Question for Cabinet Office – Surveillance: China

Jim Shannon (DUP): To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether his Department is taking steps with Cabinet colleagues to (a) find and (b) remove Chinese surveillance technology from national security infrastructure. (Asked 16 January 2024).

The UK takes its national security extremely seriously and has taken robust action to secure and protect its national security infrastructure.

Alex Burghart (Parliamentary Secretary, Cabinet Office): Following Royal Assent of the Procurement Act on 26 October 2023 the Government committed to publishing a timeline for the removal of surveillance equipment supplied by companies subject to the National Intelligence Law of China from sensitive sites within six months.

To meet this commitment, the Cabinet Office has been working with departments to identify any such equipment on their sensitive sites, and will publish a timeline for when the removal process will be complete, by 26 April 2024. (Answered 24 January 2024).