Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the written answer by Viscount Younger of Leckie of 18 March (HL2228), whether Foreign and Commonwealth Office ministers or their special advisers were aware of the involvement of Quintessentially in the 2016 competitive tender exercise managed by UK Shared Business Services prior to the awarding of the contract.

The FCO awards and manages its Commercial Contracts in accordance with Government Commercial Function best practice and regularly assesses the maturity of our Commercial operations against the Commercial Operating Standards. This contract is held by the Department For International Trade (DIT).