Mentions:
1: It was also suggested that the Telecommunications (Security) Bill would be a more appropriate piece of - Link
2: rightly pointed to the recent statement made by the Foreign Secretary as well as, of course, to the Telecommunications - Link
3: I also highlight that we have introduced the Telecommunications (Security) Bill in the other place since - Link
4: The Telecommunications (Security) Bill is an appropriate vehicle for amendments relating to equipment - Link
5: To the best of my knowledge, there is no intention to bring it back because the focus of the Telecommunications - Link
6: (Security) Bill, which, as we have heard, will come to this House shortly. - Link

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, with reference to the Telecommunications (Security) Bill 2019-21 Committee on 26 January 2021, if the Ofcom Annual Report will include headcount per group and function.

Answered by Matt Warman - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport)

Ofcom’s Annual Report and accounts are published each July, and includes details of Ofcom’s strategic priorities, financial affairs and resourcing.

Ofcom follows the disclosure requirements of the Government’s Financial Report Manual and guidelines provided in the Public Expenditure System (PES) Guidance on the preparation of Annual Report and Accounts. As such, Ofcom’s Annual Reports and Accounts show staff resources at the organisational level.

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps he is taking to prevent corporate intelligence firms registered in the Channel Islands from accessing phones of UK citizens for surveillance purposes.

Answered by Matt Warman - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport)

The Telecommunications (Security) Bill, currently before the House of Commons, will boost the security standards of our telecoms networks and services. The Bill will require that telecoms providers take measures to protect their networks and services from security compromises. This will provide extra protection to UK telecoms users - including from their data being accessed unlawfully.

The Channel Islands are self-governing, however they have committed to align their forthcoming telecoms security frameworks to the UK's Bill.

The National Cyber Security Centre works with providers in the UK and the Channel Islands to help protect their security. This includes the Active Cyber Defence programme that aims to protect the UK from the high-volume commodity attacks that affect people’s everyday lives.