Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent discussions he has had on the cost of refurbishing the Commonwealth Secretary-General's residence; and if he will make a statement.

The Secretary General's official residence is fully maintained and allowance is made in the existing Secretariat budget to provide ongoing general maintenance. It is customary to refurbish the premises on the appointment of a new Secretary General, thus giving a cycle of approximately eight years. The budget for the renovation of the official residence was agreed by the Board of Governors at its meeting in June 2015, before the appointment of Baroness Scotland. Nevertheless, we welcome the Secretary General's statement that "any work on Hill Street must represent value for money and no extravagance".