Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent consideration the Eminent Persons' Group of the Commonwealth Heads of Government has given to the maximising of commercial opportunities between Commonwealth states. [123664]

Mr Swire, Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office: The Eminent Persons Group made 106 recommendations to modernise and increase the relevance of the Commonwealth, which were presented to the Commonwealth Heads of Government in Perth in October 2011. Their report included a recommendation that the Commonwealth Business Council (CBC) should mount programmes specifically for investment from developed Commonwealth countries into developing countries. This recommendation was adopted by Commonwealth states in Perth without reservation.

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