Written question asked by Cheryl Gillan (Conservative) on Wednesday, 13 December 2000, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Tuesday, 19 December 2000. It was answered by Lord Hain (Labour) on Tuesday, 19 December 2000 on behalf of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what studies have been undertaken by (a) his Department and (b) the British Council to evaluate the effectiveness of information technology for cultural diplomacy; and what the findings of such studies were. - Inc figures. (Holding answer 18 December 2000).

Answer: Mrs. Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what studies have been undertaken by (a) his Department and (b) the British Council to evaluate the effectiveness of information technology for cultural diplomacy; and what the findings of such studies were. [143300] Mr. Hain: [holding answer 18 December 2000]: The British Council commissioned MORI to research attitudes towards the United Kingdom among young people overseas in 1999 and 2000. In 2000, the percentage of respondents saying they had been influenced by the internet was 21 per cent. as against 4 per cent. in 1999. These figures reflect the increased use made of the Council's own internet services, which now supply two million pages of information each month. Ad hoc research undertaken by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in a range of countries also confirms the popularity of the internet as a source of information. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office, like the British Council, monitors the usage and feedback on its sites on an on-going basis.

Secondary information