Asked by: Iain Duncan Smith (Conservative - Chingford and Woodford Green)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether any goodwill payment or any other costs will be paid to the Mauritian Government as a result of the Diego Garcia Bill not having progressed through Parliament.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Costs associated with the Treaty cannot be paid without the relevant legislation being passed.Asked by: Alicia Kearns (Conservative - Rutland and Stamford)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what information she held on the role of her Department in the vetting process for Lord Mandelson when she sent her letter to the Foreign Affairs Committee of 16 September 2025.
Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I refer the Hon Member to the Prime Minister's statement to the House on 20 April and his answers to the questions raised in response, and to the Foreign Secretary's letter to the Foreign Affairs Committee on 18 April, which is available on the Committee's website.
Asked by: Ben Obese-Jecty (Conservative - Huntingdon)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the answer of 11 March 2026 to question 118315 on USA: RAF Akrotiri, what is the scope of the permissions the US have been granted to use RAF Akrotiri.
Answered by Al Carns - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans)
As the Defence Secretary previously stated, the UK has agreed to a US request for permission to use RAF Fairford and Diego Garcia for specific defensive purposes to destroy Iranian missiles and launchers at source.
For operational security reasons, we do not offer comment on information relating to foreign nation’s military operations. Permissions to utilise UK military bases are considered on a case-by-case basis and the decision to grant permission is dependent on the nature and purpose of their activity.
Asked by: Andrew Snowden (Conservative - Fylde)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether Olly Robbins will be granted a period of gardening leave.
Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Government does not comment on the individual terms and conditions of employment or personnel matters relating to individual civil servants.
Asked by: Alex Burghart (Conservative - Brentwood and Ongar)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether Lord Mandelson received and was given Developed Vetting with STRAP clearance.
Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I refer the Hon Member to the Prime Minister's statement to the House on 20 April and his answers to the questions raised in response.
Asked by: Alicia Kearns (Conservative - Rutland and Stamford)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how many currently serving Ambassadors have been appointed despite failing their security vetting.
Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Subject to the normal vetting process, all Heads of Mission are required to have Developed Vetting security clearance.
Asked by: Ben Obese-Jecty (Conservative - Huntingdon)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what level of security clearance was granted to Peter Mandelson prior to his appointment as Ambassador to the United States.
Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I refer the Hon Member to the statement made by the Prime Minister on 20 April, and his answers to the questions raised in response.
Asked by: Anneliese Dodds (Labour (Co-op) - Oxford East)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to help tackle transnational repression in the UK but which relates to other countries by definition.
Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I refer the Rt Hon Member to the answer provided on 11 December 2025 in response to Question 97660.
Asked by: Anneliese Dodds (Labour (Co-op) - Oxford East)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what information is collected by her Department on incidences related to transnational repression.
Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I refer the Rt Hon Member to the answer provided on 11 December 2025 in response to Question 97660.
Asked by: Anneliese Dodds (Labour (Co-op) - Oxford East)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what definition has her Department used to identify instances of transnational repression.
Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I refer the Rt Hon Member to the answer provided on 11 December 2025 in response to Question 97660.