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Select committee: Foreign Affairs Committee

Work of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office

Open Opened 6 Nov 2024

Foreign Affairs Committee Inquiry on parliament.uk ↗

Inquiry scope (the committee's words)
The Committee periodically questions the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs and the Permanent Under-Secretary, alongside other relevant officials on the overall management of the FCDO, topical or urgent matters and the Committee’s inquiry work.

Where it stands

The inquiry is open, opened 6 November 2024.

The committee has published 1 report, most recently 1st Report - The appointment of Peter Mandelson as British Ambassador to the United States on 9 July 2026.

The government's response

Published 16 October 2026. The deadline was 9 September 2026.

Summary written by Accountability Index from the government's response. It is not the government's own words.

The Government agrees with the Committee on security clearance before appointment and on due diligence processes, notes its recommendations on staff conduct, record-keeping and committee scrutiny, and does not respond on vetting pending the Fulford review.

  • On security clearance, the Government agrees, stating that appointments such as this "would no longer be made or announced" before the appointee has been granted clearance, which for FCDO Heads of Mission "will always be Developed Vetting".
  • On due diligence for direct ministerial appointments, the Government agrees: any proposed name will be shared with the FCDO PUS and the FCDO "will conduct an open-source due diligence exercise" focused on reputational risks.
  • On record-keeping, the Government notes the recommendations. An external review of FCDO knowledge and information management is due to report by the end of September, and the FCDO will update the Committee on its conclusions "in due course".
  • On a Committee veto over political appointees, the Government notes the recommendation but says a veto "would not be appropriate" because it must "take responsibility for the appointment". The FCDO would welcome a conversation on pre-appointment scrutiny.

Read the government's response ↗ Report an error

Reports

All reports

Evidence

  • 11 oral evidence sessionsLatest 14 July 2026
  • 14 witnesses
All evidence

Recent activity

Reports

1 report

Oral evidence sessions

11 sessions

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Date Session and witnesses Source
14 Jul 2026
Oral evidence session
Nick Dyer · Foreign Commonwealth & Development Office, Rt Hon Yvette Cooper · Home Office 		View ↗
28 Apr 2026
Oral evidence session
Morgan McSweeney, Sir Philip Barton GCMG OBE · Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office 		View ↗
23 Apr 2026
Oral evidence session
Catherine Little CB · Cabinet Office 		View ↗
21 Apr 2026
Oral evidence session
Sir Oliver Robbins KCMG CB · Foreign Commonwealth & Development Office 		View ↗
16 Dec 2025
Oral evidence session
Rt Hon Yvette Cooper MP · Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO), Sir Oliver Robbins KCMG CB · Foreign Commonwealth & Development Office 		View ↗
9 Dec 2025
FAC Formal (oral evidence) session
Nick Dyer · Foreign Commonwealth & Development Office, Sir Oliver Robbins KCMG CB · Foreign Commonwealth & Development Office, Tim Jones · Foreign Commonwealth & Development Office 		View ↗
3 Nov 2025
Oral evidence session
Sir Chris Wormald KCB · Cabinet Office, Sir Oliver Robbins KCMG CB · Foreign Commonwealth & Development Office 		View ↗
8 Jul 2025
Foreign Affairs Committee
Sir Oliver Robbins KCMG CB · Foreign Commonwealth & Development Office, The Rt Hon David Lammy MP · Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) 		View ↗
8 Jul 2025
Foreign Affairs Committee
Nick Dyer · Foreign Commonwealth & Development Office, Sir Oliver Robbins KCMG CB · Foreign Commonwealth & Development Office, Tim Jones · Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) 		View ↗
27 Nov 2024
Oral evidence session
Rt Hon David Lammy MP · Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office, Sir Philip Barton KCMG OBE · Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office 		View ↗
18 Nov 2024
Oral evidence session
Corin Robertson · Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office, Sir Philip Barton KCMG OBE · Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office, Tim Jones · Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) 		View ↗

Who gave evidence

14 witnesses

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WitnessOrganisationSessions
Sir Oliver Robbins KCMG CB · Former Permanent Under-Secretary Foreign Commonwealth & Development Office 6
Nick Dyer · Second Permanent Under-Secretary Foreign Commonwealth & Development Office 3
Sir Philip Barton KCMG OBE · Permanent Under-Secretary Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office 2
Tim Jones · Finance Director Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) 2
Catherine Little CB · Chief Operating Officer for the Civil Service and Permanent Secretary to the Cabinet Office Cabinet Office 1
Corin Robertson · Director General, Finance and Corporate Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office 1
Morgan McSweeney Not recorded 1
Rt Hon David Lammy MP · Secretary of State Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office 1
Rt Hon Yvette Cooper · Home Secretary Home Office 1
Rt Hon Yvette Cooper MP · Secretary of State Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) 1
Sir Chris Wormald KCB · Cabinet Secretary and Head of the Civil Service Cabinet Office 1
Sir Philip Barton GCMG OBE · Former Permanent Under-Secretary Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office 1
The Rt Hon David Lammy MP · Secretary of State Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) 1
Tim Jones · Finance Director Foreign Commonwealth & Development Office 1

