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Lord Purvis of Tweed (LD)

Speaking in the House of Lords on 17 December 2024

Debate

United Front Work Department

Contribution

My Lords, both the intelligence services and the courts have decided that the individual in the news recently has acted against “the safety or interests of the United Kingdom”. This is the legal test in Section 66 of the National Security Act 2023, which the Minister’s noble friend Lord Coaker and I and others scrutinised in great detail in this House. Surely the Government will apply this test not on economic grounds but only on the safety and security interests of the United Kingdom. Can the Minister assure me that the timing of any decisions about placing countries on that list will not be affected by the visit of the Chancellor of the Exchequer to Beijing? This is a legislative process, so it is not simply a case of announcing the Government’s view to Parliament. It is for Parliament to legislate, so all information should be provided with regard to those countries. Clearly, China should be part of that. When will we receive the orders for consideration with regard to the enhanced list?
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