2 hours ago
7
Getty
MPs may investigate Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor for his conduct while working as a trade envoy for the UK, the chairman of the cross-party Business and Trade Committee has said.
Speaking to BBC Radio 4's Today programme, Liam Byrne said his committee would meet next Tuesday to decide "how we might or might not take this investigation forward".
The latest files released by the US Department of Justice appear to show the former prince forwarded sensitive government documents and commercial information to the convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Andrew has always denied any wrongdoing.
MPs are taking the allegations "acutely seriously", Byrne said.
"And I can guarantee you that MPs are not in the market for letting anything slip through the cracks," he added.
"My job as the chair is to make sure that the options are on the table in front of them when we consider it next week when Parliament resumes."
The former Duke of York served as a UK trade envoy between 2001 and 2011. In this role he travelled globally and enjoyed privileged access to senior government and business contacts around the world.
In 2010, Andrew appears to have forwarded government reports from visits to Vietnam, Singapore and China to Epstein, according to the recently published files.
Under official guidance, trade envoys have a duty of confidentiality over sensitive, commercial, or political information about their official visits.
Being named in the Epstein files is not an indication of misconduct. Andrew has previously strongly denied any wrongdoing in his associations with Epstein and rejected any suggestion he used his time as trade envoy to further his own interests.
Earlier in February, Thames Valley Police confirmed it was assessing whether there are grounds to investigate a complaint by the anti-monarchy group Republic, which reported Mountbatten-Windsor for suspected misconduct in public office and breach of official secrets.
Byrne said parliamentary recess meant the Business and Trade Committee had not yet had a chance to consider the allegations about Andrew, but added he was working to ensure "the committee's got options in front of them when they meet on Tuesday for how we might or might not take this investigation forward".
He said he couldn't "pre-judge" the committee's decision about whether an investigation was necessary, but added: "At this stage, all I can say is nothing is off the table".
In theory select committees - cross-party groups of MPs covering specific policy areas - have the power to force witnesses to attend a session to answer questions.
However, this does not apply to members of the Royal Family and such an appearance would be unprecedented.
In practice, there are few repercussions if someone does refuse to attend.
Bryne, the MP for Birmingham Hodge Hill and Solihull North, is the latest person to suggest the former Duke of York could face an investigation for his conduct while serving as a UK trade envoy.
Byrne's comments come as the National Police Chiefs' Council (NPCC) announced a new national group has been set up to support UK police forces that are "assessing allegations" following the publication of the Epstein files.
It is understood the national coordination group will bring together affected forces to ensure consistency.
The group is not an investigative team, and each force will remain responsible for any potential offences that occurred within their jurisdiction.
