Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what information her Department holds on discussions between Lord Mandelson and (a) the US Administration and (b) the National Security Adviser on the future of the Chagos Islands during the period that Lord Mandelson was the UK Ambassador to the United States of America; how many times she has met with the National Security Adviser since her appointment; what information her Department holds on the remuneration including expenses paid to Lord Mandelson (i) during the period that Lord Mandelson was the UK Ambassador to the United States of America and (ii) following the announcement of his termination from this role; and if she will ask her officials to undertake a review of (A) communications and (B) meetings between Lord Mandelson and (1) businesses, (2) foreign governments and (3) any other organisations and people not working for the UK Government in his capacity as the UK Ambassador to the United States of America.

Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

I refer her to the Government's response to the Urgent Question tabled on 12th February, the Written Ministerial Statement in the name of the Chief Secretary to the Prime Minister that same day, and Oral Statement on the 23 February which set out an update on the Government's process. We will set out further details in due course. The Government wishes to ensure that Parliament's instruction is met with the urgency and transparency that it deserves.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions (a) her ministers and (b) her officials had with Peter Mandelson during his tenure as Ambassador to the United States on the future of the Chagos Archipelago; and what discussions her Department had with Peter Mandelson on the future of the Chagos Archipelago prior to his appointment as Ambassador to the United States.

Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

I refer the Rt. Hon Member to the Government's response to the Urgent Question tabled on 12 February, the Written Ministerial Statement in the name of the Chief Secretary to the Prime Minister that same day, and Oral Statement on the 23 February which set out an update on the Government's process. We will set out further details in due course. The Government wishes to ensure that Parliament’s instruction is met with the urgency and transparency that it deserves.

Found: Sino-British Joint Declaration (JD), Lord Goldsmith clarified in a 2020 letter to then-Home Secretary Priti Patel

Found: Shadow Foreign Secretary Dame Priti Patel has called for the government to be “much more to be proactive