Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment his Department has made of the potential military and dual-use implications of Chinese investment in UK critical infrastructure.

The UK welcomes foreign investment. The National Security and Investment Act 2021 (NSIA) provides the UK Government robust powers to scrutinise and, if necessary, intervene in acquisitions or investment that may pose a risk to national security. This legislation is country agnostic and operated by the Investment Security Unit (ISU) in the Cabinet Office. Defence, alongside other Government Departments, works closely with the ISU, which has the cross-Government lead for advising on the national security implications of foreign investment.