FO budget cuts judged detrimental

The Foreign Office is underfunded and further cuts could damage its ability to successfully operate for Britain overseas, a committee of MPs has warned.

The Foreign Affairs Committee has carried out its annual review into the work of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) and while praising the “impressive” work done within tight financial constraints, it said reduced budgets “will have a detrimental impact”.

It warned the diplomats should not become an “international English language school” as a result of changes to the British Council. The report said this “risks a diminution of the UK’s influence and soft power”.

Launching the annual report, chairman Richard Ottaway said: “The FCO does a good job in challenging circumstances but the budget cuts demanded by the Spending Review 2010 (SR2010) will exacerbate long-term problems caused by continued cost-cutting in the FCO.

“I am therefore disappointed in the lack of information provided to parliament as to how the FCO is to meet its spending reductions target.

“Last year we concluded that SR2010 may turn out to have had a very damaging effect on the department’s ability to promote and safeguard UK interests