Ambassadors: Vetting Process

Lord Sikka Excerpts

Tuesday 10th February 2026 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Chapman of Darlington (Lab)]

My understanding is that that is the case. I think the only difference here is around the timing of the vetting and the announcing; the actual vetting process was the same. There is now another process about making sure that the documents we all need to see in order to assure ourselves of this are available, because this is a public confidence issue as well. I hope that can be done in good time, and the ISC has taken responsibility for doing that.

[Lord Sikka (Lab)]

My Lords, the Mandelson episode shows that party and personal loyalties can obstruct robust scrutiny. To prevent repetition of this kind of debacle, Parliament must ratify all ambassadorial appointments. Does the Minister agree?

[Baroness Chapman of Darlington (Lab)]

I am very much in favour of parliamentary oversight, but I think the scale of that undertaking needs to be properly understood by any parliamentary body that may wish to undertake such a thing. I have not heard anybody say that all our ambassadorial appointments should be subject to such a process; I think I would need some persuading.