Senior minister defends decision to withhold some Mandelson files | Peter Mandelson
A senior minister has defended the government’s decision to withhold information about Peter Mandelson’s appointment as ambassador to Washington from a powerful parliamentary committee.
The Prime Minister’s chief secretary, Darren Jones, told the House of Commons on Tuesday there were good reasons not to disclose certain information, adding that the next tranche of documents would not be released until next month.
The intelligence and security committee (ISC), which oversees the release of the documents, issued a statement on Friday accusing the government of editing and storing the documents against the wishes of parliament.
But Jones said on Tuesday ministers had the right to do so because the scandal over the appointment was dogging the government.
The minister told MPs: “I’m sure members of parliament will understand that it is not in the public interest for the government to publish the names and contact details or telephone numbers of lower-level officials.
He added: “The raw data collected as part of these investigations (for example, it could be about how much money you have in a particular account or who you have had a personal relationship with in the past), that raw data will never be published because if we do that, people will feel unable to answer those questions honestly and openly in any security investigations in the UK in the future, which will undermine the very foundations of our national security system.”
He said the next batch of documents, which appear to run into thousands of pages, will not be released until June. And he refused to confirm they would be released before the crucial Makerfield by-election, likely to be held on June 18.
After weeks of criticism over Mandelson’s appointment, MPs voted earlier this year to force the government to release all documents related to that decision, albeit with redactions related to national security and international relations. Under pressure from MPs on all sides, the government agreed that these corrections would need to be approved by the ISC.
But the committee’s unusually critical statement on Friday accused ministers of failing to comply with the terms of that vote.
Members highlighted decisions to redact personal information such as ministers’ email addresses and phone numbers, as well as to preserve Mandelson’s entire review dossier, including his responses in interviews with review officials.
They said in a statement Tuesday that their concerns were less about seeing highly personal information like Mandelson’s interviews and more about whether due process was followed.
Member Kevan Jones, who chairs the committee, said: “This is not a cover-up; this is about ensuring that when the documents are presented to parliament, parliament and the public know what has been redacted and the reasons why.”
Conservative MP Jeremy Wright, who is also a member, told the House of Commons he had “considerable sympathy” with the fixes the government was trying to make. But he added: “We cannot accept the government’s right to ignore or unilaterally change the terms of this modest conversation.”
Other MPs were more critical. Emily Thornberry, Labor chair of the foreign affairs select committee, said: “I believe the ISC should be allowed to look at this issue, with appropriate amendments. [the vetting] file to understand why mitigations might be implemented to keep us safe.”
Shadow minister Neil O’Brien said: “To say that the Government has applied redactions to documents sent to the ISC beyond the scope agreed by the House, and also withheld documents from the ISC entirely, is an extremely serious matter that completely undermines what this House has agreed.”