Correspondence

25 letters

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PublishedDirectionLetter
16 Oct 2026 Not recorded Correspondence from the Chair to the Foreign Secretary relating to pre-appointment hearings for political appointees, dated 15 October 2026
10 Sep 2026 Not recorded Correspondence from the Interim Permanent Under-Secretary following up on the oral evidence session on 14 July 2026, dated 30 July 2026
14 Jul 2026 From committee Letter to the Prime Minister and reply from Minister Malhotra, relating to the publication of the FCDO annual report and accounts 2025 to 2026, dated 09 and 07 July 2026
2 Jun 2026 To committee Response from the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office following the oral evidence session with Cat Little on 23 April 2026, dated 2 June 2026
27 Apr 2026 To committee Letter from the Interim Permanent Under-Secretary at the FCDO, relating to the appointment of Lord Mandelson as Ambassador to the United States, dated 27 April 2026
25 Apr 2026 From committee Letter to the Interim Permanent Under-Secretary relating to the appointment of Lord Mandelson as Ambassador to the United States, dated 25 April 2026
24 Apr 2026 From committee Letter to the Foreign Secretary relating to the appointment of Lord Mandelson as Ambassador to the United States, dated 24 April 2026
21 Apr 2026 To committee Letter from Sir Oliver Robbins KCMG CB, relating to the appointment of Lord Mandelson as Ambassador to the United States, dated 21 April 2026
18 Apr 2026 To committee Letter from the Foreign Secretary, relating to the appointment of Lord Mandelson as Ambassador to the United States, dated 18 April 2026
17 Apr 2026 From committee Letter to Sir Oliver Robbins KCMG CB, relating to the appointment of Lord Mandelson as Ambassador to the United States, dated 17 April 2026
25 Mar 2026 Not recorded Correspondence from the Foreign Secretary relating to Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) priorities, dated 23 March 2026
19 Mar 2026 To committee Letter from the Minister for International Development and Africa relating to FCDO’s multi‑year Official Development Assistance (ODA) allocations, 19 March 2026
25 Feb 2026 Not recorded Correspondence with the Foreign Secretary following up on the oral evidence session on 16 December 2025, dated 12 February 2026 and 17 December 2025
20 Jan 2026 Not recorded Correspondence with the Permanent Under-Secretary at the FCDO, relating to the FCDO budget, dated 16 January and 17 December
13 Jan 2026 Not recorded Correspondence from the Foreign Secretary, relating to the proceeds from the sale of Chelsea Football Club, dated 7 January
17 Dec 2025 From committee Letter to the Foreign Secretary, relating to the British Council, dated 9 December 2025
17 Dec 2025 Not recorded Correspondence with the Permanent Under-Secretary, FCDO, relating to the Annual Report and Accounts evidence session, dated 12 and 10 December 2025
11 Dec 2025 Not recorded Correspondence with the Permanent Under-Secretary at the FCDO, relating to the work of the FCDO, dated 27 and 21 November
18 Nov 2025 Not recorded Correspondence from the Permanent Under-Secretary following up on the oral evidence session on 03 November 2025, dated 11 November 2025
18 Nov 2025 Not recorded Correspondence from the Cabinet Secretary following up on the oral evidence session on 03 November 2025, dated 11 November 2025
3 Nov 2025 To committee Letter from the Permanent Under-Secretary relating to Direct Ministerial Appointments, dated 30.10.25
16 Sep 2025 To committee Letter from the Foreign Secretary relating to the appointment of former HM Ambassador to Washington, dated 16.09.25
12 Sep 2025 From committee Letter to the Foreign Secretary, relating to the appointment of HM Ambassador to Washington, dated 12.09.25
31 Jul 2025 Not recorded Correspondence from the Foreign Secretary following up on the oral evidence session on Tuesday 8 July 2025, dated 28.07.2025
27 Nov 2024 Not recorded Correspondence with the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State relating to the 'Work of the FCDO' evidence session on the 18th November, dated 25/11/24 and 19/11/24