§ Mr. Lyonsasked the Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he can indicate the present work, and the cost at the most recent convenient date, of the British Council; what is the most recent expenditure and scope of entertainment by that body; who is its present head and what salary is paid to him; what is the number of committees of the Council now in existence and the number and dates of occasions upon which the Council has been convened since September, 1939?
§ Mr. ButlerThe Council are carrying out wherever possible the task for which they were set up, namely making the life and thought of the British people more widely known abroad. They are also being used to an increasing extent for cultural and educational work in connection with foreign communities now in this country. The total grant-in-aid received from the Government during 1939–40 was £335,000; in addition, the Council received private donations amounting to £17,738. The Council's expenditure on entertainment since the 1st April, 1940, has been £3,285. The Council entertain distinguished visitors, and parties of journalists, for example, from abroad. Since the 1st April these have included a party of French newspaper proprietors, 1243W a group of Cypriot editors and an important delegation from Turkey. The Council also arranged an entertainment for General de Gaulle's forces on the 14th July. The present chairman of the British Council is Lord Lloyd, who has drawn no salary in respect of that office since his appointment as Secretary of State for the Colonies. There are 10 committees of the Council. The members of the Council do not hold meetings. The directing bodies of the Council are the executive committee which normally meets quarterly and has held five meetings since September, 1939, and the finance and agenda committee which meets monthly and has met 10 times since September.