Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) news story entitled ZTE: NCSC advice to select telecommunications operators with national security concerns, published on 16 April 2018, what formal meetings were held between (a) NCSC, GCHQ and the Cabinet Office and (b) UK telecommunications operators on the perceived risk to national security posed by ZTE technology (i) before and (ii) after NCSC’s letter on ZTE dated 13 April 2018.

The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) was created in 2016 as part of the Government's five-year National Cyber Security Strategy. The NCSC was set up to help protect our critical services from cyber attacks, manage major incidents, develop cyber skills and technology, and provide advice to citizens and organisations.

The NCSC provides expert advice to the critical infrastructure sectors, including the telecoms sector, based on its unique knowledge and experience. DCMS, Cabinet Office and the NCSC have an ongoing dialogue with telecommunications operators including ZTE. The Government maintains the confidentiality of the discussions leading to national security advice including the ZTE letter dated 13 April 2018.