Speaker passed information to police on Mandelson ahead of arrest

Commons Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle has said he passed on information on Lord Mandelson to the police, appearing to confirm reports he told the Metropolitan Police the peer was a flight risk.

It comes after lawyers for the peer complained about the force's decision to take him into custody on Monday, as part of its probe into misconduct in public office allegations.

Sir Lindsay told MPs he had passed on "relevant" information about the peer in "good faith" and it was "regrettable" it had ended up in the media.

Lord Mandelson's lawyers say he had agreed to an interview next month, and the decision to arrest him was prompted by a "baseless" suggestion he was planning to move abroad.

Making a statement in the Commons, Sir Lindsay did not give any detail of the source of his "information" on Lord Mandelson.

The BBC understands Sir Lindsay passed on information he received in the British Virgin Islands, on a visit last week, that Lord Mandelson was planning to travel there.

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