Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask Her Majesty’s Government which Government departments are responsible for setting the UK contribution to the Commonwealth Secretariat; on what basis it is set; and what data are used to determine increases or decreases in that contribution.

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) is responsible for the UK's assessed contribution to the Commonwealth. The UK remains the largest financial contributor to the Commonwealth Secretariat, providing around 32% of the total budget. Financial contributions to the Commonwealth Secretariat's general budget are based on scales agreed at the UN. Under existing Commonwealth guidelines, the budget is shared amongst the membership in accordance with three principles: capacity to pay, equitable burden sharing, and shared ownership and responsibility. This ensures that all members enjoy an equal voice within the organisation.

In addition to FCO assessed contributions, the Department for International Development also makes voluntary contributions to the Commonwealth Fund for Technical Cooperation, and a number of other Commonwealth programmes.