Dr Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, by what means Parliamentary scrutiny will be carried out of the classified aspects of the work of his Department’s proposed Investment Security Unit. [164331]

[Due for Answer on 11 March.] 

ANSWER

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Small Business, Consumers and Labour Markets (Paul Scully): The Government intends to follow the appropriate procedures for reporting to Parliament on the work of the Investment Security Unit (ISU), by having the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) Select Committee oversee the Investment  Security Unit’s work. The Committee already provides scrutiny on a number of sensitive areas, such as the civil nuclear programme, and it is well placed to consider how effectively and efficiently the Investment Security Unit is interacting with the business  community and investors in delivering the National Security and Investment regime.