§ Mr. BercowTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the role and activities of the Foreign Policy Centre 735W since its launch, with particular reference to its input into departmental policy; and what (a) financial and (b) other support his Department has provided. [95326]
§ Mr. Robin CookThe Foreign Policy Centre is an independent organisation and has received no money from the Foreign Office. The Foreign Office welcomes ideas from outside organisations on all areas of its work. It is established practice for Foreign Office Officials and Ministers to have contact with policy institutes and NGOs, to consider their views when developing policy and to contribute to the debates initiated by them. Policy institutes and NGOs can also influence policy through their contributions to a wider public debate. The nature of these contacts means that it is not possible to assess the influence of one particular policy institute in isolation from other institutes and NGOs.