Theresa May faced a backlash from senior Tory MPs on Wednesday after leaks suggested that the U.K. government was planning to allow Huawei equipment into “non-core” parts of its 5G network.
The National Security Council, which is chaired by the prime minister, agreed on Tuesday to ban Huawei from core parts of the U.K.’s 5G network, according to reports in the Daily Telegraph,
But the Chinese telecom giant would be allowed to provide equipment for parts of the network not deemed critical. At the security council meeting “several ministers” raised concerns about allowing Huawei partial access to any parts of the network, instead arguing for a total ban on the supplier, according to a separate account of the meeting briefed to the Guardian.
A government official familiar with the discussion told POLITICO that nothing had “categorically” been decided and discussions were still ongoing.
Yet Norman Lamb, the Liberal Democrat MP who chairs parliament’s science and technology select committee, told POLITICO it was clear there was significant disagreement within the government over the reported decision.
His committee was now likely to convene an evidence session “very soon” to scrutinise the decision, question ministers and hear directly from Huawei, he added.
“It is vital that this country makes its own decisions regarding matters of national security, rather than bowing to pressure from others,” said Lamb. “However, protecting our national security is non-negotiable. Judgements must be based on evidence and a robust evaluation of risk.”
Chancellor Philip Hammond, who is due to travel to Beijing on Thursday, struck a more conciliatory note.
“Where our security experts tell us that there are ways in which we can maintain security, whether it’s of networks or installations, that avoid the most economically costly outcomes, then we should look very carefully at those options,” he said after the hearing.