Select committee: Public Accounts Committee
Conclusion 27
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)
We also explored whether restructuring had extended to senior levels of the British Council. It told us that senior managers had left during previous restructuring but that the size of the executive leadership remained 50 Q 38 51 Q 65 52 Qq 35, 36 53 Qq 38, 65 54 C&AG’s Report, para 3.15, Figure 13 55 C&AG’s report, para 1.17 56 C&AG’s report, para 3.13, Letter from Minister Elmore to the Chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee, 30 June 2026 57 Qq 26, 43 58 Q 43 16 broadly unchanged.59 The FCDO told us that the British Council faces a difficult challenge in balancing further cost reductions with maintaining the operational capacity required to deliver its commercial activities and wider objectives.60
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.