Speeches by Whittingdale.

“Can I just be clear? The Prime Minister had decided that he wished to make a political appointment. Was it you who first said, “Prime Minister, I have the perfect candidate: Peter Mandelson”?”

“Well, that is the alternative: that he did not indicate in writing, but said, “I would like to have a meeting to discuss this.” But if such a meeting took place, there would be a record of it, and no record has been released.”

“When were you first told that it was likely to be a political appointment?”

“You have set out why you think he was well qualified to do the job, but you have also known him for a very long time. You would have also been fully aware of the fact that he had twice had to resign from the Cabinet; that he had business interests with China; that he had a close friendship with Jeffrey Epstein; and tha…”

“I will follow up on one or two of the questions from the Chair. You said that the process had been under way for an internal competition but come the general election it was frozen. Once the new Government had been elected, was the process not then recommenced?”

“Did you express a view as to whether or not developed vetting should take place before an announcement?”

“But in your conversation with the Prime Minister about Peter Mandelson’s relationship with Epstein, was the subject of Mandelson’s staying in Epstein’s flat after the conviction part of the conversation?”

“So the decision was that he required DV. That was your view and it was the view of the Foreign Office security department, yet we know that prior to him obtaining DV clearance, he was given access to information that would usually require DV to have been completed. How did that come about?”

“When you were told that a decision had been reached and it was Peter Mandelson, did you express any concerns about that?”

“So until 15 December you had no information that any discussion had taken place, and certainly that a decision had been reached.”

“The Foreign Office must have been continuing to look at potential candidates to replace Karen Pierce.”

“Can I ask about the two notes that went to the Prime Minister from the private office about the appointment? In each case—they have been released under the Humble Address process—they are completely blank, other than the submission. There is no comment. The Prime Minister has not indicated any view. I have worked in Do…”

“And you missed the operator saying “Stepney Park”.”

“So how did you discover that the Prime Minister had decided to go ahead with Peter Mandelson?”

“On Belgrave Road.”

“Can we take it that your phone would have contained quite a lot of communications, either with Peter Mandelson or about Peter Mandelson’s appointment?”

“You say the Prime Minister had been made aware of the risks, but he had not, because the developed vetting had not been carried out, so all that had taken place was the due diligence. Did you ask whether or not developed vetting had taken place?”

“A meeting took place, which led to the private secretary writing to say that that was the decision. Is there a record of that meeting?”

“So, actually, you believe there is a record of all your communications from that phone, which, if relevant, will be released.”

“But you advised the Prime Minister of that.”