WILLIAM Hague has insisted he is confident Team GB will deliver "another spectacular performance" at the Commonwealth Games , despite the home nations competing separately.

The Foreign Secretary also told the Commons that Team GB has become a "sporting superpower" as he backed calls for Scotland to stay within the Union.

Scotland, England, Wales and Northern Ireland each have teams in the Commonwealth Games, whereas at the Olympics athletes from the four countries compete under the Great Britain and Northern Ireland banner.

Asked what his department is contributing to the preparations for the Games, Mr Hague told MPs: "The FCO (Foreign and Commonwealth Office) is playing a strong role supporting the 2014 organising committee.

"Our high commissions across the Commonwealth are also drawing on our contribution to London 2012 to ensure Britain makes the maximum impact from what I am confident will be another spectacular performance by Team GB."

Sir Menzies Campbell, a Scottish MP and former Liberal Democrat leader, told Mr Hague: "Perhaps I'll just remind you that, of course, the constituent parts of the United Kingdom compete in their own right and so there will be a Scottish team, a Welsh team, an English team and a Northern Ireland team."

Speaking during Foreign Office question time, Conservative Richard Drax (South Dorset) raised the question of Scottish independence ahead of September's referendum.

The Foreign Secretary replied that the preparation for the Games, and the work carried out by governments at Holyrood and Westminster, was "another example of how Scotland has the best of both worlds".

He added: "Scotland is the proud host nation for the Commonwealth Games but the UK is the host Commonwealth member state, and we're working together on this very successfully.

"We're confident that the games will be a success and together in Team GB we have become a sporting superpower in the world, and it's very important we keep working together on sport."

Team GB secured 63 medals at the 2012 London Olympics — 28 gold, 17 silver and 18 bronze.

In 2010, at the Commonwealth Games in Delhi, England won 143 medals while Scotland picked up 26, Northern Ireland 10 and Wales 19.

It came as a major name in sport was confirmed as part of the England gymnastics team at the Games next month.

Three-time Olympic medallist Louis Smith, who returned to training in January this year with the specific intention of making the team for Glasgow, will lead a 13-strong England gymnastics team which also includes newly-crowned European champion Max Whitlock.

Smith said: "I'm over the moon to have been selected for the Commonwealth team. This is something I've worked so hard towards since the end of last year and it's testament to my coach and everyone around me who have given me the support to get to this point."

Fellow Olympic medallist Whitlock beat Olympic pommel horse champion Krisztian Berki to win European gold in Sofia last month.