Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the effectiveness of UK soft power in advancing Britain’s diplomatic interests.

Soft power is crucial to our standing in the world: it fosters friendships, builds relationships, supports efforts to strengthen the rule of law internationally, and drives our own growth and prosperity. But we need to use it more effectively. This is why the Foreign Secretary and Culture Secretary have launched the UK Soft Power Council. The Council will help shape and drive a new Soft Power Strategy that will deliver on our foreign policy priorities, bring momentum to campaigns, and broaden the reach of the major soft power and foreign policy moments in the global calendar. Detailed metrics to measure the impact of soft power on UK priorities will be developed as part of the new UK Soft Power Strategy.