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

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what security assessments his Department has made since the acquisition of a majority stake in the National Grid by the consortium comprising the Qatar Investment Authority and others.

As my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister and my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy have made clear, the UK is, and will remain, one of the most open economies in the world, including to foreign direct investment. We will also ensure that any investment serves the national interest. This deal, which involves a crucial part of the UK’s critical infrastructure, was no different. While national security considerations do not allow us to comment on the specific assessments we undertake, we continue to work collaboratively to understand and respond to all threats and hazards in the energy sector. This includes work across Government and with our agencies to understand the risk profiles, regular engagement with industry to develop mitigation strategies and ensuring that we have the knowledge and robust procedures in place to respond to challenges as they arise.