

Baroness Scotland -- who replaced Baroness Elizabeth Symons last year as Foreign Office Junior Minister with responsibility for Britain's Overseas Territories -- had already visited other Territories and Caribbean nations.

Governor Thorold Masefield introduced the Baroness noting that the White Paper on Overseas Territories had emphasised the theme of partnership and central to this was the need for a Minister to oversee the Overseas Territories interests.

Baroness Scotland said she recognised the great honour of being allowed the rare privilege to address both parts of the Island's Parliament and praised the warm welcome she had received.

The Baroness then turned to the White Paper on Overseas Territories and stressed its message of the need for a new partnership. That new dynamic relationship would be forward looking and would harness what both sides offered each other.

She added that she hoped for real dialogue between Britain and its Overseas Territories which would allow for a practical partnership between them which would, in turn, allow them to work together on a number of real issues.

The Baroness highlighted the issues of the clean-up of the former US bases and the environment as areas of particular concern along with issues that affected both parties including the financial sector and citizenship.

On the latter point, she stressed that Britain was committed to rectifying what it saw as an anomaly.

And she praised the Island's speedy abolition of hanging, noting that it had given the British Government real pleasure as it surely had Bermudians.

Opposition Leader Pamela Gordon followed the Baroness, noting that she was pleased she had received a warm welcome but pointed out that her visit was not purely social but necessary to highlight the challenges the Island was facing.

She said Bermuda would take comfort in knowing that those concerns would be taken back to Britain and dealt with fairly.

It was the first joint session of the Upper and Lower Houses since MPs and Senators met on August 19, 1997 to honour then-Progressive Labour Party leader Frederick Wade after his death.

Premier Jennifer Smith wrapped it up by noting how impressed she had been of the Baroness' sincerity upon first meeting her at the British Labour Party conference and stressed those initial impressions had been enhanced with subsequent meetings.

Ms Smith acknowledged the emphasis in the White Paper on partnership and said the Baroness was superbly equipped to further this aim and affirmed Government's commitment to the same goal.

The communication channels are always open, she said.