Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to the speech by US Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco on disruptive technologies and China’s doctrine of civil-military fusion at Chatham House on 16 February 2023, what discussions he has had with representatives of (a) BGI Group and (b) other business operating in both the UK and China on (i) compliance with UK data protection rules and (ii) the sharing of (A) technology and (B) genetic data with the Chinese government.

We continually monitor threats to our data and will not hesitate to take further action if necessary to protect our national security. We expect all firms to fully comply with UK privacy laws. Businesses which do not may be investigated and subject to enforcement action. We have also strengthened measures to prevent the transfer of assets or technology that could pose national security risks. This includes upgrading our export control regime and Military End Use Control and introducing the National Security and Investment Act.