Senior officials central to the controversy surrounding the collapsed China spy trial are set to appear before the Joint Committee on the National Security Strategy next week. The committee’s first public evidence session, scheduled for Monday, will scrutinize the prosecutors’ decision to drop charges against Christopher Cash and Christopher Berry, who were accused under the Official Secrets Act. Both individuals maintain their innocence. Among those testifying will be Stephen Parkinson, Director of Public Prosecutions; Matt Collins, Deputy National Security Adviser; Richard Hermer, Attorney General; Darren Jones, Chief Secretary to the Prime Minister; and Sir Chris Wormald, Cabinet Secretary. National Security Adviser Jonathan Powell, who has faced allegations of political interference, will not attend but is expected to provide private testimony later. Parkinson, head of the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), which initially charged the pair before dropping the case, will explain that the trial collapsed because the government did not classify China as a national security threat. Legal experts have questioned his judgment, and he is likely to face tough questions about the CPS’s initial confidence in the evidence and the prosecution’s reliance on the government’s stance. Collins, a senior civil servant, will be questioned about his interactions with the CPS and the impact of the Labour government’s China policy on his witness statements. Hermer, a close ally of Prime Minister Keir Starmer, will address his knowledge of the case’s collapse and his role in overseeing the CPS. Wormald, the UK’s top civil servant, will clarify his involvement in the process and whether he endorsed Collins’s statements. Jones, a loyal MP to Starmer, will defend the government’s position, denying any ministerial interference. Powell, absent from the hearing, remains under scrutiny for his alleged role in shaping UK-China relations. The session promises to shed light on the intricate dynamics between the government, the CPS, and national security policies.