Public Diplomacy

The term 'public diplomacy' relates to activities designed to promote the image and interests of the UK overseas in support of the Government's objectives. The BBC World Service and the British Council are the main government-funded bodies involved in public diplomacy activity, and in 2004-05, they received £225 million and £172 million of grant-in-aid respectively. The Committee's report examines the work of these two organisations, in light of the recommendations of the review by Lord Carter of Cole (more details available at http://www.fco.gov.uk/servlet/Front?pagename=OpenMarket/Xcelerate/ShowPageandc=Pageandcid=1007029395249) on the effectiveness of the Government's public diplomacy work, published in December 2005. The report makes 31 conclusions and recommendations, including the need for the Foreign Office to support an increase in the grant-in-aid funding for the BBC World Service so that it can introduce other television services such as the Arabic television news service; and that although it is appropriate for a Foreign Office minister to chair the new Public Diplomacy Strategy and Performance Management Board to ensure parliamentary accountability, this must not be allowed to compromise the editorial independence of the BBC World Service or the operational independence of the British Council.