Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what sanctions his Department has to prevent former servicemen and servicewomen from taking on advisory roles with the People's Republic of China.

The Ministry of Defence (MOD) does not track former Armed Forces personnel, where they travel to, or roles they undertake in a private capacity after leaving the Armed Forces. The behaviours and actions of former UK Armed Forces personnel may become of interest to MOD if it is reported that they or their activity poses a threat to National Security.

The MOD would not hesitate to bring criminal charges against any individuals who are in breach of the Official Secrets Act. The Department are looking at options to tighten the contractual obligations of Service leavers and are encouraging the reporting of any recruitment activity that is damaging to National Security.

UK Government roles with access to sensitive information require the postholder to have an appropriate national security vetting clearance, which will consider the applicants' overseas connections. If a significant and unmanageable risk, such as previous concerning foreign connections, is identified this may block people from taking up such roles in future.

The Government's National Security Bill (led by the Home Office) will capture a range of relevant activity and provide additional possible routes to prosecution.