Oral Answers to Questions

Julian Smith Excerpts

Tuesday 1st February 2011 Commons Chamber

[Mr Lidington]

Any candidate country that wants EU membership has to subscribe to, and apply, the democratic values that are central to the European Union, including the freedom to express religion and to worship freely.

[Julian Smith (Skipton and Ripon) (Con)]

13. What plans he has for the future role of the UK in the Commonwealth.

[The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (Mr William Hague)]

I remain committed to strengthening the UK’s relationship with the Commonwealth and ensuring that we are at the centre of plans to reinvigorate this unique organisation for the benefit of all its current and future members. This ready-made network can further our foreign policy and economic interests.

[Julian Smith]

Following the Foreign Secretary’s highly successful trip to Australia and New Zealand, what opportunities has he identified for increasing trade between Britain and that part of the Commonwealth?

[Mr Hague]

There are huge opportunities to do that. I was the first Foreign Secretary for 17 years to go to Australia. There was a certain omission in that respect under the previous Government. I spoke there to the Australian British Chamber of Commerce, which revealed tremendous opportunities further to boost trade and the economic ties between our countries. The Commonwealth now accounts for a growing share of world trade, so that is an added dimension to the importance of that remarkable organisation.