§ Mr. Philip Hollandasked the Lord Privy Seal whether, in accordance with the procedures laid out in the Civil Service Department's guide on non-departmental public bodies, he has recently carried out checks on staff numbers and gradings in the British Council; and whether these have enabled him to identify areas for savings in expenditure and manpower in either the British Council or his Department.
§ Mr. Humphrey AtkinsThe British Council was last reviewed in 1979 by an interdepartmental review committee. As a result of that review it was agreed that the British Council core budget would be progressively reduced from £46.6 million in 1979–80 to £38.0 million in 1983–84. These figures expressed in terms of 1979 survey prices, were announced to Parliament on 8 August 1980 by my hon. Friend the Member for Blackpool, South (Mr. Blaker). The British Council's United Kingdom and overseas establishment has also been reduced from 4,460 in 1979–80 to 3,848 in 1981–82. The council's organisation and administration were examined by an independent review team in 1980. In view of these two recent reviews, I do not propose to carry out a further overall review of the British Council, in the terms of the guide on non-departmental public bodies, until 1984–85. These reviews have not resulted in any significant change in the smaller number of officials involved in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in administering British Council affairs.