Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how much funding the Government has allocated to the Great Britain China Centre; and what the (a) terms and (b) objectives were for that funding.

The Great Britian China Centre (GBCC) receives FCO grant-in-aid annually which covers the delivery of related projects. Most recently it delivered the 8^th UK-China Young Leaders Roundtable in London in September 2018, with broad representation from young UK MPs, and the 5^th UK-China Judicial Roundtable in Shanghai in October 2018. The GBCC continues to be a key partner for HMG in delivering rule of law reform in China. In 2018/19 it undertook project activity that will inform HMG's 'Rule of Law for Prosperity' programme in China, including the 3^rd UK/China Rule of Law Roundtable in Hainan, China in November 2018. FCO funding also contributes to GBCC running costs (including salaries for 9 staff, rent of their office and other administration expenses).

The FCO is represented on GBCC's Board, and through attendance at board meetings scrutinises GBCC's activities and receives regular updates on the impact and value for money of each year's grant. The GBCC produces Annual Reports and Accounts, which are signed off by the National Audit Office, and laid before Parliament. The GBCC is also required to be reviewed on a periodic basis, in accordance with Cabinet Office guidelines. The last Tailored Review concluded in April 2019 and found that the GBCC was well-run, represents good value-for-money for HMG, and makes a positive contribution to UK priorities in China.

The amount of grant money given in the past five calendar years can be found in the table below.