§ Mr. Owenasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs why there is no branch of the British Council in Sofia, Bulgaria; and whether, in view of the disappointment of commercial and cultural elements in this country, he will seek to re-establish the branch there.
§ Mr. George ThomsonThe original withdrawal of the British Council from Sofia took place in 1950 at the request of the Bulgarian Government. I hope that in due course the British Council will be able to reopen their office in Sofia. Meanwhile the British Council continue to cooperate with the Bulgarian authorities in promoting a programme of cultural activities agreed between the two Governments. During my recent visits to Sofia both my noble Friend the Parliamentary Secretary at the Ministry of Technology and myself have had an opportunity to study the possibilities of increasing these cultural exchanges, within the present limits imposed 15W on public expenditure. The Bulgarian Minister of Education, Mr. Ganev, also visited Britain during November.