Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of Chinese influence in UK universities on national security.

The first duty of the government is to keep the country safe, and we will always protect our national security and values. We expect the sector to be alert to a range of risks when collaborating with international partners, and to conduct appropriate due diligence to comply with legislation. There are a set of measures that protect against undue foreign interference in our universities, ranging from the Academic Technology Approval Scheme, which vets students and researchers seeking to study in sensitive areas, to the provisions of the Higher Education Freedom of Speech Act 2023, which offer a focused route for concerns to be escalated, including relating to foreign interference in academic freedom and free speech. In England, providers are also required to have adequate and effective management and governance arrangements and must ensure that decisions are taken without direction, coercion or covert influence.

As a matter of longstanding policy, the department is unable to release information regarding assessments on the grounds of national security. The UK welcomes international partnerships and students, including from China, who make a very positive impact on the UK’s higher education sector, our economy and society as a whole.