Asked by: Alex Burghart (Conservative - Brentwood and Ongar)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, With reference to the letter from The Rt Hon Douglas Alexander MP to the Prime Minister, published 10 June 2026, if he will name the Global Counsel employee recommended by Lord Mandelson.
Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
In line with Cabinet Office guidance on the publication of transparency data for Ministers' meetings, DBT publishes the name of the organisation, or organisations, represented and does not include personal data.
Asked by: Alex Burghart (Conservative - Brentwood and Ongar)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether payments have been made to Sanctuary Counsel since July 2024.
Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Details of Government contracts are routinely published on the Contracts Finder and Find-a-Tender Service websites. Details of payments over £25,000 made by Government departments are routinely published via transparency releases on GOV.UK.
Asked by: Alex Burghart (Conservative - Brentwood and Ongar)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what discussions if any (a) his department and (b) the Insolvency Service has had with Interpath as administrators to Global Counsel on the retention of emails relating to Lord Mandelson.
Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
It would be inappropriate to provide detail or to comment on this given the live police investigation.
Asked by: Alex Burghart (Conservative - Brentwood and Ongar)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, Further to the answer of 8 June 2026, to Question HL371, on Government Departments: Facilities Agreements, what changes have been made or are being made to the staff resources and facilities being allocated to facility time in DBT and its agencies as a consequence of the new facility time framework.
Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
DBT received the new Civil Service Facility Time Framework and Guidance on 30 April. DBT and its Civil Service agencies aim to implement the guidance by agreeing to a new Facilities Time Framework with their Trade Unions. New frameworks are at the start of their development, and decisions have not yet been made concerning any changes to staff resources and facilities time.
Asked by: Alex Burghart (Conservative - Brentwood and Ongar)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether her department has had discussions with The National Portrait Gallery on the recent Sir Winston Churchill display and video installation.
Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The National Portrait Gallery is curatorially independent of the Government, and DCMS has therefore had no discussions with the NPG on this matter. The artwork has now been withdrawn from display at the artist’s request, and the Gallery has issued a statement which has been widely covered in the press.
Asked by: Alex Burghart (Conservative - Brentwood and Ongar)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what plans he has to publish the Defence Investment Plan.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
The Defence Investment Plan was published on 30 June 2026.
Asked by: Alex Burghart (Conservative - Brentwood and Ongar)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what guidance the Charity Commission has given to charities on issuing political commentary on (a) the Government and (b) opposition political parties.
Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
The Charity Commission has long-standing clear guidance for charities on what is permitted within the limits of charity law in relation to campaigning and political activity. The Commission also has a 'five-minute guide' on political campaigning to help trustees understand the rules, and recently published guidance on campaigning during the Senedd and local elections.
Asked by: Alex Burghart (Conservative - Brentwood and Ongar)
Question to the Leader of the House:
To ask the Leader of the House, if he will take steps to re-establish a European Scrutiny Committee to scrutinise EU legislation that will apply to (a) the UK and (b) Great Britain.
Answered by Alan Campbell - Lord President of the Council and Leader of the House of Commons
Any legislation made under the powers in the European Partnership Bill would be scrutinised by Parliament in the usual way.
We will work with Parliament on the arrangements for the scrutiny of any necessary legislation, and the agreement more broadly, as the negotiations progress.
Asked by: Alex Burghart (Conservative - Brentwood and Ongar)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether the US Government has allowed the (a) UK Government and (b) Metropolitan Police to have access to the unredacted Mandelson-Epstein files.
Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Decisions on access to documents held by the United States are a matter for the relevant authorities in that country. The Metropolitan Police operates independently of Government and any engagement between UK law enforcement and international counterparts would take place through the appropriate law enforcement channels.
Asked by: Alex Burghart (Conservative - Brentwood and Ongar)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether any restrictions are in place in relation to dual nationals (a) holding Civil Service roles and (b) being involved in procurement relating to national security matters.
Answered by Satvir Kaur - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
Departments are responsible for applying the Civil Service Nationality Rules, which govern employment within the Civil Service on the basis of nationality. This includes which roles should be reserved to UK nationals only and where additional restrictions may be required. Candidates with dual nationality are in principle eligible for employment in the Civil Service provided that they meet the requirements in relation to one of their nationalities. They may not be eligible, however, for employment in certain reserved posts where departments and agencies have imposed additional eligibility requirements.