but the conservatives say that comes with risks. there is a pattern of hostile activity by china activated by a so—called united front by a so—called united front work department designed... work department designed... and we will have a and we will have a correspondents with us very correspondents with us very shortly to guide us through shortly to guide us through this but first let's have a this but first let's have a look at the latest bbc news. look at the latest bbc news. the german chancellor olaf the german chancellor olaf scholz has lost a confidence scholz has lost a confidence vote in parliament paving the vote in parliament paving the way for a general election in way for a general election in february, following the february, following the collapse of his coalition government last month in a row collapse of his coalition government last month in a row over spending amid a deepening over spending amid a deepening economic crisis. economic crisis. a lawyer representing serial a lawyer representing serial child killer lucy b says he is child killer lucy b says he is appealing to the court of appealing to the court of appeal to push for her appeal to push for her convictions to be re—examined convictions to be re—examined —— lucy letby. he says his case —— lucy letby. he says his case is based around the leading is based around the leading

evidence from the key evidence from the key prosecution witness. prosecution witness. the indian ocean territory of my art, following the devastating cyclone hundreds of people are feared dead and

devastating cyclone hundreds of peo; the re feared dead and devastating cyclone hundreds of peo; the weekend dead and devastating cyclone hundreds of peo; the weekend you i and devastating cyclone hundreds of peo; the weekend you would have over the weekend you would have known his name anyway. it was freely available over the internet which begs questions as to why his identity was such as to why his identity was such a secret location map. in any case a judge at the royal court ofjustice removed the bar on identifying him this afternoon. why was this? it seems yang tengbo himself was planning to go public. he made a statement in which he denies being a spy saying he had fallen victim to the political climate here in the political climate here in the uk and is appealing against being deemed a security risk. in the house of commons this afternoon security minister dan jarvis gave the government response... jarvis gave the government response- - -_ jarvis gave the government response... jarvis gave the government resonse... ,. , response... the scheme will be underpinned — response... the scheme will be underpinned by _ response... the scheme will be underpinned by an _ response. .. the scheme will be underpinned by an it— response... the scheme will be underpinned by an it solution i underpinned by an it solution comprising of a platform, case management system and online public register. the it programme developed under the previous government was not ready for the scheme to go live and plans were not sufficiently robust. this government has

progressed at pace. the work to ensure we are in a position to launch it with the laying of ensure we are in a position to launch it with the laying of the regulations in the new year the regulations in the new year with a view to the scheme going with a view to the scheme going live in the summer. i would live in the summer. i would also say to the right also say to the right honourable gentleman that what honourable gentleman that what it might work is on the way to it might work is on the way to identify which foreign powers identify which foreign powers will be placed on the enhanced will be placed on the enhanced tier. 3 tier. 3 will be placed on the enhanced tier. �* ., . tier. a foreign influence registration _ tier. a foreign influence will be placed on the enhanced tier. �* ., . tier. a foreign influence registration _ tier. a foreign influence registration scheme, i tier. a foreign influence - registration scheme, would that registration scheme, i tier. a foreign influence - registration scheme, would that have made the difference? have made the difference? earlier i spoke to founder and earlier i spoke to founder and executive director of the executive director of the inter—parliamentary alliance on and — to inter—parliamentary alliance on china which works to counter china which works to counter chinese threats internationally, luke de chinese threats internationally, luke de pulter, and i asked him why it pulter, and i asked him why it had taken the government nearly had taken the government nearly two years for the government to two years for the government to act on the evidence they act on the evidence they gathered on yang tengbo and his gathered on yang tengbo and his affiliation with china's united affiliation with china's united front work department. sci am i front work department. sci am i think in defence of the think in defence of the intelligence and security intelligence and security systems i would say we hadn't systems i would say we hadn't had legislation to— had legislation to— had legislation to deal with these until— had legislation to deal with these until— had legislation to deal with these until relatively - these until relatively recently. not until 2023 that had legislation to deal with these until relatively - these until relatively recently. not until 2023 that

