Written question asked by Chris Williamson (Labour) on Tuesday, 4 December 2018, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Monday, 10 December 2018 (named day). It was answered by Alan Duncan (Conservative) on Monday, 10 December 2018 on behalf of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office: Russian Language

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what the (a) amount and (b) recipient name was for grants paid through the FCO-led Russian Language Programme in the latest period for which figures are available.

Answer: The FCO's Counter Disinformation and Media Development Programme is designed to protect national security by countering disinformation directed at the UK and its Allies from Russia. Russia persistently uses disinformation to target its perceived enemies. An example was the Russian disinformation campaign that followed the attack in Salisbury, which was intended to distract from Russian culpability. Information about individual projects within the Programme will not be published, as this information could then be used to actively attempt to disrupt and undermine the Programme's effectiveness.

Secondary information