Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions he has had with Cabinet colleagues on preventing interventions by hostile actors on new (a) AI and (b) data centres.

The National Security & Investment Act 2021 gives the government powers to scrutinise and intervene in business transactions, to protect national security. AI and data infrastructure, which includes data centres, are considered sensitive sectors of the economy where this Act applies in certain circumstances. The Act is administered by the Investment Security Unit in Cabinet Office and the decision maker is the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster. It would not be appropriate for me to comment on individual cases.

The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) works with allies to mitigate the risks from AI and maximise its benefits, working with international partners, they have published guidelines for secure AI system development. In September 2024, the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) confirmed its intention to introduce the Cyber Security and Resilience Bill that will strengthen the country's cyber defences.