Cyber-security

Debate between Lord Maude of Horsham and Julian Huppert

Tuesday 24th March 2015 Commons Chamber

[Mr Maude]

I happened to be visiting GCHQ shortly after my right hon. Friend made those remarks. The people who work at GCHQ do fantastic work—it is a centre of brilliant expertise and knowledge; they do difficult work away from the public gaze, and any comments that seem to undermine what they do in the service of national security have to be strongly deprecated.

[Dr Julian Huppert (Cambridge) (LD)]

The Minister is right to pay tribute to the work of GCHQ and to prioritise cyber-security, which is very important for all of us. He will be aware that a fundamental part of that is good encryption, so will he encourage individuals and companies alike to push ahead with strong end-to-end encryption, wherever possible?

[Mr Maude]

Encryption is obviously important, but it is for businesses to decide what level of encryption they want to operate. These are obviously delicate matters, but there is a lot of technology here, and I am happy to say that Britain is very good at it.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Lord Maude of Horsham and Julian Huppert

Wednesday 30th October 2013 Commons Chamber

[Mr Maude]

I hear what the hon. Gentleman says, but I would just like to make this point about GCHQ: it comprises very, very dedicated, hard-working Crown servants who do incredibly valuable work to protect our safety and security every day of the week, and they deserve solid support from right across the Chamber and from both Front Benches. I hope that that will be made absolutely clear.

[Dr Julian Huppert (Cambridge) (LD)]

The Government are rightly trying to tighten up on British cyber-security. Does the Minister share my concern that anybody who weakens encryption methods or puts in back doors exposes us all to greater risk?

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Lord Maude of Horsham and Julian Huppert

Wednesday 24th November 2010 Commons Chamber

[Mr Maude]

That has been our principal concern in fashioning a new scheme. Civil servants’ average pay is lower than that in the private sector and the wider public sector, and it is right that they should be at the forefront of our concerns. The scheme that we have developed, in negotiation and consultation with five of the six unions, gives particular protection for them by deeming that the salary on which their compensation calculation is based is £23,000, so anyone paid less than that will have their compensation calculated on that basis.

[Dr Julian Huppert (Cambridge) (LD)]

8. How his Department plans to measure and promote well-being.