Consultation outcome

Legislation to counter state threats

From:
Home Office
Published
13 May 2021
Last updated
12 July 2022 — See all updates
This was published under the 2019 to 2022 Johnson Conservative government
This consultation has concluded

Read the full outcome

Legislation to counter state threats (hostile state activity) consultation: government response (accessible)

HTML

Legislation to counter state threats (hostile state activity) consultation: government response

PDF, 338 KB, 25 pages

Detail of outcome

This is the government’s response to the Legislation to Counter State Threats (Hostile State Activity) public consultation. This should be read alongside the National Security Bill which was introduced in Parliament on 11 May 2022.

Original consultation

Summary

We are consulting on changes to the legislation surrounding countering state threats.

This consultation ran from
to

Consultation description

This consultation sets out the government’s proposals and seeks input to inform the final policy and legislative proposals.

At their core the legislative proposals in the consultation seek to do 3 things:

  • modernise existing counter espionage laws to reflect the modern threat and modern legislative standards
  • create new offences, tools and powers to detect, deter and disrupt hostile activity in and targeted at the UK
  • improve our ability to protect official data and ensure the associated offences reflect the greater ease at which significant harm can be done

These proposals, which are intentionally designed to be country and actor agnostic, include:

  • reform of the Official Secrets Acts 1911, 1920 and 1939 – these acts contain the core espionage offences which have failed to keep pace with the threat and modern legal standards
  • reform of the Official Secrets Act 1989 – which governs the law around the unauthorised disclosure of official material and its onward disclosure
  • the creation of a Foreign Influence Registration Scheme – an important new tool to help combat espionage, interference, and to protect research in sensitive subject areas, as well as to provide a greater awareness of foreign influence currently being exerted in the UK

The consultation also considers whether there is the case for new tools and powers to criminalise other harmful activity conducted by, and on behalf of states.

Documents

Consultation document: legislation to counter state threats (accessible version)

HTML

Consultation document: legislation to counter state threats

PDF, 542 KB, 67 pages

This file may not be suitable for users of assistive technology.

Request an accessible format.
If you use assistive technology (such as a screen reader) and need a version of this document in a more accessible format, please email alternativeformats@homeoffice.gov.uk. Please tell us what format you need. It will help us if you say what assistive technology you use.

Consultation document: legislation to counter state threats (Welsh) (accessible version)

HTML

Consultation document: legislation to counter state threats (Welsh)

PDF, 598 KB, 68 pages

This file may not be suitable for users of assistive technology.

Request an accessible format.
If you use assistive technology (such as a screen reader) and need a version of this document in a more accessible format, please email alternativeformats@homeoffice.gov.uk. Please tell us what format you need. It will help us if you say what assistive technology you use.

Updates to this page

Published 13 May 2021
Last updated 12 July 2022 + show all updates

  1. Consultation response published.

  2. Accessible HTML versions of 'Consultation document: legislation to counter state threats' in English and Welsh added.

  3. Added Welsh version of consultation document.

  4. First published.

Sign up for emails or print this page