To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many British (a) plays and (b) concerts were performed overseas by British performers under the auspices of the British Council in each year since 1998. (226672)

The British Council does not hold detailed records on individual plays and concerts performed overseas and to obtain this information would incur disproportionate cost. The British Council currently has three key programme areas: intercultural dialogue, climate change, and supporting the UK’s creative and knowledge economy, which such performances support.