Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is taking through the Commonwealth to support (a) UK soft power and (b) the soft power of Commonwealth partners.

Our Commonwealth membership plays an important role in the projection of UK soft power. Shared history means the English language is spoken widely, we have strong cultural links and similar systems of rule of law and parliamentary democracy. The Commonwealth Secretariat provides technical support that reinforces these links and our shared values. In addition to our core financial contributions to the Secretariat, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office funds human rights advisers and the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association International to strengthen human rights, parliamentary democracy and good governance. We will discuss with the new Secretary-General how to enhance the soft power impact of the Commonwealth.