Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

If he will take steps to help prevent the closure of British Council offices overseas.

As my honourable friend knows, we agreed a 2021/22 Spending Review for the British Council settlement totalling £189m, a 27% increase on funding for 2020/21. Not only have we increased funding, we provided a rescue package during the Covid-19 pandemic. This includes immediate assistance of £26m at the start of the pandemic, a loan facility of up to £145m, and a further £100m loan to support restructuring. We also provided a Letter of Comfort to ensure the Council could meet its financial obligations. Alongside the British Council, we are reviewing physical Council presence in country as part of a wider modernisation process. These changes will be minimal. The impact of the Council in a digital age should be judged by its operational rather than physical presence. But I would remind him that despite the challenging economic climate, the Government is providing over £600 million since the pandemic hit to secure the Council’s future, demonstrating our commitment to the organisation.