200 deals raise alarm

MINISTERS have been notified of hundreds of deals that raise national security concerns since a new law to boost scrutiny of takeovers was introduced.

In the three months after the National Security and Investment Act became law on January 4, the Government has had 222 notifications. The act forces parties trying to buy or invest in a British firm to alert ministers if they think a deal could touch on sensitive areas, such as defence, or technology.

The Department for Business has called in 17 for scrutiny, with 14 still being probed, including the Chinese buyout of chip maker Newport Wafer Fab.