Senior minister defends decision to withhold some Mandelson files

"Darren Jones, the chief secretary to the prime minister, told the Commons on Tuesday there were good reasons not to disclose certain information, adding that the next tranche of documents would not be published until next month. The intelligence and security committee (ISC), which is overseeing the process of releasing the documents, published a statement on Friday accusing the government of redacting and withholding documents against the wishes of parliament. However, Jones said on Tuesday that ministers were within their rights to do so, as the scandal surrounding the appointment continues to dog the government."

"The minister told MPs: I am sure members across the house will recognise there is no public interest in the government publishing the names and contact details of junior officials or their telephone numbers. He added: The raw data that is collected as part of those investigations which, for example, might relate to how much money you have in a particular account or who you may have had a personal relationship with in the past that raw data would never be published because if we did so, people would feel unable to answer those questions honestly and frankly in any UK security vetting investigation in the future, which would undermine the very basis of our national security system."

"He said the next set of documents, which are understood to run to thousands of pages, would not be published until June. And he refused to confirm that they would be released before the crucial Makerfield byelection likely to be on 18 June. After weeks of criticism over the Mandelson appointment, MPs voted earlier this year to force the government to publish all documents related to that decision, albeit with redactions for"

A senior minister defended withholding information about Peter Mandelson’s appointment as Washington ambassador from a parliamentary committee. The chief secretary to the prime minister said there were good reasons not to disclose certain details and that the next tranche of documents would be published next month. The intelligence and security committee accused the government of redacting and withholding documents against parliament’s wishes. The minister argued ministers were within their rights and said publishing names, contact details, and telephone numbers of junior officials would not serve the public interest. He also said raw investigation data, including financial and personal relationship details, would not be released because it would discourage honest answers in future UK security vetting, undermining national security. The next documents were described as thousands of pages and were scheduled for June, with no confirmation of timing before a byelection.

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