Plurilingual and Intercultural Education Debate

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Department: Department for Education

Plurilingual and Intercultural Education

Lord Alton of Liverpool Excerpts
Tuesday 18th October 2022

(2 years ago)

Lords Chamber
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Baroness Barran Portrait Baroness Barran (Con)
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I thank my noble friend for her question. I am sure she will be pleased, as I am, to note that Spanish is now the second most popular modern foreign language at GCSE with almost 110,000 entries in the academic year 2020-21.

Lord Alton of Liverpool Portrait Lord Alton of Liverpool (CB)
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My Lords, does the noble Baroness agree that the BBC World Service is a major promoter of democratic culture and the English language worldwide? Does she think that, at a time when courageous protesters in Iran, especially women, are seeking reform and change in that country—over 1 million of whom listen to BBC radio on the World Service—this is a good time to be cutting and removing those services for people who are so desperate to see the promotion of democracy?

Baroness Barran Portrait Baroness Barran (Con)
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Like all Members of the House, I have the deepest respect for the courage of very young women in Iran, in particular, and the process they have led. I am sure my colleagues at the Foreign Office are listening to the noble Lord’s comments.