Following the Government statement on the UK response to the political situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Dame Harriett Baldwin seeks reassurance that there will be no further cuts to the British Council or the World Service in the Balkans.
Dame Harriett Baldwin (West Worcestershire) (Con)
Further to the question from my right hon. Friend the Member for Maldon (Sir John Whittingdale), and knowing how much the Minister values soft power, can he reassure the House that there will be no further cuts to the British Council or the World Service in the Balkans on his watch?
The Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (Stephen Doughty)
I will come back to the hon. Lady on her specific points about British Council and the BBC World Service funding, but I have mentioned our wider development spending in the region. While we are having to make very difficult decisions at the moment, it is worth reflecting on the fact that through around £50 million this year from the integrated security fund and Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office official development assistance, we have continued to empower women and girls, strengthen democracy, build resilience to domestic and state threats, and promote peacebuilding and transitional justice. We have been engaged across a range of different areas in the development and soft power space to contribute to peace and stability in the western Balkans, and in Bosnia and Herzegovina specifically.