The government has confirmed that Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer will not be able to overrule Parliament’s Intelligence and Security Committee (ISC) on the publication of documents related to Lord Peter Mandelson’s appointment as ambassador to Washington.
Following a meeting on Thursday, the ISC announced that officials had provided "in writing" assurance that the committee holds the final say on which papers are released.
This directive from MPs to release a vast quantity of documents stems from persistent questions surrounding the peer’s vetting process for Mandelson’s appointment in 2024, particularly concerning what was known about his links to convicted paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein.
While some of the thousands of documents are expected to be withheld on grounds of national security or foreign relations, the ultimate decision on specific redactions will rest with the ISC, rather than government ministers.
The ISC confirmed in a statement that its members had met with Cabinet Office officials earlier on Thursday morning.
It said: “Following this morning’s meeting, officials have now confirmed in writing to the Committee that the decision as to whether material referred to the ISC is published is for the Committee alone.
“The Prime Minister – or anyone else in Government – will not be able to overrule the Committee’s decision to publish material that has been referred to it.”
The committee said it is waiting to hear when it will receive the first tranche of documents, how they will be transferred and how many there will be.
The government has also agreed a framework with the Metropolitan Police on which documents can be released without prejudicing the ongoing police investigation, according to the ISC.
Lord Mandelson was arrested on Monday on suspicion of misconduct in public office, having been accused of passing sensitive information on to Epstein during his time as business secretary. He has been bailed until May.
The ISC also said the Government has decided what files are “within scope” of the Conservative-led Commons motion compelling their release and that material from across Government is being gathered by the Cabinet Office.
“It is hoped that some material will be published shortly,” the committee said.
A government spokesperson said: “We are proceeding at pace to publish the first tranche of documents in early March.
“We are working closely with the ISC and have made progress on a number of their requests.
“The Government is very grateful to the committee for their work and commits to full engagement with them to ensure these processes are timely and effective.”
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