China: Breach of UK Parliamentarians’ Data

Lord Fox Excerpts

Thursday 12th November 2026 Lords Chamber

[The Minister of State, Home Office (Lord Hanson of Flint) (Lab)]

I always try to be helpful to the noble Lord, and I will try to be helpful today. He will know that there is an ongoing FBI investigation into this matter. There is an outstanding Interpol warrant for arrest. The Government will not comment for security reasons on what they knew and when, because it is an ongoing investigation that requires co-operation and discussion and I cannot relate to it in this House. He will also know that my right honourable friend the Member for Barnsley North, who is the Security Minister, indicated in response to questions in the other place that he was happy to arrange for confidential briefings to take place with relevant Members. Obviously, the security of Members is a matter for both Houses and we will co-operate on ensuring that Members are apprised of those security issues. I cannot add any more to that, but I hope that will help him. I will, as ever, if the opportunity arises, give him further briefings outside the Chamber should he so wish.

[Lord Fox (LD)]

My Lords, taking the Minister at his word when he says that he cannot give any more details, although I am sure others will try to extract them, I will broaden the question out slightly. In fact, it counterpoints some of the answers that we heard to the previous Question. The recent Commons Business, Innovation, Science and Trade Select Committee on China/UK economic relations, while being a different department from the Minister’s, struck on some very apposite issues. It highlighted the Government’s current case-by-case approach to decision-making—quite the opposite of what the Minister was talking about just now—and calls for a framework for a risk-management relationship with China. If we had such a framework, decisions such as the one we are talking about today, decisions that businesses make, decisions that universities make and decisions that the Civil Service makes will be within a structure. Can the Minister undertake to talk to colleagues to deliver such an explicit framework?

[Lord Hanson of Flint (Lab)]

The Government do have a consistent China policy across the board. We engage with China on security issues when we have to. We are very cognisant of the fact that China poses significant threats to the United Kingdom. But again, as my noble friend Lady Winterton mentioned during Question Time today, we are a major trading partner with China, with both inward and outward investment. It is important that we continue to engage with the Chinese Government and with Chinese businesses on those matters, but we are cognisant of the fact that we have to be aware of potential threats and challenges. That is not an inconsistent policy and I hope it will be reflected across government.