Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the UK Soft Power Council at utilising UK science and technology.

The Soft Power Council is now operational but still in an early phase of developing its work. The Council includes several individuals with expertise spanning science, technology, education and research, in recognition of the importance of these themes to UK foreign policy impact. The Council's geographic working groups are considering how to harness the UK's strengths in science and technology. The contribution of these sectors will also be considered as part of development of the new Government strategy on soft power over the coming months.