Lords Committee on Soft Power to quiz leaders of British Council, British Museum and BBC World Service about promoting UK interests abroad
The House of Lords Committee on Soft Power and the UK's Influence will next week take evidence from representatives of the British Council, BBC World Service and the British Museum, publicly-funded institutions which play a key role in contributing to the UK's influence abroad.
The Committee will ask the witnesses about:
- their view of the role they play in promoting the UK's influence abroad, and how that influence can be turned into commercial gains for the country
- whether they are concerned about losing ground in a competitive global marketplace to newer media providers such as Al Jazeera and China Central Television, and other competitors like China's Confucius Institutes
- how they promote their organisations' values overseas without sacrificing credibility or their reputation for neutrality
The Committee will hear from:
- Martin Davidson – Chief Executive, British Council
- Peter Horrocks – Director, BBC World Service
- Dr Jonathan Williams – Deputy Director, British Museum
The evidence session will start at 4.20pm on Monday 15 July in Committee Room 1 of the House of Lords.