Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with the British Council regarding the decision to reduce funding to that organisation; what assessment they have made of the impact of the closures of British Council offices that have resulted from the funding cuts; and what assessment they have made of the compatibility of their decision with their Global Britain policy.

The government remains committed to the British Council. As the Integrated Review made clear, the Council is one of the vital instruments of our influence overseas. We agreed a 2021/22 Spending Review settlement totalling £189m, a 27% increase on funding for 2020/21. The Council will continue to operate in over 100 countries promoting the English language, UK arts and culture, and education. Our commitment to Global Britain is clear through our hosting of the G7 last month, and the UK continues to be a soft power superpower.