Select committee: Public Accounts Committee
Conclusion 21
18th Report - The financial sustainability of the British Council
Published 30 Oct 2026
Public Accounts Committee Financial sustainability of the British Council All items in this report Report on parliament.uk ↗ Inquiry on parliament.uk ↗
Conclusion (the committee's words)
Despite these planned improvements, the British Council does not expect to return to an operating surplus until 2029–30, forecasted to be £9 million in that year. Its free reserve position, as a result, is forecast to deteriorate further from negative £111 million in 2024–25 to negative £184 million by 2029–30. This compares with free reserve levels of £87 million prior to the pandemic, though even that was a level that the British Council felt left it vulnerable to the financial impact of the pandemic. 48
From: Public Accounts Committee, 18th Report - The financial sustainability of the British Council (HC 100), 30 October 2026
Government response
Government response awaited: deadline 30 December 2026.