Question follow-through · 119609

Diplomatic Service: Conditions of Employment

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what the Diplomatic Service’s policies are regarding intimate relationships between colleagues; whether (a) junior and (b) senior civil servants are permitted to enter into s

answeredForeign, Commonwealth and Development Office

About this written question

A written question asks a government minister for information in writing. Parliament publishes the question and any answer.

Answering body
Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
Tabled
10 Mar 2026
Target answer date
12 Mar 2026
Answer
16 Mar 2026 · 6 calendar days after tabling

Elapsed calendar days describe the record timeline, not whether Parliament considers an answer on time.

Votes on this topic

These Commons divisions share a topic label. The question did not necessarily lead to a vote.

Recorded timeline

  1. 10 Mar 2026

    Question tabled

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what the Diplomatic Service’s policies are regarding intimate relationships between colleagues; whether (a) junior and (b) senior civil servants are permitted to enter into s

  2. 12 Mar 2026

    Target answer date

    Date supplied by the official written-questions record.

  3. 16 Mar 2026

    Answer published

    All Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office staff are subject to the Civil Service Code. It is for their managers to determine whether an individual's conduct meets, or falls short of, the standards of behaviour and integrity set out in the Code, and...

Open official record

Official data retrieved 28 Sept 2026.

Later records

Possible follow-up questions

Strong links require the same MP, department and exact heading. Other same-department questions are shown as unreviewed candidates, not as confirmed follow-ups. No debate link is asserted unless a stable source relationship exists.

Unreviewed candidateSame MP and department; topic relationship is unreviewed

Lord Mandelson

16 Mar 2026 · To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, further to the Part of a Return to an Address of the Honourable the House of Commons dated 4 February 2026 relating to the appointment of Lord Mandelson as HM Ambassador to W

Unreviewed candidateSame MP and department; topic relationship is unreviewed

Lord Mandelson

16 Mar 2026 · To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether Lord Mandelson was paid for unused annual leave when he left the Civil Service, in addition to the exit payment.

Unreviewed candidateSame MP and department; topic relationship is unreviewed

Lord Mandelson

17 Mar 2026 · To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether Lord Mandelson returned his (a) laptop, (b) iPhone and (c) iPad after he left the (i) Head of Mission role and (ii) civil service.

Unreviewed candidateSame MP and department; topic relationship is unreviewed

Palantir

20 Apr 2026 · To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the answer of 7 November 2025, to Question 86672, on Palantir, whether Officials from the UK Embassy in Washington communicated with Global Counsel over the visit

Unreviewed candidateSame MP and department; topic relationship is unreviewed

Lord Mandelson

20 Apr 2026 · To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether nominated three referees were nominated as part of the vetting process for Lord Mandelson.

Unreviewed candidateSame MP and department; topic relationship is unreviewed

Bangladesh Awami League

1 Jun 2026 · To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether her Department has a policy on engagement with the Awami League.

Unreviewed candidateSame MP and department; topic relationship is unreviewed

Foreign Relations

2 Jun 2026 · To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to the Answer of 28 April 2026 to Question HL16533 on Treaties: Parliamentary Scrutiny, whether any Memorandums of Understanding and other non-legally binding

Unreviewed candidateSame MP and department; topic relationship is unreviewed

British Embassy Washington: Global Counsel

9 Jun 2026 · To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether the British Embassy corresponded with Global Counsel on the Prime Minister's visit to Palantir's headquarters in Washington DC on 27 February 2025.

Unreviewed candidateSame MP and department; topic relationship is unreviewed

Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office

28 Aug 2026 · To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what the percentage of desks provided for staff is as a proportion of the total number of assigned staff in his Department's London headquarters.

Unreviewed candidateSame MP and department; topic relationship is unreviewed

Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office: Senior Civil Servants

28 Aug 2026 · To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how many departmental Senior Civil Service away days have taken place in calendar year 2026 to date; in what specific venues; at what cost; and if there was any associated so

Unreviewed candidateSame MP and department; topic relationship is unreviewed

Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office: Social Media

28 Aug 2026 · To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how much his Department has spent on social media influencers since July 2024.