DODGY business deals with national security concerns will now be probed at the heart of government under a shake-up to protect Britain’s key industries.
Rishi Sunak has shunted responsibility for vetting crucial investment decisions – like keeping China out of our systems – from the Business Department to the Cabinet Office.
Rishi Sunak has moved the responsibility of vetting business deals with national security concerns to the Cabinet Office
It means top Minister Oliver Dowden, a close ally of the PM, will get the final say-so on whether controversial projects can happen on UK soil.
A Whitehall source said: “The Business Department were caught napping one too many times, so now key decisions will be made at the very centre of government.”
New powers let Ministers block deals involving strategic assets on national security grounds.
Last year the Government finally kiboshed the sale of the Newport Wafer Fab semiconductor plant to Chinese-owned Nexperia after months of wrangling.
And tech giant Huawei has been banned from the UK’s 5G mobile network for fear Beijing could spy on our systems.
