00:00Mr. Speaker, where there are individuals who pose a threat to our national security, we
00:05are absolutely committed to using the full range of powers available to disrupt them.
00:12Where we encounter foreign interference or espionage, whether this stems from the United
00:17Front Work Department or any other state-linked actor, we will be swift in using all available
00:25tools, including prosecutions, exclusions, sanctions and diplomacy, in order to keep
00:33our country safe.
00:34Given the potential for further litigation, it would not be appropriate for me to say
00:39any more, but it is important to recognise that this case does not exist in a vacuum.
00:45As the Director-General of MI5 made clear in October, we are in the most complex threat
00:51environment he has ever seen.
00:55Alongside the threat from terrorism, we face ongoing efforts by a number of states, including
01:00China, Russia and Iran, to harm the UK's security.
01:06Our response is amongst the most robust and sophisticated anywhere in the world.
01:12The National Security Act of 2023, which was supported by Members on all sides of the House
01:18and which strengthened our powers to protect the UK, is central to our protection against
01:24those states that seek to conduct hostile acts.
01:28To date, there have been six individuals charged under this new Act, and the Government have
01:34been working hard on the roll-out of a crucial part of the National Security Act—the Foreign
01:40Influence Registration Scheme, or FIRS.
01:44However, the breadth of the threats we face from foreign states are pernicious and complex,
01:51and the work of our intelligence agencies is unrivalled in mitigating them.
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