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Boris Johnson faces backlash from Tory MPs over plan to give Huawei role in building 5G network – live news Boris Johnson faces backlash from Tory MPs over plan to give Huawei role in building 5G network – live news
(32 minutes later)
Rolling coverage of the day’s political developments as they happenRolling coverage of the day’s political developments as they happen
During work and pensions questions earlier Thérèse Coffey, the work and pensions secretary, said the government would continue with the so-called bedroom tax, the policy that reduces housing benefit payments for claimants with spare room.
In response to a question from the SNP’s Martyn Day, who said the Scottish government was spending £50m a year reversing the impact of the policy in Scotland, she said the policy was an “important part” of changes in housing policy in order to tackle homelessness. She went on: “I absolutely think that we will continue with that policy.”
The Lib Dem MP Sarah Olney is now asking an urgent question about the police use of live facial recognition technology.
Kit Malthouse, the Home Office minister, says the use of this technology, which involves looking for particular suspects, mirrors the use of existing police techniques (such as the use of “spotters” in crowds). He says when the police use this technology, they have to follow certain rules. They are looking for people on watch lists. He says data about people not on these list is not kept. And he says the police need his permission to use this technology.
Olney says 93% of matches using this technology have been shown to be wrong. And he says the technology is more likely to make mistakes with women or minority ethnic people. She asks what ministers are doing to address these concerns.
Malthouse is responding to Olney. He says the Metropolitan police has not found a disproportionality problem with this technology. Many democratic institutions are looking at this issue, he says. And he says the Met will be publishing information about when this is used, and what their success rate is.
Tim Loughton, a Conservative, asks what is the downside of shopping around for a low-risk vendor from a country that could be called an ally.
Warman says there are not as many vendors of this kit as we would like.
But he says Loughton is right to say the long-term consequences must be considered.
Andrew Bridgen, a Tory, says however cheap the Huawei technology is, that would not be worth jeopardising the UK’s place in the five eyes intelligence network.
Warman says these intelligence considerations will be at the top of the list of priorities when this decision is being taken.
Labour’s Geraint Davies says it does not seem right to be important technology used for mass control in China.
Damian Green, the Conservative former first secretary of state, asks if the UK still has the capacity to provide large chunks of its own telecoms infrastructure.
Warman says it is important that the UK has this capacity. The government is investing to improve it, he says.
The SNP’s Martin Docherty-Hughes says this session is like an unofficial hustings for the chairmanship of the foreign affairs committee.
Crispin Blunt, Bob Seely and Tom Tugendhat are all standing for the post. The election is on Wednesday.
Damian Collins, the Tory MP who chaired the culture committee in the last parliament, asks why Huawei is being considered for 5G when there are concerns about the work it has already done on 4G.Damian Collins, the Tory MP who chaired the culture committee in the last parliament, asks why Huawei is being considered for 5G when there are concerns about the work it has already done on 4G.
Warman says these are issues that will be taken into account.Warman says these are issues that will be taken into account.
Labour’s Chris Bryant says Huawei has been engaged in state sponsored espionage. He says it would not be an appropriate partner.Labour’s Chris Bryant says Huawei has been engaged in state sponsored espionage. He says it would not be an appropriate partner.
Warman says the government is aware of these concerns.Warman says the government is aware of these concerns.
Owen Paterson, the former Tory cabinet government, says he finds this decision extraordinary. He asks why the government is considering taking this risk.Owen Paterson, the former Tory cabinet government, says he finds this decision extraordinary. He asks why the government is considering taking this risk.
This is from Nick Timothy, who was co-chief of staff to Theresa May when she was home secretary and when she was PM until the 2017 general election.This is from Nick Timothy, who was co-chief of staff to Theresa May when she was home secretary and when she was PM until the 2017 general election.
Most of the Tory MPs who have spoken out against Huawei so far are already on the record as being opposed to the prospect of Huawei playing a role in building the UK’s 5G network. But the strength of feeling on this issue is still striking. It is the first time since the election that Boris Johnson has faced any proper opposition from Tory MPs in the Commons on a matter of policy.
Jeremy Wright, the former Tory culture secretary, asks for an assurance that any decision taken by the government will be in accordance with advice from the intelligence agencies.
Warman says he can give this assurance.
Bob Seely, another Conservative, says whoever controls 5G will control significantly our rule of law, our data privacy, and our ability to protect our allies.
Sir Iain Duncan Smith, the former Tory leader and former work and pensions secretary, says the UK is effectively involved in a cyber war with China. He says the idea of giving Huawei a role in the 5G network is “bizarre”.
He also says he was told Boris Johnson would not let Huawei play a role in constructing 5G.
Kevan Jones, a Labour former defence minister, says from the briefings he has had, he thinks any risk posed by Huawei could be mitigated.
Crispin Blunt, the former Conservative chair of the foreign affairs committee, says the US position “thinly disguises” a protectionist position. Unless the US can prove that its security concerns are valid, the government should ignore them, he says.
The SNP’s John Nicolson asks if Huawei is really the only firm that could produce this infrastructure.
Warman says Huawei is not the only company in this market. There are other providers too, he says.
Julian Lewis, the former Tory chair of the Commons defence committee, says the intelligence and security committee report should investigate this. He says the ISC published a report on this in 2013. Most of what it said was not made public on security grounds, he says.
Warman says the government would cooperate with any ISC inquiry.
Tracy Brabin, the shadow culture secretary, says she is deeply dismayed that the PM is not making a statement on this. She says she agrees with Keir Starmer about how the PM is “doing a runner”.
She says, if Huawei is limited to non-core parts of the network, how will that be enforced?
Warman says the PM will, of course, take responsibility for the decisions he takes.
Tom Tugendhat, the Conservative MP, is responding now.
He says there is a risk that this decision could “nest a dragon” within the UK’s telecoms infrastructure.
He says any decision taken on this tomorrow will affect the UK for years to come.
He says Vietnam has rejected Huawei. The Czech government has rejected Huawei. He says Germany is taking a decision today.
He says ministers should understand the concerns MPs feel about this.
He says allowing Huawei to play a role in 5G would amount to letting “the fox into the henhouse”.
Warman says this decision will not be taken lightly.