Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps his Department is taking to promote cultural diplomacy.

We are taking a number of steps to promote cultural diplomacy, working very closely with FCO, the British Council and DIT to ensure that culture is fully integrated into the UK’s diplomatic activities, both at home and in our embassies around the world.

This includes the GREAT campaign, annual Seasons of Culture, formal cultural agreements with other governments, the Cultural Protection Fund and UNESCO cultural conventions. Ministers also undertake regular international visits and hold frequent dialogues with foreign counterparts to strengthen our cultural diplomacy with key partner countries.

DCMS is a leading contributor to the government’s forthcoming Soft Power Strategy, of which culture will be a core part.