Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what risk assessment they have conducted of students from China undertaking research in universities which are carrying out research connected with (1) critical infrastructure, and (2) national security, particularly in relation to (a) cyber technology, (b) artificial intelligence, (c) nuclear capability, (d) automation, (e) telecommunications and material sciences, and (f) weapons development; and what conclusions they have drawn.

Her Majesty’s Government welcomes all international students to UK universities, including those from China. We have taken robust measures to ensure that the university sector is protected from miss-appropriation of research relating to the areas listed. Measures include the Academic Technology Approval Scheme, which vets postgraduate students seeking to study proliferation sensitive courses, and outreach activity through the “Trusted Research” campaign. We continuously review measures that protect national security to ensure they remain effective.