Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, with reference to page 39 of the Government white paper entitled National Security and Investment, published in June 2018, whether the proposed Government powers will permit the exclusion of a company supplying UK telecoms critical national infrastructure with equipment on national security grounds.

The proposed regime described in the National Security and Investment White Paper will ensure that we have the right powers to protect national security from hostile actors using ownership of, or influence over, businesses and assets to harm the country. The proposed regime is not designed to enable the Government to intervene in existing relationships between suppliers. The Government does however have a comprehensive range of powers to protect national security.

In addition, the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport is leading a cross-government review into the supply chain arrangements for the UK’s telecoms infrastructure. The review will consider the full UK market position, including economic prosperity, corporate and consumer effects, and quality, resilience and security standards of equipment.