Asked by: Liam Byrne (Labour - Birmingham Hodge Hill and Solihull North)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to the written statement entitled Cabinet Committees, published on 10 October 2024, HCWS118, for what reason the Secretary of State for Business and Trade is no longer a permanent member of the National Security Council.
Answered by Abena Oppong-Asare
The National Security Council is a Cabinet Committee, membership of Cabinet Committees is decided by the Prime Minister. Cabinet committees have a standing membership, however other Ministers will be invited according to the agenda.
Asked by: Liam Byrne (Labour - Birmingham Hodge Hill and Solihull North)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to the written statement entitled Cabinet Committees, published on 10 October 2024, HCWS118, for what reason the National Security Council Economic Security sub-committee has been abolished; and what steps are being taken to co-ordinate economic security policy.
Answered by Abena Oppong-Asare
The body referred to in the Rt Hon. Members' question was one of a number of sub-Committees of the National Security Council (NSC). Since July 2024 the National Security Council itself considers economic security, as part of its broader strategic approach to national security including foreign policy, resilience, international relations, economic security, trade, development, defence and global issues.
Economic security is a priority for this Government, and we have taken a number of steps to coordinate economic security policy through the NSC and by embedding economic security into the Government’s Industrial Strategy to support long-term stability. Economic Security is a core concern of the Growth Mission Board and our work with international partners.
Asked by: Liam Byrne (Labour - Birmingham Hodge Hill and Solihull North)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what (a) policy reviews, (b) new and revised strategies, (c) green papers and (d) white papers relating to the policy areas covered in the (i) The Integrated Review 2021, published on 16 March 2021, and (ii) Integrated Review Refresh 2023, published on 13 March 2023, each Department is working on.
Answered by Abena Oppong-Asare
The government has launched a number of reviews and strategies relating to policy areas covered in the Integrated Review (2021) and Integrated Review Refresh (2023). These include but are not limited to:
Strategic Defence Review - Ministry of Defence
AUKUS Review - Ministry of Defence
China Audit - Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
Global Impact Review - Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
Economic Diplomacy Review - Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
International Development Review - Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
Resilience Review - Cabinet Office
Trade Strategy - Department for Business and Trade
Industrial Strategy - Department for Business and Trade
Asked by: Liam Byrne (Labour - Birmingham Hodge Hill and Solihull North)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to the G7 Japan 2023 Foreign Ministers’ Communiqué, published on 18 April 2023, whether the Government plans to take steps to align the UK's investment screening regime with that of the US as set out in the Presidential Executive Order of 15 September 2022 on Ensuring Robust Consideration of Evolving National Security Risks by the Committee on Foreign Investment.
Answered by Nusrat Ghani
The Government is committed to ensuring that the UK’s National Security and Investment (NSI) regime stays up to date with the evolving global security context. We have recently launched a Call for Evidence, seeking views on how the NSI system can be even more business friendly while maintaining and refining essential national security protections.
The UK works closely with a range of international partners in this area, including members of the G7. However, decisions made under the NSI Act are based on UK national security considerations, and the scope of the Act itself is carefully tailored to the needs of the UK.
Asked by: Liam Byrne (Labour - Birmingham Hodge Hill and Solihull North)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will (a) list the spending programmes his Department devolves for administration to local government in England and other local spending bodies and (b) specify the value for each programme for every year for which budgets are agreed.
Answered by Michael Ellis
The Cabinet Office did not devolve any spending programmes for administration to local government in England and other local spending bodies in financial year 2021/22.