British Council

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The British Council is facing planned office closures due to a £10 million funding shortfall despite an increased settlement. This undermines its global presence, commercial activities affected by the pandemic, and its role in promoting UK culture and education abroad.

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I would first like to pay tribute to the hon. Member for Basildon and Billericay (Mr Baron) for his tireless work as chair of the APPG. Secondly, I declare an interest: I worked for the British Council from 1996 until 2008, during which time I was posted to Brussels, St Petersburg and Sierra Leone.

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It was very welcome to hear the Minister’s defence of the spending going towards the British Council and the way in which the Department and the Government have supported this essential service of Britain’s presence overseas. Perhaps my hon. Friend the Minister would also like to set out not just how we defend such a fantastic institution, but how we improve it and increase its reach.

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The decision by the UK Government to refuse to support the British Council in its hour of need is further evidence of the “little Britain” attitude at the heart of this Government. Indeed, this new little Britain approach is so small that the Scottish Tory party wrote to the UK Tory party to question why the Scottish Government have the temerity to pursue links abroad.

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The British Council gives extraordinarily good value for money, as the Minister knows. He will also be aware that taxpayer support for the British Council is significantly less than that provided by their counterparts—and, dare I say it, our commercial competitors?—in France, Germany and Japan.

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I am grateful to my hon. Friend for his encouraging remarks, because as the former chair of the British Council all-party parliamentary group I saw at first hand just how the council works across the globe as the engine room of UK soft power.

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It is clear from Members’ contributions that there is absolute unanimity about the importance of the British Council in promoting Britain’s interests and soft power across the globe. Indeed, the Minister himself has emphasised that.

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In 2019-20, there were six schools in my constituency that benefited from excellent British Council programmes. Five were twinned with schools elsewhere in the world, and one—Ysgol Llywelyn in Rhyl—received an international school award.

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There is unanimity across the House on the values of the British Council, which go beyond narrow commercial ones. The British Council pays back to this nation what it costs and more. What consultation is there with other Government Departments for issues related to up to 20 British Council posts worldwide?

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Will the Minister identify which other body promotes British language, arts, the global economy, Climate Connection and more? Does he acknowledge the work done by the British Council so far?

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My right hon. Friend will soon be able to travel the world and find that the presence of the British Council is the best embodiment of global soft power. The British Council has a funding shortfall due to its inability to operate commercially. Can my right hon. Friend please provide additional support to ensure that this on-site presence remains?

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Does the Minister not understand that funding for next year is no remedy for cuts, decisions and closures taking place now? There will be long-term consequences as a result of short-term funding shortfalls.

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The French and Germans are steadily increasing their efforts through the Goethe-Institut and the French Institute. Meanwhile, we have been closing British Council libraries which are often the only places where people can get free access to English literature. Will the Minister go back to his officials and insist that there must be no diminution in our efforts to expand and promote English literature worldwide?

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The Minister has heard from colleagues about the great support for the British Council, its incredible work and value. In 2018-19, Germany's funding for their soft power agencies was three times that of the UK, and France’s was twice. Is the Minister concerned that cuts will undermine our influence compared with major European neighbours?

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I share concern about the British Council’s funding settlement and potential office closures. Will the Minister assure me that there will be no cuts to the council’s presence in India, Pakistan and other countries of the Indian subcontinent?

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While it is agreed that soft power applied on behalf of UK by the British Council has been enormous, surely we must take account of businesses adjusting to financial disaster caused by covid. The British Council should adjust as well despite having hundreds of millions in support from Government.

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I remember the importance of local offices during post-war activities with British Council in Balkans and Mexico, connecting with people. Young people are already using online activities but person-to-person contact builds trust and culture better than online does. If this were a reduction in UK export support for manufacturing, the Government would be outraged reversing cuts. Will the Minister look again at in-person support to ensure offices where needed and that the British Council can grow during pandemic?