Oral QuestionForeign, Commonwealth and Development Office

If she will make a statement on her departmental responsibilities.

Tabled: 15 April 2026Answered: 21 April 2026

Asked by

Robin Swann

Ulster Unionist PartySouth Antrim

Answering Minister

the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs

Answer from Hansard

Yvette Cooper

As the Prime Minister set out yesterday, we believe that Ministers should have been informed that the UK Security Vetting recommendation was against granting developed vetting to Peter Mandelson. That is significant and important information. It should have been disclosed to the Prime Minister at the time, and it should certainly have been disclosed to me at the time when I was answering specific questions from the Select Committee that were particularly about security concerns and what the response had been to them. Again, as the Prime Minister has said, he spoke to Sir Olly before making the decision.