Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, further to pages 106 and 107 of the 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, Volume 1, HC1774-I, 11 March 2026 and with reference to paragraph 3.1 of her Department's document entitled Guidance on Public Sector Exit Payments, published in November 2025, and Annex A4.13 of her Department's document entitled Managing Public Money, published in June 2025, what discussions she had with the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Developments Affairs on whether the Special Severance Payment was paid to Lord Mandelson because it was (a) exceptional, (b) novel, (c) contentious and (d) repercussive.

The Chancellor did not have any discussions with the Foreign Secretary on this issue.