Undersea Cables

Earl Russell Excerpts

Tuesday 3rd December 2024 Lords Chamber

[Lord Vallance of Balham (Lab)]

At the moment, the answer is neither, because an investigation is being undertaken by Lithuanian, Swedish, Finnish and German ministries to try to understand exactly what went on. Until that report is out, it is premature to speculate.

[Earl Russell (LD)]

My Lords, it is not just undersea fibre-optic cables which bring vital supplies to our shores. UK energy security is highly dependent on undersea gas pipelines and electricity interconnectors. Recently, we have seen reports of suspicious Russian ships near Norwegian gas hubs. Pat McFadden has warned of cyberattacks on our energy networks. Can the Minister reassure us that the UK Government are actively working with our allies to provide adequate protection for our undersea energy infrastructure?

[Lord Vallance of Balham (Lab)]

I thank the noble Earl for the question. This is an important area. As I have said, most of the breaks are not malign, but there is, of course, that risk. Regular reviews are undertaken as part of the national risk assessment. The MoD works with DSIT and others to look at what the risks are. We also work continuously with partners, including NATO. In 2023, there was a specific NATO action to look at critical undersea infrastructure co-ordination to make sure that a response and detection system was in place.