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The United Kingdom and the Commonwealth

I beg to move,"That this House has considered the matter of the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth." I am delighted to open this debate on the UK and the Commonwealth. I intend to set out the continuing importance of the Commonwealth to this Government and this country. The House will know that last week was Commonwealth week. I want to thank the members and staff of the UK branch of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association for their work and for hosting the 57th Westminster seminar. My right hon. Friends the Prime Minister and the Foreign Secretary recently reaffirmed the Government's commitment to the Commonwealth. Indeed, this month the Prime Minister highlighted the Commonwealth's importance to a meeting of all the Foreign and Commonwealth Office's heads of mission. The Commonwealth is an extraordinary global network of countries big and small, rich and poor, and it represents more than a quarter of the world's population. If it works together, the network has the potential to shape a better world for us all.