Huawei: Decision on involvement in 5G network delayed until after election

Review was due to conclude in autumn, but minister confirms hot potato to be passed to new government

There are arguments in favour of giving Huawei the OK to help build 5G (AFP/Getty)

The Government’s decision on the controversial involvement of Chinese telecoms giant Huawei in the UK’s 5G network has been put off until after the 12 December general election.

A decision on the highly contentious issue was expected in the autumn, but culture secretary Nicky Morgan has now confirmed it is being delayed.

Senior MP Tom Tugendhat, the chair of the House of Commons Foreign Affairs Committee, welcomed the fact that a decision that could “nest a hostile state’s technology deep in the central nervous system of the UK communications network” would not be rushed through while parliament was dissolved for the poll.

Leaks from the National Security Council earlier this year suggested that former prime minister Theresa May was ready to green-light Huawei involvement in “non-core” elements of the hi-tech telecoms network such as antennae, despite US concerns over the company’s links with the authorities in Beijing.

But a review was launched after the US government put Huawei on a blacklist and warned the UK’s intelligence sharing relationship will be harmed if the company is granted access to its networks, because of fears of potential spying.

In a letter to the Foreign Affairs Committee, Ms Morgan said: “The government was not in a position to make final decisions in relation to high-risk vendors when the Telecoms Supply Chain Review was published in July.

“This was due to the market uncertainty caused by US action to place Huawei on its Entity List for restricted trading on national security grounds.

“These are significant decisions that will have lasting implications for our telecoms critical national infrastructure.

“While it was this government’s intention to conclude this aspect of the review in the autumn, the general election timetable and pre-election period mean that this will not now be possible.

“The decision will, therefore, be for the next government. I would expect that a future government would wish to inform parliament of its decision, once made, at the appropriate time.”

The delay means Ms Morgan will not be involved in the final decision, as she is stepping down as an MP at the election.

Nicky Morgan, Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (Getty)

Mr Tugendhat said: “The Foreign Affairs Committee has been investigating the way the autocratic states intervene in democracies. Many members have been concerned about the Chinese technological dominance, nowhere more than in the 5G market.

“I wrote to the DCMS secretary to ensure that no decision would be made in the tail end of the government.

“I’m pleased to hear that a decision that could nest a hostile state’s technology deep in the central nervous system of the UK communications network will be taken by a new administration after a full debate.

“This decision has major foreign policy implications as it calls into question our most important security partnership, the Five-Eyes Alliance, and our economic relationship with other nations around the world, including Australia, Canada and the United States.”