City councils across the country already use thousands of surveillance cameras made by Hikvision.
The Times reported this month that more than 6,000 cameras made by Beijing-linked companies were installed in Scottish city councils alone.
A Cabinet Office official, who requested anonymity to speak on a sensitive issue, said the government had never promised to ban local councils from using Chinese-made cameras and it would not couldn’t force them to do so.
However, Conservative MP and chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee Alicia Kearns said the recently passed Public Procurement Bill should give the government enough powers to prevent local authorities from using any security-threatening equipment national.
“If we are serious about building our resilience against hostile states, we need to see policies implemented across society, not just in Whitehall,” Kearns told POLITICO.
“Hikvision and other Chinese surveillance equipment have no place on our streets and should be banned from all public authorities, including the police, local authorities and the NHS. »
Justin Hollis, director of public affairs at Hikvision, said: “We will continue to actively engage with the UK Government and Labor Party to clarify misunderstandings about the company and address their concerns. This is a vital part of our mission to keep the UK safe.
Politices
