Asked by: Ben Obese-Jecty (Conservative - Huntingdon)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what information does his Department hold on the role did the UK National Security Advisor had in the (a) consideration, (b) selection and (c) appointment of Peter Mandelson as UK Ambassador to the United States.
Answered by Dan Jarvis - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)
I refer the Honourable Member to the Government's statement and release of information on 11th March, providing an update on the response to the Humble Address. The Government is working to ensure that Parliament’s instruction is met with the urgency and transparency that it deserves.
Asked by: Mike Wood (Conservative - Kingswinford and South Staffordshire)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether Peter Mandelson has a (a) Ministerial and (b) Civil Service pension.
Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
In accordance with the Government Financial Reporting Manual, since 2005, information regarding the remuneration and pension interests of Ministers is published in the annual Resource Accounts (as then named) of the relevant departments for the periods an individual served in a qualifying role.
Historical information concerning Lord Mandelson’s Ministerial pension membership during his periods of government service can be found within the relevant departmental annual reports and accounts dating to 2005/6.
Regarding civil service pensions, the Cabinet Office does not disclose personal information relating to specific individuals' pension arrangements. Such information constitutes personal data and is protected under the Data Protection Act 2018 and the UK General Data Protection Regulation. It is a long-standing policy that individuals have a reasonable expectation of privacy regarding their financial affairs and pension entitlements, disclosing such details to a third party would conflict with data protection principles.
Asked by: Mike Wood (Conservative - Kingswinford and South Staffordshire)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether the Cabinet Office or 10 Downing Street have asked former special advisers to provide material they personally hold as part of the return for the Humble Address on Lord Mandelson, and whether the fact they have left Crown Service affects such requests.
Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
I refer you to the Government's statement and release of information on 11th March, providing an update on the response to the Humble Address. The Government is working to ensure that Parliament’s instruction is met with the urgency and transparency that it deserves.
Asked by: Mike Wood (Conservative - Kingswinford and South Staffordshire)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the answer of 19 March 2025 to Question 37424 on Parliamentary and Political Service Honours Committee: Public Appointments, in how many cases have reserve lists been used to appoint a member to an honours committee since July 2024..
Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
Reserve lists have been used in one instance to appoint two members to an honours committee since July 2024.
Asked by: Mike Wood (Conservative - Kingswinford and South Staffordshire)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the answer of 20 February 2026, to Question 112176, on Public Appointments: Standards, whether his policy intent is to further restrict the use of (a) Whatsapp, (b) Signal and (c) similar applications, on (i) corporate and (ii) non-corporate communication devices by (1) Ministers, (2) special adviser and (3) civil servants.
Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
This government has a robust set of security policies and guidance in place that apply to Ministers, Special Advisors and Civil Servants, which are kept under consideration, including ‘Using Non-Corporate Communication Channels for Government Business’, which provides a framework for using these applications on both corporate and non-corporate devices. The Government is considering the way that different non-corporate communication channels are being used, as part of its commitment to raise information security standards.
Asked by: Mike Wood (Conservative - Kingswinford and South Staffordshire)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the answer of 20 February 2026, to Question 110020, on Cabinet Office: Public Appointments, if the Cabinet Office will make it their policy to update the Direct Ministerial Appointments portal to include the full details and terms of each serving Direct Ministerial Appointment that was appointed before the creation of the portal.
Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
The responsibility for the publication of information on Direct Ministerial Appointments rests with individual sponsor departments, as it has done under successive administrations. Departments should add all existing DMAs to the portal.
Asked by: Mike Wood (Conservative - Kingswinford and South Staffordshire)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the answer of 20 February 2026, to Question 112168, on Government, if he will list the relevant stakeholders who were consulted in Summer 2025.
Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
I refer the Rt Hon Member to the answer given to HL15004.
Asked by: Iqbal Mohamed (Independent - Dewsbury and Batley)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if his Department will take steps to (a) review all existing contract with Palantir and (b) suspend any further engagement with company until the investigations into Peter Mandelson are completed.
Answered by Chris Ward - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
All contracts for any firm go through rigorous departmental processes and their decision makers. Contracts procured by Government departments are done so in line with procurement law. This was the case with all contracts to Palantir.
We utilise a range of suppliers based on operational requirements, value for money, and compliance with our security and legal obligations, with all suppliers subject to rigorous due diligence. There are robust processes in place to ensure government contracts are awarded fairly and transparently.
Asked by: Baroness Finn (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Consultation principles: guidance, last updated March 2018, what supplementary advice or guidance has been given by the Cabinet Office to departments on whether consultations should give any material weight to responses from organisations or individuals which are deemed extremist or otherwise, or which are subject to a policy of non-engagement under the Government’s engagement principles; and what is the Cabinet Office’s departmental policy on this.
Answered by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
Responsibility for decisions and due diligence around who departments engage with sits with those departments and the appropriate policy areas. It is for individual government departments to decide to use these principles, or their own due diligence processes around engagement.
I refer the Noble Lady to PQ HC105789:
Question: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether he will take steps to prevent organisations with which the Government has a policy of non-engagement from submitting written evidence to (a) ministers, (b) officials and (c) public consultations.
Answer: The government does not and will not engage with organisations with whom they have a policy of non-engagement.
Asked by: Graham Leadbitter (Scottish National Party - Moray West, Nairn and Strathspey)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if his Department will review the suitability of UK Government contracts with Palantir.
Answered by Chris Ward - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
All contracts for any firm go through rigorous departmental processes and their decision makers. Contracts procured by Government departments are done so in line with procurement law. This was the case with all contracts to Palantir.
We utilise a range of suppliers based on operational requirements, value for money, and compliance with our security and legal obligations, with all suppliers subject to rigorous due diligence. There are robust processes in place to ensure government contracts are awarded fairly and transparently.