Oral Answers to Questions

Alistair Carmichael Excerpts
Thursday 18th May 2023

(1 year, 7 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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Alistair Carmichael Portrait Mr Alistair Carmichael (Orkney and Shetland) (LD)
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What are the Government doing to ensure that the genomics data of British businesses held by British genomics companies that then trade or do deals with Chinese companies, such as BGI Genomics, is protected? Is it not somewhat naive, given the terms of the national security law, to think that GDPR alone is sufficient protection?

Nigel Huddleston Portrait Nigel Huddleston
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Through a variety of mechanisms and across multiple Departments, the Government give advice to companies investing overseas. In terms of dynamics the other way around, the Investment Security Unit carefully analyses investment in the UK, particularly relating to acquisitions in 17 sensitive areas. We are very careful at analysing and we will continue to keep a close eye on those two-way relationships.