Speeches by Whittingdale.

“Perhaps we can pursue elements of that later. I will ask you about the other major area of expenditure within the soft power umbrella, which is the BBC World Service. Again, you are right, two thirds of the money comes from the licence fee payer, but we know that already the BBC has had to make reductions because of th…”

“Foreign Secretary, before lunch I explored with the permanent secretary the consequences of the need to find savings in the Foreign Office budget, particularly in ODA expenditure, for two major elements of the soft power programme of this country: the BBC World Service and the British Council. Both are terrific assets …”

“But you will be aware that the British Council have said that they are going to have to close possibly 36 offices unless they get an uplift. Those will include offices in places like at least one, if not more, of the Baltic states, which are of vital strategic importance. How can you say that we will continue to influe…”

“Would you accept the closure of 36 offices, if that is what they say?”

“May I make a suggestion? We are all committed to the overall increase in defence expenditure—I raised this with the permanent secretary—but we are actually facing aggressive activity on behalf of China and Russia. You can make the case that the BBC World Service and the British Council are doing more for the overall de…”

“I am gratified that both you and the permanent secretary have said that you agree, at least in part, with the principle. Can I move on to media freedom?”

“Moving quickly to media freedom, Blair McDougall raised the specific case of Alaa Abd el-Fattah. You have expressed strong support in strong words, but four years ago you asked, “What diplomatic price has Egypt paid?” I could put the same question to you now. Fine words are fine, but he is still in prison, his mother i…”

“May I draw your attention to another concern that has been raised? The closure of the Afghan citizens resettlement scheme has just been announced. In the later phase of that scheme it was intended to bring journalists out; it appears that has now been dropped. That will potentially put some brave people at risk. Is tha…”

“May I put one last question to you, which I hope you might welcome and certainly think about? The UK founded the Media Freedom Coalition in 2019, and it is an organisation in which we have taken a lead throughout. Today, the need for media freedom is probably greater than it has been at any previous time. As you may kn…”

“I turn to the activities of the Foreign Office that fall within the general description of UK soft power. The Foreign Secretary has recognised the importance of the establishment of the Soft Power Council, but I understand that, in budgeting terms, these activities—I am talking about things such as the British Council,…”

“Okay. I will take each of those areas of expenditure in turn. You will be aware that the British Council has made it clear that even if the grant in aid is maintained at roughly the present level, it may be required to close 36 offices. Is that something that the Foreign Office would consider acceptable at a time when …”

“Perhaps I might separate those two elements of funding and first ask you about the loan. The loan, you say, has been extended, but it has only been extended for a short time, and in the meantime, it is costing the British Council £15 million a year in interest payments, and it has no guarantee. I think the British Coun…”

“I recognise that some of these questions are perhaps for the Foreign Secretary later this afternoon, but alongside the loan, which is sort of hanging over it and incurring costs as long as it continues to exist, you then have the grant in aid, which of course does not represent the majority of its income but neverthele…”

“We are united.”

“May I just express some frustration? I am a strong supporter, as I think almost everyone will be, of the decision to increase the proportion spent on defence, but soft power represents a kind of defence. It is the same taking on of authoritarian states that are active in this space through things like disinformation fr…”

“That is still open for negotiation and will not be determined until the autumn—as to whether or not the BBC World Service can even maintain the existing level of funding from the Foreign Office.”

“Further to that point of order, Madam Deputy Speaker. I started working as special adviser to Norman Tebbit in the Department of Trade and Industry on the Monday morning after the Brighton bomb. For those first few weeks, I went to visit him with members of his private office in Stoke Mandeville hospital. The reason wh…”

“Thank you, Sir Jeremy. I congratulate the hon. Member for Bury St Edmunds and Stowmarket (Peter Prinsley) on calling the debate this afternoon, which is extremely topical, and on convening a very helpful panel to discuss the subject a couple of days ago. The World Service has always been one of the great assets of this…”

“I do not in any way argue with the hon. Gentleman’s tribute to the journalists of BBC Persian, who have endured appalling harassment, particularly of their families still in Tehran. It is also worth putting on the record the bravery of the journalists of Iran International, one of whom was attacked by a thug from the I…”

“Is the Minister aware of the concerns about the proposed creative content exchange, which appeared without consultation in the creative industries sector plan? Will he confirm that any AI legislation will not seek to impose a statutory licensing model, but will instead facilitate a market-led, dynamic licensing model b…”