By Ayo JohnsonTelevised proceedings of House of Assembly deliberations, more use of committees and additional resources for parliamentarians are on Randolph Horton’s wish list before he makes an exit from the legislature.In his first interview since becoming Speaker of the House of Assembly, the Southampton West MP told The Royal Gazette on Tuesday that he would also like to see a more civil House of Assembly and enhance the separation and independence of the legislature.Being the only nominee for the position of Speaker was a “great honour” as it meant all of his parliamentary colleagues agreed he would be fair and conduct House business in a non partisan manner, he said.Topping his agenda for reform is the use of bipartisan parliamentary committees to examine topics and legislation in detail before they are brought to parliament.A committee structure would allow backbenchers to have more input, save time on the floor of the House, and help to make Cabinet more accountable, he said.“There would be more pointed debate. And on very important issues, certainly there would be a lot of debate. But sometimes, a lot of time is wasted on matters that should have been solved earlier. And sometimes on matters that are not going to cause the country to fall apart or make the country become a better place.”But he said moving toward a committee structure would require additional support resources.Mr Horton’s credentials in supporting parliamentary committees are well established. As Minister of Education, he had asked for a joint select committee on education to get feedback from backbenchers, Opposition MPs and the general public on public education.He also chaired a joint select committee on crime and gun violence which also heard from the public.Mr Horton said the country would do well if it was served by permanent committees on crime and education.“It certainly would benefit from continued attention being paid to those matters in a way they would be able to provide information to Ministers and help them make decisions going forward.”Mr Horton will also be taking every opportunity to strengthen the independence of the executive from the legislature. As an example, he said, he was set to lead the briefing on budget allocations of the non-Ministry departments — Government House, the Auditor General and the Parliamentary Registrar - in yesterday’s budget deliberations.“To have that separation or that independence would be important because the Government can’t tell the Auditor General or the Parliamentary Registrar what to do.”(Mr Horton had to agree to revert back to the status quo when members of the Opposition successfully argued against his assuming a role in the budget discussion yesterday - see separate story.)He added that he is also looking at ways to ensure that the general public is educated on the role of the House of Assembly.“I’m hoping to get some kind of education programme where people understand what the House is about,” he said.“It’s not just a bunch of people coming up here on a Friday night and throwing daggers at each other across the floor.”But Mr Horton said he was also concerned about ensuring that debates do not get out of hand.“The important thing is that one maintains respect in the House. So as the Speaker I have to ensure that there’s no language used that is defamatory, that is demeaning of other members of the House,” he said.“Sometimes it gets a bit out of hand. Its going to be my responsibility to see that we get a House whereby Members understand how far they can go in a place where anybody can come and sit and watch.”Having the House televised would go a long way to addressing problematic behaviour by the country’s legislators he added.But he does not expect that to happen overnight. “I do know that its something I’d like to see happening before I leave the chair so at least in the next three to four years.”While he is aiming for a more civil House, “in no way does one want to impede robust discussion, or to impede the bringing forward of ideas that some people may think ridiculous”.“There’s freedom of speech, and what’s important to appreciate is that freedom is freedom, not licence.”Improving efficiency of the House is another goal. MPs should be getting the Orders of the day two days before the House sits, and the parliamentary calendar should be fixed at the opening of parliament, he said.According to the House rules, MPs should be getting materials such as ministerial statements in advance of House meetings.Mr Horton brushed off concerns about his standing in the Progressive Labour Party. “I’m now the Speaker of the House and two things are important to me — one, ensuring that the House is run effectively, and that I am able to deal with all matters that come to the House in a non-partisan way, that I maintain the order that’s necessary in the House and to ensure that I am always aware of the pulse of the Members,” he said.“That’s my concentration now. And most importantly, representation of constituency number 32. The fact that I am the Speaker in no way impedes my ability to represent the constituents.“In fact maybe it will enhance it a bit, because if the Speaker asks for something there’s a fairly good chance that there will be delivery on matters that he wants to have fixed.”In order to preserve his impartiality, Mr Horton no longer attends party meetings.