Commonwealth ties

SIR – The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) is resolutely committed to the Commonwealth. Your story (March 6) suggesting that it has been “sidelined” in relation to organising next month’s Commonwealth heads of government meeting is misleading.

The Cabinet Office unit in question is headed by one of our very best diplomats, and a significant number of its staff are from the FCO. The unit was designed to contain both the FCO’S Commonwealth team and the Cabinet Office team working on the summit, to ensure greater cohesion across all government departments.

The FCO will also be responsible for the co-ordination of government policy during our time as chair-inoffice of the Commonwealth.

This Commonwealth summit will be the largest the country has ever hosted, involving a week-long programme of activity for the 53 heads of government and their delegations, members of the Royal family and thousands of delegates. I and the whole ministerial team at the FCO are very much looking forward to it. Lord (Tariq) Ahmad of Wimbledon FCO Minister of State for the Commonwealth

London SW1