Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with the Commonwealth Secretary-General about the admittance of new member states with no historic or constitutional link to the UK; and if he will make a statement.

I discussed Commonwealth membership with the Secretary-General on 16 December. He is currently considering a number of expressions of interest in membership of the Commonwealth. Commonwealth Heads of Government agreed recommendations on criteria for membership in 2007. Under that agreement, countries aspiring to join the Commonwealth should generally have a constitutional link to an existing member to be considered eligible. However a country without such a connection may exceptionally be admitted.