we have _ we have _ recently. not until 2023 that we have the national security recently. not until 2023 that we have the national security and investment act which creates _ and investment act which creates at least some mechanisms to deal with china's overseas — mechanisms to deal with china's overseas activities. in my view that_ overseas activities. in my view that is — overseas activities. in my view that is not enough but it is fairly— that is not enough but it is fairly recent. if you look at the — fairly recent. if you look at the activity is alleged to have been _

the activity is alleged to have been said "the case afternoon and said "the case does not exist sadly in a vacuum. six individuals have been charged under our national security act to date. we will act whenever we need to". but it doesn't appear as if british governments, i mean successive british governments, have been prepared to act. there is almost a reticence to call this out, such that we didn't know who this man was until the royal court ofjustice lifted the anonymity order today. does that surprise you?— that surprise you? sadly, it doesnt that surprise you? sadly, it doesn't surprise _ that surprise you? sadly, it doesn't surprise me, - that surprise you? sadly, it - doesn't surprise me, christian. i think this is the threat that has been metastasising over time but it has been there, both in the uk, in the us and in countries around the world and here is a pro tip from someone who has spent the better part of their career dealing with national security issues. not all spies where

trench coats, not all spies are in fact directly engaged on behalf of or connected to intelligence agencies. many of them get co—opted or coerced, manipulated around and so the level of sensitivity i think both politicians as well as members of the media and the public need to have, and efforts by notjust the chinese, but russians and a whole range of other countries to try and both extract information, to manipulate people and to exploit institutions, public debates, it is very real. going back to 2016 here in the united states when the famous case of russian disinformation and manipulation of our presidential elections was so prominent. fix, of our presidential elections was so prominent.— of our presidential elections was so prominent. a lot of the focus today — was so prominent. a lot of the focus today has _ was so prominent. a lot of the focus today has been - was so prominent. a lot of the focus today has been on - was so prominent. a lot of the focus today has been on this l focus today has been on this mechanism they are looking to set up which would be called the foreign influence registration scheme, a database of people involved in political influence activities here in

the uk. the security minister says they expect it to be up and running by next summer but they are looking at which countries to feature on it, to which his predecessor said, well, if china isn't in the tier, it is not worth having. the truth of the matter it seems is that the government is facing pressure from business leaders in the uk to keep china off the enhanced list. that is why they are so matching it to completion, because probably china would be at the top of the list... i china would be at the top of the list- - -— the list... i think business leaders. _ the list... i think business leaders, and _ the list... i think business leaders, and i _ the list... i think business leaders, and i have - the list... i think business leaders, and i have been. leaders, and i have been telling them this directly both here in the us and in europe, need to be clear eyed about the threat from china. this is not to say, obviously, that all chinese individuals, whether in business, political matters or elsewhere, have that level of threat, and i don't think we should cast everyone into a wide net. nonetheless, there

arejust wide net. nonetheless, there are just repeated instances of efforts to exploit both individuals, to hack into... and in the case of the united states to have spy balloons flying over our territory. so this is the reality of the 21st—century chinese state. they are trying through the car through crook to get access to as much information to, in some cases, be able to manipulate that information. so i think it is important both politically, business—wise and as well as in social movements and others to be aware of that and proceed with caution. i also have to say this notion of a public registry, it sounds a little bit like a well—intentioned effort to control graffiti or... y ., effort to control graffiti or... ., ., or... do you have one in the united states? _ or... do you have one in the united states? we - or... do you have one in the united states? we do. - or... do you have one in the united states? we do. it's l or... do you have one in thej united states? we do. it's a little bit different, _ united states? we do. it's a little bit different, from - united states? we do. it's a | little bit different, from what i understand. that is to say if i understand. that is to say if i choose to work for a foreign

government and to do so pushing a public policy agenda then i have to register with our ministry ofjustice, which, just to be clear, i don't and i am not, but on the other hand what i think it's harder to do as you're going to have a whole of other actors who are in some cases foreign and in some cases domestic because they have been co—opted or in the case, for instance, of russia, we have seen numerous examples where... and there were some prominent cases in the last few months of, for instance, republican influencers who received large sums of money to push divisive issues and debates and it was all coming from the russian state so not everything will come with a nice label on it and i think people have to be, one, doing their due diligence and also, too, cautious when it comes to engaging in these kinds of relationships comes to engaging in these

kinds of r