Overview
- The government confirmed an electronic device was found during a routine security check inside a ceiling panel of the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government building in Westminster.
- Ministers said the device was in a communal area and not in or near ministerial offices and that the appropriate security agencies are now investigating.
- The building processed planning decisions for a proposed Chinese embassy, which has led some opposition figures and reports to suggest a possible foreign link to the device.
- Officials have declined to attribute the device to any state actor and said separate inquiries found no evidence that tracking devices were placed on prime ministers' cars.
- The probe will focus on when the device was installed, whether any staff or sensitive information were compromised, and public updates will be limited while security agencies investigate.