Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent on 15 April (HL15659), whether they will now answer the question put: namely, whether the requirement for applicants to the Summer Intelligence Internship to be an ethnic minority, such as White Other, includes White Irish in that definition.

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

For the purposes of the Summer Intelligence Internship, ‘White Other’ ethnic minorities include, for example, Romany Gypsy, Scottish Travellers, or Irish Travellers. This does not include White Irish.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of whether the Settlement Agreement with Lord Mandelson of £75,000 in respect of his appointment as His Majesty’s Ambassador to the United States of America represents good value for money, and on what basis.

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

I refer the Noble Lord to the Government's statement (Official Report, vol. 782, cols. 359-374) and release of information on 11 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.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask His Majesty's Government what guidance the (1) Ministry of Defence, and (2) Armed Forces, have given to members of the Armed Forces on whether they may formally or informally affiliate with private members' clubs, including single sex clubs.

Answered by Lord Coaker - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

I refer the noble Lord to the reply given by my hon. Friend, the Minister for Veterans and People (Louise Sandher-Jones), in the House of Commons on 27 January 2026 to the hon. Member for Bridlington and The Wolds (Charlie Dewhirst) in response to Question 106741.

Defence does not hold a specific central policy on individual membership of single-sex private members’ clubs. Participation with external organisations in a professional capacity is subject to formal approval through the Chain of Command.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent on 29 April (HL16424), what is the rationale for not including white Irish under the internship; and what assessment has been made of whether this is positive discrimination against young people who are (1) white British, or (2) white Irish, given the absence of any other internship scheme open to them in that public body.

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

The SIS Summer Intelligence Internship is one of a number of lawful measures (as set out in The Equality Act 2010) used to encourage people from under-represented demographics to consider national security careers.

In addition to the Summer Internship scheme, SIS runs other placements and apprenticeships. The details of which are regularly published on their website. All schemes are only open to those who meet the required British, or British dual-national, nationality criteria.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by the Minister for the Cabinet Office on 10 March (HC116158), whether the Parliamentary Press Gallery was consulted over the abolition of afternoon lobby media briefings; and what role Tim Allan played in the decision to abolish those briefings as Downing Street Director of Communications.

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

I refer the Noble Lord to the answer provided on 10 March, Official Report, PQ HC116158:

Question: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, for what reason the Downing Street Press Office no longer holds afternoon lobby media briefings.

Response: As the media landscape has transformed over the last few years, the previous lobby arrangements were no longer fit for purpose. The afternoon lobby was sparsely attended, repetitious of morning lobby, and not a good use to taxpayer-funded Government communications resource. It has therefore been replaced with press conferences and technical briefings which allow journalists more direct access to Ministers and greater ability to access information about government policies.

Found: Ashton of Upholland; Lord Barrow; Lord Brennan of Canton; Lord Elliott of Mickle Fell; Lord Jackson of Peterborough

Found: Ashton of Upholland; Lord Barrow; Lord Brennan of Canton; Lord Elliott of Mickle Fell; Lord Jackson of Peterborough

Found: Baroness Ashton of Upholland; Lord Barrow; Lord Brennan of Canton; Lord Grantchester; Lord Jackson of Peterborough

Found: Canton; Baroness Brown of Silvertown; Lord Elliott of Mickle Fell; Lord Grantchester; Lord Jackson of Peterborough

Found: Canton; Baroness Brown of Silvertown; Lord Elliott of Mickle Fell; Lord Grantchester; Lord Jackson of Peterborough