Conor McGinn MP, Labour’s Shadow Security Minister, responding to the Secretary of State for Defence’s admission that the National Security Council has not met since January, said:

“It is deeply worrying to find out that the National Security Council has not met since January.

“The immediate threat to our country posed by coronavirus does not mean that other aspects of national security can be ignored, or dealing with them postponed.

“The UK continues to face dangerous threats from terrorism, hostile states, organised crime and cybercrime.

“It is astonishing that the National Security Council, which is supposed to meet on a weekly basis, has not met for months and seemingly played no role during the national emergency caused by the coronavirus.”