Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, whether he has had recent discussions with the Secretary General of the Commonwealth on the situation in Guyana.

The Minister of State for Development and Africa and I [Minister Rutley] have spoken with the Secretary General about the need for the Commonwealth to demonstrate support for Guyana. As a member of the Commonwealth Ministerial Group on Guyana, the UK was pleased to attend an emergency session of the Group on 11 December which resulted in a strong statement of support. I visited Guyana on 18 December to show UK and Commonwealth support for its territorial integrity.