Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by the Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office on 18 March (HC119335), and with regard to Ministers' overseas travel and meetings: Publication Guidance, published on 30 January 2025, why the Palantir meeting did not meet the threshold for inclusion in the Prime Minister's quarterly transparency return in line with paragraphs 3(a), 3(b) and 16 of that guidance.

Answered by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

I refer the Noble Lady to the answer given on 5 March, Official Report, PQ HC110411:

Question: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the answer of 13 October 2025 to Question 77563 on Palantir, whether there is a record of who the Prime Minister (a) met and (b) spoke to during that visit.

Answer: The visit was part of the Prime Minister's trip to Washington. During this visit the Prime Minister listened to a short presentation about Palantir’s work, followed by a tour of the premises and an introduction to members of staff.

In December 2025, the MOD signed an extension to the Enterprise Agreement with Palantir that had been initially awarded in November 2022, by the previous Government, and via a direct award. This extension covered existing services and ensured there was no drop-off in MOD capability in critical areas.

This contract - and all other contracts for any firm - go through the usual rigorous departmental processes and their decision makers.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent on 9 April (HL15974), whether they plan to amend Ministerial Pension Scheme legislation to allow for pension forfeiture in cases where a minister is found guilty of (1) misconduct in public life, and (2) improper performance under the Bribery Act 2010, relating to their ministerial conduct.

Answered by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

I refer the Noble Baroness to the response already provided to HL 15974:

Question: To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by the Parliamentary Secretary for the Cabinet Office on 23 March (HC120630), what consideration they have given to amending primary legislation to provide for the Ministerial Pension Scheme to be in scope of forfeiture for situations where a former minister is convicted for a criminal offence in relation to their activities while serving as a minister.

Answer: The government does not currently have any plans to amend the Ministerial Pension Scheme.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent on 9 April (HL16073), in what manner the disclosure of the publication date of the most recent version of the guidance to the Civil Service on speaking to the media inhibits the future policy development of changes to that guidance.

Answered by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

The guidance on speaking to the media is subject to ongoing policy development. Disclosing the publication date of the most recent version of the guidance could, in conjunction with other information already in the public domain, reveal the stage and direction of that development, which in turn could inhibit the free and frank provision of advice necessary for the policy process to operate effectively.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by the Parliamentary Secretary to the Cabinet Office on 9 April (HC116154), and with reference to paragraph 223 of the Guide to Parliamentary Work, and paragraph 1.6(d) of the Ministerial Code, what is the public interest reason for not publishing the internal Civil Service guidance on compressed hours.

Answered by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

Whilst Government departments proactively publish certain information as part of transparency requirements and to comply with the requirements of the Freedom of Information Act 2000. Civil Service HR policies relating to the management of employees are developed for internal use and are not published externally.

Terms and conditions of employment for the civil service are set out externally in the Civil Service Management Code.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by the Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office on 13 April (HC123652), whether there is a constitutional basis for ministers to be suspended by the Prime Minister, where they remain a Minister of the Crown but without active ministerial responsibilities, while an investigation into their conduct is undertaken.

Answered by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

Ministers are appointed and dismissed by the Sovereign on the sole advice of the Prime Minister.

As the Ministerial Code sets out, ministers only remain in office for so long as they retain the confidence of the Prime Minister.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent on 10 April (HL16076), and with reference to paragraph 1.6(d) of the Ministerial Code, what is the public interest reason for publishing the cost of the Prime Minister's domestic flights in 2024 in deposited paper DEP2025-0353 on 6 June 2025, and not publishing the cost of those flights in 2025 in that Written Answer.

Answered by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

Ministerial travel is undertaken using efficient and cost-effective travel arrangements. Security considerations are also taken into account.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government, in regard 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, published on 11 March (HC1774-1), whether ministers and special advisers have been asked to provide details of communications with Global Counsel as part of (1) the Government response to the Humble Address, and (2) the Cabinet Secretary's review into Lord Mandelson.

Answered by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

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, which may include communications with Global Counsel.

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.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Chapman of Darlington on 17 March (HL15165), whether the Ponsonby Rule applies to memorandums of understanding they sign with (1) foreign governments, (2) local, regional or state-level government tiers of foreign countries, and (3) supranational organisations; what their definition of a treaty is in this context; and what their policy is on disclosing to Parliament international agreements with foreign bodies that do not have the status of a treaty.

Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Minister of State (Development)

The Ponsonby Rule, which was put onto a statutory footing by the Constitutional Reform and Governance Act 2010, did not apply to Memoranda of Understanding. The Government uses the definition of a treaty set out in the Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties, which is consistent with the definition used in the Constitutional Reform and Governance Act 2010. Memoranda of Understanding and other non-legally binding instruments are treated like other expressions of Government policy. Where they raise questions of public importance, it may be necessary to bring them to the attention of Parliament. There will be occasions where the sensitivity of content or the wishes of other signatories (for example, on defence matters) means that such arrangements must be kept confidential.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what recent assessment (1) the Prime Minister, and (2) the Cabinet Office, have made of whether due process was followed during the appointment of Lord Mandelson as Ambassador to the United States.

Answered by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before Prorogation. Ministers will correspond directly with the Member.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government, in regard 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, published on 11 March (HC1774-1), whether they issued guidance to ministers and officials about relevant material that had been subject to automatic deletion due to retention policies.

Answered by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before Prorogation. Ministers will correspond directly with the Member

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government, in regard 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, published on 11 March (HC1774-1), what steps they are taking to avoid conflicts of interest between the role of the Cabinet Office in (1) responding to the Humble Address, and (2) providing staff and resources to the Intelligence and Security Committee.

Answered by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before Prorogation. Ministers will correspond directly with the Member