§ 27. Mr. BaldryTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he next expects to meet the Secretary-General of the Commonwealth to discuss the criteria for Commonwealth membership. [95061]
§ Mr. HainI have no plans to discuss the criteria for Commonwealth membership with the Commonwealth Secretary-General. They were agreed by Heads of Government at the 1997 CHOGM in Edinburgh. Decisions on membership are taken by the whole Commonwealth on the basis of consensus, against the background of these agreed criteria.