Asked by: Lord Rogan (Ulster Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the risk that DeepSeek poses to UK national security.
Answered by Lord Vallance of Balham - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The AI Security Institute (AISI) tests the capabilities of advanced AI systems, wherever they come from, and whether open or closed, to assess any risks they may pose to our security.
Asked by: Lord Rogan (Ulster Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the reply by Lord Vallance of Balham on 3 December (HL Deb col 1035), how much commercial companies are paying to fund a ship to provide protection for undersea cables, and to whom this money is paid.
Answered by Lord Vallance of Balham - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
Subsea telecoms cables are privately owned and operated. The cost of cable maintenance and repair is shared by companies contracting into zonal maintenance agreements to ensure a commercial repair vessel is on permanent standby. For cables serving the UK this is provided by the Atlantic Cable Maintenance Agreement. Companies pay an annual stipend for the repair service under this agreement, with the amount paid based on the length of the cables they own. When they require a repair, they will also pay to cover the cost of the ship for the duration of the repair.