Dan Jarvis

Before I begin, let me say that my thoughts and condolences—and, I am sure, those of the whole House—are with those who were injured and killed in the horrific attack in Poland on Saturday. I thank the right hon. Member for Chingford and Woodford Green (Sir Iain Duncan Smith) for his question, and for the opportunity to respond to it today. While I appreciate that there has understandably been significant personal interest in Daily Mail reporting about alleged activity that took place between 2018 and 2023, hon. Members will recognise that I am rightly limited in what I can say in relation to intelligence matters. I can say that there is an ongoing FBI investigation, as well as a live Interpol arrest warrant, but it would not be appropriate for me or any member of this Government to comment on the specific allegations that have been made. We must not risk prejudicing a live national security investigation. What I can also say is that this Government, and I personally, take the safety and security of Members of both Houses extremely seriously, and I understand the concerns that have been raised. For that reason, I have ensured that my officials are available to meet any right hon. or hon. Member affected by this issue. Earlier this year, alongside the director general of MI5, I held a cross-party meeting with representatives of political parties to highlight the threat of political interference and the guidance and support that is available. This includes advice provided by the National Cyber Security Centre and the National Protective Security Authority setting out a range of measures that Members of both Houses and their offices can take to protect themselves, their data and their devices from a range of different threats, including espionage. Transnational repression, espionage and political interference will never be tolerated, and anyone responsible for conducting it will face the full force of the law. This Government have brought forward robust measures to defend our country and our democracy from state-backed threats, including from China. That includes launching the political interference and espionage action plan, running training for frontline police officers to better spot, understand and respond to state threat activity, and investing an extra £600 million in our intelligence services to increase their ability to detect and disrupt state threats. We do all of that, and much more besides, because national security is our first duty and because we will never tolerate attempts to undermine the security of our nation or of those who serve, whether in this place or in any other part of our democracy.