Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

British Council

Tuesday 14 January 2025 · 1 question

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 0 Partly answered 1 Not answered 0

Key points

  • British Council received a 200 million loan on commercial terms due to subsidy control regime compliance.
  • Ministers met the British Council's CEO on January 6th to discuss financial issues.
  • The loan given to the British Council costs 1.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Monica Harding Lib Dem Esher and Walton
Culture, Media & Sport
Context

The British Council has faced challenges due to the pandemic, including forced closures of country operations and a high-interest loan from the government. The council delivers over £1 billion in global impact annually.

Question

What assessment have you made of the British Council’s financial sustainability given its significant role in promoting UK arts, culture, education, and soft power? During the pandemic, it was forced to close 18 country operations with no reopening yet. The loan given under commercial terms costs £14 million a year in interest. Will the Minister help the council keep delivering on government objectives by reviewing loan terms?

Answer from The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs (Mr Hamish Falconer)

Ministers are aware of the issues related to the £200 million loan given on commercial terms due to compliance with subsidy control regime. On January 6th, my ministerial colleagues met the British Council’s CEO to discuss these issues.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The Minister did not commit to reviewing or changing the loan terms as requested.

How: Under Review

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