Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether their financial plans to support the British Council this year include writing off the emergency loans given during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Government is committed to working with the British Council to ensure its financial sustainability. These issues are being considered in the round as part of the Spending Review process, which will allocate departmental budgets between 2026-27 and 2028-29.

The Government remains committed to recovering the loan when the British Council's finances allow.

In an increasingly digital age, the British Council's impact should be judged by the outcomes it delivers through its programmes and operations, rather than its physical presence.