Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, which regulatory agencies have responsibility for protecting defence-critical processor manufacturers from (a) short-selling attacks by hostile foreign states and (b) short seller campaign groups.

The UK’s Short Selling Regulation (SSR), introduced in 2012, regulates the short selling of shares in companies that are admitted to trading in the UK (and UK sovereign debt), while safeguarding public companies and the financial system. The Government believes that short selling plays an important and beneficial role in the orderly and effective functioning of financial markets, by supporting liquidity and risk management and increasing market confidence. The SSR requires firms to report to the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) on short selling activity and provides the FCA with powers to apply penalties, and to restrict short selling in exceptional circumstances.