MINISTERS have dodged making the crucial decision on whether or not to let Huawei work on Britain’s super-fast mobile networks.
A long-delayed review of 5G supply chains was finally published yesterday, four months late.
But it avoided making any recommendations about the controversial Chinese tech firm, despite widespread fears it could put the UK at risk of hacking or espionage directed by Beijing.
Culture Secretary Jeremy Wright said Huawei had been left out to assess the impact of a trade blacklist imposed by President Donald Trump.
He told the Commons: “The Government is not yet in a position to decide what involvement Huawei should have in the provision of the UK’s 5G network and I want to explain why that is.
“On May 16 the US Government added Huawei Technologies Limited and 68 affiliates to its entity list on national security grounds. US companies now have to apply for a licence to export, re-export or transfer a specified range of goods, software and technology to Huawei and named affiliates with a presumption of denial.
“On May 20 the US Government issued a 90-day temporary general licence which authorises transactions in relation to specified areas.
“These measures could have a potential impact on the future availability and reliability of Huawei’s products, together with other market impacts, and so are relevant considerations in determining Huawei’s involvement in the network.
“Since the US Government’s announcement we have sought clarity on its extent and implications but the position is not yet entirely clear. Until it is, we have concluded it’d be wrong to make specific decisions in relation to Huawei but we will do so as soon as possible.”
Labour’s culture spokesman Tom Watson said: “The Government’s handling of the question of Huawei has been defined by one thing – confusion.
“We have had a flurry of delays, leaks and rumours. Today’s further delay on a decision on Huawei means that this confusion will continue, leaving the telecoms industry without the clarity and the public without the confidence they need.”
