HC Deb 25 January 1984 vol 52 c597W
31. Mr. Freud

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent representations he has received concerning Government funding of the British Council.

Mr. Whitney

A number of hon. Members have written to express their concern at the level of British Council funding for 1984–85. Replies have confirmed that although the extra £4.3 million allocated to the British Council for 1984–85 is less than they had sought, the level of the increase must be viewed in the context of our financial strategy and determination that public expenditure for 1984–85 should remain at the level published in the White Paper for February last year.