The Government has said it will publish the first set of Mandelson file documents around February 23, days before the Gorton and Denton by-election. 

In a statement this afternoon, Cabinet Office Secretary Darren Jones said that while the government is still combing through the huge quantity of documents it has been ordered to publish, many will emerge when Parliament returns from its imminent recess. 

Mr Jones said: "Government Departments have been instructed to retain any material which may be relevant, and work is now underway to identify which documents fall in scope of the motion.

"We will publish a first set of documents as soon as possible after the House returns from recess."

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