Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether he has had recent discussions with the Chair of the Intelligence and Security Committee on implementing the Committee's recommendations in its report entitled China, published on 13 July 2023.

The government’s approach to China is guided by three pillars: strengthening our national security protections, aligning and cooperating with our partners, and engaging where it is consistent with our interest. Recent steps to strengthen our national security protections include: scrutiny of foreign investment in the UK under the National Security and Investment Act and passing the National Security Act, which overhauls the United Kingdom’s espionage laws.

The government greatly values the independent oversight provided by the Intelligence and Security Committee (ISC). The Cabinet Office regularly engages with the Committee to support their oversight, including on China, and to provide updates on our response to policy recommendations found in a wide range of ISC reports.

The steps the government has taken to implement recommendations in the China report can be found in the Government Response to the Intelligence and Security Committee of Parliament Report ‘China’: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/government-response-to-the-isc-china-report