To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what contingencies have been put in place for an alternative venue for the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting planned in Kampala. (135894)

The Commonwealth Secretariat confirmed on 26 April that Kampala would be the venue for the 2007 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM). Any decision about changing the CHOGM venue would be for the Commonwealth Secretariat to take, in consultation with member states.

We want CHOGM to take place in Uganda and for it to be a success.

We have important concerns about the state of governance in Uganda, particularly with respect to the independence of the judiciary, political space for the opposition and recent incidences of violence. We are working with the Government of Uganda to resolve these concerns. We continue to stress that CHOGM presents a historic opportunity for Uganda to demonstrate that it is building an inclusive and pluralist society and we will continue to press for progress on the issues of concern.