Source · Select Committees · Foreign Affairs Committee
Recommendation 8
8
We recommend that 10 percent of Investment Security Unit staff should be secondees from FCDO,...
Recommendation
We recommend that 10 percent of Investment Security Unit staff should be secondees from FCDO, to ensure that FCDO expertise can be drawn upon on a day-to-day basis. (Paragraph 44) Cooperation with like-minded partners and allies
Government Response
Acknowledged
HM Government
Acknowledged
Staff in the ISU bring valuable knowledge from across the civil service and the national security community to the investment screening process. The Unit is supported by a network of advisers from across government. The FCDO will continue to work exceptionally closely with the ISU. We note the specificity of the Committee’s recommendations, but do not consider it necessary to mandate that a specific percentage of ISU staff should be seconded from the FCDO. Our priority is to ensure that the ISU can draw on relevant expertise and input from across Government, wherever it may be, in a timely way, and we will implement the most effective way to do so. That is why the FCDO has created a dedicated team in the National Security Directorate to coordinate casework and input into shaping BEIS’ processes. This team coordinates across the FCDO network of Posts, including other government departments that operate in overseas posts, and with the relevant geographical and thematic FCDO Departments. We will continue to keep staffing and structures under close review, to ensure that we are providing the ISU with high-quality advice and support, and that the information flows are smooth.