Last year, government departments were told to stop installing cameras made in China in sensitive buildings. It has now announced plans to strengthen the Procurement Bill, which lays out the rules that central government departments use when selecting suppliers.
This includes establishing a National Security Unit for Procurement which will investigate suppliers who may pose a risk to national security, and assess whether companies should be barred from public procurements.
The Cabinet Office said it would publish a timeline for the removal of surveillance equipment produced by companies subject to China’s National Intelligence Law from sensitive central government sites.
In the last year, it halted the installation of such equipment on sensitive government sites and asked departments to consider their removal.
“By publicly committing to this timeline, we are providing reassurance and urgency around the removal plans,” it said
In 2020, a decision was made...