Key Facts

• Amendment 2 inserts a clause after “lessee in occupation”.
• The amendment aims to include rental tenants and other legal occupants who may not own the lease but are in contractual relationships with lessees or freeholders.
• Chi Onwurah highlights the UK's declining telecoms infrastructure under Conservative Administrations.
• The Bill does not clearly define tenants' rights to request gigabit broadband.
• Amendment 2 seeks to expand the definition to include rental tenants and other legal occupants.
• There are 4.5 million households in the private rented sector.
• Huawei is bound by China's National Intelligence Law to support national intelligence work.
• The National Cyber Security Centre has designated Huawei as a high-risk vendor.
• Mobile UK estimates tearing Huawei out of networks would cost £7 billion and delay 5G by 18 months.
• The telecoms supply chain review was published in July with promises for diversifying the supply chain.
• Chi Onwurah supports the NCSC's position but argues that risks are not being managed as advised.
• Amendment 4 differs from amendment 1 in timing and scope of application to newly deployed infrastructure.
• Ofcom is proposed to take up regulatory powers, but details on its resources and enforcement mechanisms are lacking.
• The amendment addresses concerns over monopolistic practices and poor cyber-security in telecoms infrastructure.
• The Bill is described as mediocre with minimal impact on telecommunications infrastructure, rated at about 0.5 out of 10 by the speaker.
• Amendment 6 aims to support customers and promote best practices for the era of internet of things.
• The National Cyber Security Centre considers there is a realistic likelihood that the UK would become 'nationally dependent' on Huawei within three years without government intervention.
• Three companies capable of doing 5G development in the free market world are Nokia, Ericsson and Samsung.
• All close allies of the UK disagree with using Huawei technology for security reasons.
• The UK's decision on Huawei could influence other countries globally.
• Smaller nations may follow suit if the UK allows Huawei dominance.
• High-risk vendors pose a long-term security risk to telecoms infrastructure.
• There is urgency in setting a clear end date for high-risk vendor involvement.
• The Scottish Finance Secretary announced spending on digital connectivity projects will double up to £63.4 million in 2020-21.
• SNP supports the Bill that would benefit telecoms operators and contractors by reducing costs associated with delivering digital infrastructure.
• Huawei is considered a high-risk vendor due to potential threats to UK interests under China’s national intelligence law of 2017.
• The US plans to implement 5G without Huawei.
• Countries like Australia, New Zealand, Canada, and Japan oppose Huawei involvement due to national security concerns.
• The UK’s decision could influence other nations' choices regarding Huawei.
• The Government's decision involves excluding high-risk vendors from sensitive network parts with a strict 35% cap on market share in non-sensitive areas.
• The National Security Council is keeping the 35% cap under review and aims to reduce reliance on high-risk vendors over time through market diversification.
• A new supply chain capacity will be developed with Five Eyes and other partners during this Parliament.
• The government aims to cap reliance on high-risk vendors at 35% currently.
• Within this Parliament, the Government will develop new supply chain capacity through collaboration with Five Eyes partners.
• Legislation related to controls on high-risk vendors will be brought forward before summer.
• Chi Onwurah is questioning Oliver Dowden's commitments on telecommunications infrastructure.
• Oliver Dowden commits to bringing back the telecoms security Bill by summer.
• The commitment includes setting a timetable for supply chain diversification within this Parliament.
• The amendment aims to ensure that assured shorthold tenancy or assured tenancy agreements are captured by the Bill.
• The Government will not compel commercial companies to alter their service delivery unless evidence of a problem exists.
• A new connections provided by operators as part of the Bill will allow greater efficiency and connectivity for consumers.
• John Nicolson supports amendment 1.
• Huawei is described as an arm of the Chinese state, which frustrates Five Eyes members.
• The debate involves concerns over national security and cyber-security threats.
• United States, Canada, New Zealand, and Australia view certain technological approaches as secure.
• There are concerns about Huawei's relationship with the Chinese state.
• The Australian Signals Directorate states that a potential threat anywhere in a 5G network is a threat to the whole network.
• China has a poor reputation for IP theft and cyber-attacks; Chinese Liberation Army members were indicted for hacking Equifax.
• Huawei's systems in African Union headquarters sent information to China between 2012 and 2017.
• Huawei offers generous interest-free credit terms, up to 30 years, which undermines competitors.
• The Huawei oversight board has provided limited assurance that risks can be mitigated over time but finds no material progress since 2018.
• Huawei's credit line is $100 billion, allowing it to undercut competitors.
• Other countries like France, the US, Vietnam, South Korea, and Australia are either planning or building 5G networks without relying on Huawei.
• The Intelligence and Security Committee report in 2013 highlighted poor governance around Huawei's entry into UK systems.
• Chi Onwurah expresses concern over the Bill's inadequacy in addressing full-fibre broadband infrastructure needs.
• She calls for Government assurances on tenants' access to provisions of the legislation and competitive access to multiple-dwelling units.
• Onwurah questions the details of the Huawei diversification strategy promised by the Secretary of State.
• The SNP Scottish Government have committed £600 million to superfast broadband rollout.
• The SNP defines world-class digital infrastructure as 100% access to 30 megabits per second (the EU standard).
• Scotland has 94 permanently inhabited islands.