Ambassador to the United States

Debate between Stephen Doughty and Nick Timothy
Tuesday 16th September 2025

(2 weeks ago)

Commons Chamber
Read Full debate Read Hansard Text Read Debate Ministerial Extracts
Stephen Doughty Portrait Stephen Doughty
- Hansard - -

I know the right hon. Gentleman makes that point with sincerity, but I will not comment on the national security vetting process. That would not be appropriate or in line with being consistent from Government to Government.

Nick Timothy Portrait Nick Timothy (West Suffolk) (Con)
- Hansard - - - Excerpts

Will the Minister give way?

Stephen Doughty Portrait Stephen Doughty
- Hansard - -

I will not give way; the hon. Gentleman was not here for the debate and he has just popped up now to try to intervene.

National security vetting is a long-standing formal process undertaken by UK Security Vetting on behalf of individual Departments, and it reports back to them. It helps Departments to identify and manage risks where individuals have access to sensitive assets or sites, and there are established processes within national security vetting to consider any security concerns raised and to manage such risks appropriately. Importantly, the national security vetting process is rightly independent of Ministers, who are not informed of any findings other than the final outcome. Exactly the same procedures were followed in this case.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Stephen Doughty and Nick Timothy
Tuesday 26th November 2024

(10 months ago)

Commons Chamber
Read Full debate Read Hansard Text Read Debate Ministerial Extracts
Nick Timothy Portrait Nick Timothy (West Suffolk) (Con)
- View Speech - Hansard - - - Excerpts

It is ridiculous that Britain should even contemplate taking some of the 61 Sri Lankan asylum seekers on Diego Garcia as part of its agreement with Mauritius. There are serious concerns in Whitehall that some of those Sri Lankans have criminal records, and there are allegations that some of them may be involved in child abuse. I have raised this with the Home Office to no avail. Will Ministers in the Foreign Office make sure that all records are checked in Sri Lanka and in Diego Garcia to ensure that no such criminals or abusers are allowed into Britain?

Stephen Doughty Portrait Stephen Doughty
- View Speech - Hansard - -

The Government inherited a situation in the British Indian Ocean Territory involving Tamil migrants from India and Sri Lanka who had arrived there. We are delivering a solution that protects migrants’ welfare but avoids opening a dangerous new migration route. The hon. Gentleman’s concerns regarding safeguarding and any other issues are absolutely at the heart of that and are being dealt with by Home Office and other ministerial colleagues.