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

To ask Her Majesty's Government how many referrals have been called in to date following the implementation of the National Security and Investment Act 2021.

The National Security and Investment Act 2021 commenced on 4 January 2022 and represents the biggest shake-up of the UK’s investment screening regime in 20 years, while keeping the country firmly open for business.

The Act requires the Government to publish an annual report setting out information about the numbers and types of trigger events that it has been notified about and those it subsequently called in for a national security assessment. The first annual report will be published later in 2022, after the conclusion of the financial year.

We have ensured that we have the people, the technology and the processes we need so that the Investment Security Unit is as effective and efficient as possible.