Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Chapman of Darlington on 6 July (HL1195), regarding the award conferred on the UK Ambassador to Bahrain on 21 June, why they did not state whether the Kingdom of Bahrain sought prior permission from the Honours Secretariat, given the precedent set out in the Written Answer by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon on 29 December 2023 (HL1188); whether such permission was sought and, if so, on what date; and whether the Ambassador received prior communication regarding the award and, if so, on what date(s) that communication was reported to the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office or the Honours Secretariat.

Before the award was conferred, the Ambassador informed the Bahraini authorities that he could not accept it under UK policy. The Government of Bahrain did not seek the required Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) permission, and the Ambassador's handling was consistent with the advice provided by the FCDO.