Written question asked by Earl of Clancarty (Crossbench) on Thursday, 23 July 2026, in the House of Lords. It was due for an answer on Thursday, 6 August 2026. It was answered by Lord Wood of Anfield (Labour) on Friday, 31 July 2026 on behalf of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.

British Council: Loans

Question: To ask His Majesty's Government what consideration they have given to forgiving the Covid loan issued to the British Council in July 2020.

Answer: The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) remains committed to recovering the loan when the British Council's finances allow, consistent with the requirements of the UK's subsidy control regime. We continue to work closely with the British Council and His Majesty's Treasury on the long-term restructuring of the loan and will update Parliament formally in due course. I also refer the Noble Lord to the evidence provided to the Public Accounts Committee on 2 July 2026 by the interim Permanent Under-Secretary, where these issues were discussed in greater depth.

Secondary information