I am updating the House on the Government’s work to comply with the Humble Address relating to Andrew Mountbatten‑Windsor, approved on 24 February 2026, and on the steps being taken to identify and prepare the relevant material.

The Department for Business and Trade is leading the Government’s response. We are committed to complying fully with Parliament’s request while avoiding the publication of information that could prejudice the live Thames Valley Police investigation into Mr. Mountbatten‑Windsor’s conduct in public office. A dedicated team has been established to coordinate this work across the Department and Whitehall.

From 1976 to 2001 the Duke of Kent served as Vice-Chairman of the British Overseas Trade Board and later British Trade International. In this role he was part of the senior leadership of the UK’s official trade‑promotion body and conducted more than 60 overseas visits to promote trade. Initial searches confirm that it was agreed that Mr. Mountbatten‑Windsor, on retiring from the Navy, would continue to support the late Queen in her duties and take on a specific role created for him reflecting the Royal Family’s long-standing involvement in trade promotion. The role was unpaid, but British Trade International paid for his travel and related expenses. Mr. Mountbatten-Windsor did not take over the Duke of Kent’s Board role.

We have begun searching historic Departmental records and have commissioned parallel searches in other Departments, in particular the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office and the Cabinet Office. We have established a process with the Cabinet Office and Thames Valley Police to ensure that any material released does not prejudice the police investigation.

Mr. Mountbatten‑Windsor took up his role as Special Representative for Trade and Investment in October 2001. At that time, Government work on exports and investment was led by British Trade International, reporting jointly to the Department for Trade and Industry and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. The records from this period are largely paper‑based. Subsequent machinery‑of‑government changes — including the formation of UK Trade & Investment in 2003, its merger into the Department for International Trade in 2016, and the creation of the Department for Business and Trade in 2023 — mean that relevant records span multiple legacy bodies and formats. We are working through these complexities in order to comply with the Humble Address.

I understand and share colleagues’ desire for relevant information to be provided to Parliament as quickly as possible. I will continue to keep the House updated on progress.

https://www.theyworkforyou.com/wms/?id=2026-03-24.hcws1439.0