Facebook’s founder and CEO, Mark Zuckerberg, will not appear to give evidence in front of a British parliamentary inquiry into fake news. Facebook has instead offered one of the company’s other directors as a stand in.

In a letter to Damian Collins, the chair of the digital, culture, media and sport select committee, Rebecca Stimson, Facebook’s head of public policy, said the company is putting forward its chief technology officer, Mike Schroepfer, or its chief product officer, Chris Cox, despite the MPs requesting Mr Zuckerberg himself.

The Guardian reports that Ms Stimson said both individuals “report directly to Mr Zuckerberg and are among the longest-serving senior representatives in Facebook’s 15-year history. Both of them have extensive expertise in these issues and are well placed to answer the committee’s questions on these complex subjects.”

Collins said the committee would be happy to have Cox give evidence, but it would still like Zuckerberg to appear. Helpfully the committee has suggested it would gladly have Zuckerberg appear via video link, if appearing in person was problematic.

Mr Collins said: “We believe, given the serious nature of the allegations that have been made around the access and use of Facebook user data, that it is appropriate that Mark Zuckerberg should give evidence to the committee.

“We will seek to clarify from Facebook whether he is available to give evidence or not, because that wasn’t clear from our correspondence. If he is available to give evidence then we would be happy to do that either in person or by video link, if that would be more convenient for him.”

We await Mr Zuckerberg’s response with baited breath.