Asked by: Mike Wood (Conservative - Kingswinford and South Staffordshire)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether the Propriety and Ethics Team utilised AI tools to produce due diligence on Lord Mandelson.
Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
I refer the Hon Member to the former Cabinet Secretary’s letter to the Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee of 30 October: https://committees.parliament.uk/publications/50019/documents/269409/default/
Asked by: Baroness Shawcross-Wolfson (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent on 2 February (HL13762), what progress they have made in the arm's length bodies review; when they expect that review to be completed; and when they will publish its findings.
Answered by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
I refer the Noble Lady to my answer to HL13762.:
Question:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent on 19 January (HL13276), when the arm's length bodies (ALB) review will be completed; and whether its findings will be published.
Answer:
The review is ongoing. Outcomes will be communicated in due course.
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 Secretary’s review into matters relating to Lord Mandelson will include consideration of any introductions made during his time as a Minister that were subsequently relevant to applications to the Advisory Committee on Business Appointments; and whether the review will assess the adequacy and completeness of the information provided in connection with applications.
Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
The former Cabinet Secretary was asked to review available information regarding Peter Mandelson’s contacts with Jeffrey Epstein during his period as a Minister. After an initial review of some documents, the matter was referred to the police. In light of the ongoing criminal investigation that was announced, that review has now been paused. The government is cooperating fully with the police investigation and providing any assistance required.
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 4 March 2026 to Question 116167 on Peers, if he will set out how the removal from the Roll of the Peerage relates to the status of a peer under the preamble to the House of Lords Precedence Act 1539.
Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
The Roll of the Peerage is an officially maintained list of living peers; removal from the Roll determines whether a title can be used in official documents and the precedence attached to it.
The 1539 Act concerns the seating and internal precedence of members within the House of Lords. As noted in Erskine May, these arrangements are in practice modified in line with modern arrangements in the House. Removal from the Roll of the Peerage does not change an individual’s legal right to a peerage, nor their eligibility to membership of and a seat in the House, which can only be removed by an Act of Parliament.
Asked by: Alex Burghart (Conservative - Brentwood and Ongar)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether the Prime Minister was advised of the letter sent by Lord Glasman to Morgan McSweeney and Paul Ovenden on the appointment of Lord Mandelson as Ambassador to the United States.
Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
I refer the Hon 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: Alex Burghart (Conservative - Brentwood and Ongar)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether the current Cabinet Secretary was appointed from a Reserve List in Merit Order.
Answered by Satvir Kaur - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
The Cabinet Manual sets out that the Cabinet Secretary is appointed directly by the Prime Minister. The Prime Minister receives advice from the First Civil Service Commissioner, but is the final decision maker.
As set out in the Gov.UK announcement of the Cabinet Secretary appointment, “the Prime Minister and the First Civil Service Commissioner agreed a process to appoint a new Cabinet Secretary”.
Once this process was complete, the First Civil Service Commissioner confirmed that “Dame Antonia Romeo is an exceptional candidate of the highest calibre, having run two of the largest operational departments in Government, and confirmed her track record makes her the right candidate for the role”. The PM appointed her on the 19th February.
Asked by: Alex Burghart (Conservative - Brentwood and Ongar)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether Ministers and special advisers have been asked to provide details of communications with Global Counsel to his Department as part of the (a) Government response to the Humble Address and (b) Cabinet Secretary’s review into Lord Mandelson.
Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
The Government is committed to complying with the Humble Address. Departments have been instructed to retain and provide to the Cabinet Office all information that falls in scope of the Humble Address motion.
The former Cabinet Secretary was asked to review available information regarding Peter Mandelson’s contacts with Jeffrey Epstein during his period as a Minister. After an initial review of some documents, the matter was referred to the police. In light of the ongoing criminal investigation that was announced, that review has now been paused. The government is cooperating fully with the police investigation and providing any assistance required.
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 Secretary plans to review Lord Mandelson’s interactions whilst Ambassador with (a) Global Counsel and (b) its clients.
Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
The former Cabinet Secretary was asked to review available information regarding Peter Mandelson’s contacts with Jeffrey Epstein during his period as a Minister. After an initial review of some documents, the matter was referred to the police. In light of the ongoing criminal investigation that was announced, that review has now been paused. The government is cooperating fully with the police investigation and providing any assistance required.
Asked by: Alex Burghart (Conservative - Brentwood and Ongar)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to the No10 press release of 12 February 2026 entitled The Prime Minister and Cabinet Secretary have agreed by mutual consent the Cabinet Secretary will stand down, which official will be responsible for (a) the Government response to the Humble Address and (b) the Cabinet Secretary’s review into Lord Mandelson.
Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
I refer you to the Oral Statement on the 23 February in the name of the Chief Secretary to the Prime Minister which confirms that the Cabinet Office Permanent Secretary is leading this process.
The former Cabinet Secretary was asked to review available information regarding Peter Mandelson’s contacts with Jeffrey Epstein during his period as a Minister. After an initial review of some documents, the matter was referred to the police. In light of the ongoing criminal investigation that was announced, that review has now been paused. The government is cooperating fully with the police investigation and providing any assistance required.
Asked by: Dave Doogan (Scottish National Party - Angus and Perthshire Glens)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to Written Question UIN 77563, answered on the 13 October 2025, what steps he is taking with Cabinet colleagues to ensure that Ministers are adequately briefed when they present to Parliament.
Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
Ministerial briefings are a matter for individual departments. There are a number of resources available to ministers to assist in preparing for parliamentary activity: the Ministerial Code has expectations for Ministers in Parliament, the Cabinet Office Parliamentary Capability Team offers training for Ministers and officials, and the Guide to Parliamentary Work provides broader guidance for officials on working with Parliament.