Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she has made an assessment of the potential impact of the proposed Chinese Embassy on cyber security for the BT telephone exchange.

In line with my previous response to UIN 29609 on 12 February 2025, the planning application has been called in by the Secretary of State for the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government and she will make this quasi-judicial decision independent from the rest of Government, and from any form of external interference by any other party.

The Foreign Secretary and Home Secretary submitted written representations to the Planning Inspector on 14 January. That letter is clear that the Home Office has considered the breadth of national security issues associated with the proposed Embassy. It would not be appropriate to comment in detail on specific matters relating to national security.