Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what is their assessment of whether the geographical distance between the UK and the nations of the Commonwealth will have an impact on their intention to collaborate more closely with them.

We do not believe the geographical distance between the UK and other Commonwealth countries will prevent deeper collaboration on the important issues Commonwealth Heads of Government addressed at their meeting in London on 19-20 April. Forty-six Heads of Government travelled to London for the meeting. This demonstrates the importance member states attach to the Commonwealth and their desire to play a full and substantive role in it.