Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of putting the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association on a statutory footing.

The CPA (Commonwealth Parliamentary Association) is a valued partner of the FCDO and we greatly appreciate the important work being done by the organisation and its regional branches across the Commonwealth.

The FCDO is delighted to support the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association and International Committee of the Red Cross (Status) Bill which would enable the Government to treat these organisations in a manner comparable to that of an international organisation of which the UK is a member.

The Bill was read a second time on 19 January and will now progress to Committee stage.