Question
I thank the Minister for his statement. Like everyone across the House, I find it deplorable that any person can think they have the right to own another person and treat them like property, whether that is a historical or current injustice. What conversations has the Minister had with our Commonwealth allies about defence and security, which my Harlow constituents take very seriously? As I visited the BBC World Service recently, may I emphasise its importance to our soft power and influence?
Answer
My hon. Friend is quite right to raise the importance of defence and national security, particularly in relation to the Caribbean and other parts of the Commonwealth. He is also right—as the Minister within the Foreign Office responsible for the World Service, I wholeheartedly agree with him—about tackling disinformation. The investment we were able to secure during the spending review round to tackle Russian and other state interference, as well as misinformation, is absolutely crucial to the wider work of the Commonwealth and beyond.
Verdict: AMBER (27/100)
The reply only partly answers the question. On the first part, it affirms the importance of defence and security cooperation with the Caribbean and the wider Commonwealth but does not describe how the Government actually engages those partners. On the second part, it agrees that tackling disinformation matters and points to spending on countering state interference, but it never directly assesses what the World Service contributes to soft power or influence. Throughout, the reply stays general and hedged, so a member of the public would not get specific, committed information and would likely need to ask again.
How we got there
| Question item | Coverage | Specificity | Rationale |
|---|---|---|---|
| What is the nature of the Government's engagement with Commonwealth allies on defence and security? | Partially Addressed | Hedged | The reply acknowledges the importance of defence and national security with the Caribbean and the wider Commonwealth, and refers to investment in countering state interference, but it never describes how the Government actually engages Commonwealth allies on defence or security. It stays at the level of endorsement and platitude. |
| What is the Government's view of the importance of the BBC World Service to the UK's soft power and influence? | Partially Addressed | Hedged | The Minister states agreement with the importance of tackling disinformation and refers to spending review investment against state interference, but never explicitly assesses the World Service's contribution to soft power or influence. The reply shifts the focus to disinformation and counter-interference, so the question about soft power is only indirectly touched. |