Asked by: Alex Sobel (Labour (Co-op) - Leeds Central and Headingley)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of the eligibility criteria and membership structure of the Rapid Response Facility (RRF) under the Humanitarian Response Funding mechanism; and whether she plans to launch a new call for expression of interest for organisations to join the RRF, including small and locally-led humanitarian organisations with demonstrated operational capacity.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Rapid Response Facility has not been used since 2019 and there are no plans to revive its use. Alternative mechanisms, such as the Start Fund have provided a more efficient route for providing funding to NGOs, and currently has a membership of 145 NGOs, of which over 100 are local or national NGOs. The Start Fund responds globally to small and medium sized humanitarian emergencies and helps build the operational response capacity and leadership of locally led humanitarian organisations.
Asked by: Mike Wood (Conservative - Kingswinford and South Staffordshire)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether she has considered taking legal action against Lord Mandelson to reclaim his exit payment.
Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I refer the Hon Member to the answers provided on this point by the Chief Secretary to the Prime Minister during his statement on 11 March.
Asked by: Martin Wrigley (Liberal Democrat - Newton Abbot)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether her Department has made an assessment of the impact of the conflict in Iran on fuel costs in the UK.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I refer the Hon Member to the answer provided by HM Treasury on 4 June in response to Question 3437.
Asked by: Mike Wood (Conservative - Kingswinford and South Staffordshire)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, further to Part of a Return to an Address of the Honourable the House of Commons dated 4 February 2026 relating to the appointment of Lord Mandelson as HM Ambassador to Washington, Volume II Part I, HC2-I, published on 1 June 2026, page 224 and 225, whether the tech dinner with Matthew Doyle look place on that date (Friday 21 February 2025), whether Lord Mandelson hosted the dinner, and whether representatives of (a) Global Counsel and (b) Palantir attended.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I refer the Hon Member to the Government's statement and release of information on 1 June, which sets out the information available in response to the Humble Address. Aside from those ministers and senior UK officials whose meetings with external organisations are declared in quarterly transparency returns, it has never been the practice under any government routinely to publish details of all other external meetings.
Asked by: Lisa Smart (Liberal Democrat - Hazel Grove)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps were taken to help mitigate potential conflicts of interest arising from Lord Mandelson's commercial interests before she took up the post of Ambassador to the United States.
Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
As has been made clear in documents that were published in the Government's response to the Humble Address, on 1 June 2026, measures were put in place to manage Peter Mandelson's declared conflicts of interest. As was also made clear in the Chief Secretary to the Prime Minister's statement to the House on the same day, some documents relevant to the Humble Address have been withheld at the request of the police.
Asked by: Mike Wood (Conservative - Kingswinford and South Staffordshire)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, further to Part of a Return to an Address of the Honourable the House of Commons dated 4 February 2026 relating to the appointment of Lord Mandelson as HM Ambassador to Washington, Volume II Part I, HC2-I, published on 1 June 2026, page 87, whether Lord Mandelson’s security clearance was (a) lapsed, (b) suspended and/or (c) withdrawn.
Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Peter Mandelson's security clearance formally ended on 16 October 2025 when his employment also formally ended. However, his Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office user accounts were suspended and his access to classified material resulting from that clearance ceased immediately on his withdrawal from the role of HM Ambassador to Washington DC on 11 September 2025.
Asked by: Jeremy Corbyn (Independent - Islington North)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, which foreign officials have received special mission certificates to visit Britain in 2025 and 2026.
Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I refer the Hon Member to the answer provided on 8 September 2025 to Question 69421. The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office has not issued any further certificates since this answer.
Asked by: Mike Wood (Conservative - Kingswinford and South Staffordshire)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, further to Part of a Return to an Address of the Honourable the House of Commons dated 4 February 2026 relating to the appointment of Lord Mandelson as HM Ambassador to Washington, Volume II Part I, HC2-I, published on 1 June 2026, page 309 and 334, what meetings Lord Mandelson had with (a) Palantir and (b) Louise Mosley whilst Ambassador.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I refer the Hon Member to the response on 10 June to Question 5980. In addition, the Hon Member references the Part of a Return to an Address of the Honourable the House of Commons dated 4 February 2026 relating to the appointment of Lord Mandelson as HM Ambassador to Washington, Volume II Part I, HC2-I, published on 1 June 2026, Page 334, which notes that Peter Mandelson attended the Hill and Valley Forum on 2 May 2025 and that Louis Mosley was also scheduled to attend that large event. Further to Lord Mandelson's letter to the Defence Secretary on 26 February 2025 on page 309, it is a matter of public record that Peter Mandelson accompanied the Prime Minister on his visit to Palantir's Washington DC office on 27 February 2025.
Asked by: Mike Wood (Conservative - Kingswinford and South Staffordshire)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, further to Part of a Return to an Address of the Honourable the House of Commons dated 4 February 2026 relating to the appointment of Lord Mandelson as HM Ambassador to Washington, Volume II Part I, HC2-I, published on 1 June 2026, page 75, if he will list the foreign contacts mentioned by Lord Mandelson on the form.
Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
As the long-standing practice under successive governments, we cannot comment on the contents of any individual's vetting file, as to do so would risk undermining the integrity and effectiveness of the entire vetting system.
Asked by: Mike Wood (Conservative - Kingswinford and South Staffordshire)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, further to Part of a Return to an Address of the Honourable the House of Commons dated 4 February 2026 relating to the appointment of Lord Mandelson as HM Ambassador to Washington, Volume II Part III, HC2-III, published on 1 June 2026, p.103, through what medium did Lord Mandelson respond to the questions from Oliver Robbins set out in the email of 9 September 2025, 7.11pm.
Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I refer the Hon Member to the Government's statement and release of information on 1 June, providing an update on the response to the Humble Address, and the answers given by the Chief Secretary to the Prime Minister in response to questions during the General Debate on 3 June. The documents published in the first and second tranches contain the entirety of the documents the Government has available for disclosure, except those being withheld at the request of the Metropolitan Police. As the Chief Secretary to the Prime Minister said on 3 June, the Metropolitan Police have permitted the Government to confirm the categories of documents that they are holding, but nothing further. When the Metropolitan Police have concluded their investigation, this material will be published.