Oral Answers to Questions

John Baron Excerpts

Tuesday 14th May 2019 Commons Chamber

[Kevin Hollinrake (Thirsk and Malton) (Con)]

11. What steps he is taking to enhance UK soft power overseas.

[Mr John Baron (Basildon and Billericay) (Con)]

14. What steps his Department is taking to promote and enhance UK soft power overseas.

[Paul Masterton (East Renfrewshire) (Con)]

15. What steps he is taking to enhance UK soft power overseas.

--- Later in debate ---

[Mark Field]

I am grateful to my hon. Friend for mentioning that. We believe the UK is at the forefront of international efforts to tackle antimicrobial resistance through a variety of UN agencies. We were instrumental in drafting a UN political declaration on AMR, agreed by no fewer than 193 member states at the General Assembly in September 2016.

[Mr Baron]

The British Council all-party group, which I chair, is conducting a wide-ranging inquiry into our future soft power relationship with our European partners. Does the Minister agree with our early finding that we could better co-ordinate our efforts, and will he meet the all-party group as part of our inquiry?

[Mark Field]

We have strengthened our diplomatic network, increased programme funding and produced bilateral strategies for each and every EU country, as I mentioned. I am happy to engage with the British Council APPG, which my hon. Friend so skilfully chairs—or at least, that is what it says here. [Laughter.] I am being a little unfair to my hon. Friend. He is a fantastic chair of the group, and of course I will co-operate with the inquiry in every way he wishes.

--- Later in debate ---

[Mr Hunt]

We have not implemented all elements of the Stockholm agreement—that is one reason why it has taken so long since the meeting on 13 December. The UN special envoy decided that the best way to break the logjam was to identify the most important part of it, which was the redeployment of troops from Hodeidah. Now that is happening, we will seek to implement the rest of the agreement as quickly as possible.

[Mr John Baron (Basildon and Billericay) (Con)]

Will the Foreign Secretary update the House on what the Foreign Office is doing to help the British Council employee who was recently sentenced in Iran?

[Mr Hunt]

We are awaiting details, but I propose to meet relatives of that individual later this week, because we are very concerned about what has happened. Then, obviously, we will do everything we can to support the individual.