Sir, On a recent visit to Egypt I learnt that the British Council is closing its knowledge and learning centres in Cairo and Alexandria and its on-site public lending facilities to “enable us to meet the educational and vocational needs and international aspirations of many more people than we currently can . . . through improved (but unspecified) delivery methods which are not wholly premises based, enabling us to provide these services to many more people than we currently do (sic)”.

This corporate gobbledegook seems to have been modelled on that of banks which tell us that, to enable them to provide a better service, they are closing our local branch. More importantly, the retreat of the British Council from the point where it provides a much valued service to the people of the countries in which it represents British culture and civilisation, at a time when almost all English language newspapers and television readily available overseas are American, can only be viewed as an abandonment by policymakers of any commitment to the idea that British culture is of value and significance to the world.

The council’s new agenda, as it has “refocused and expanded its work in the education and skills sector . . . working with a range of partners and stakeholders”, is undoubtedly worthy but could, in the depressing predictability of its jargon, be that of any educational or employment quango or charity in the UK. Time will tell if the benefits it brings to countries such as Egypt outweigh the loss of focus on British culture but there can be little doubt that Britain itself will lose more of what remains of its influence in the world.

Bill Simpson

Godalming, Surrey

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