Asked by: Jamie Wallis (Conservative - Bridgend)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent discussions he has had with the Welsh Government on the South Wales Fire and Rescue Authority.
Answered by Chris Philp - Shadow Home Secretary
The law in relation to fire and rescue services in Wales is devolved to Senedd Cymru.
The Home Office are in dialogue with Welsh Government as part of routine engagement with the Four Nations. This engagement has featured integrity related issues, including most recently, the Welsh Government take-over of the South Wales Fire and Rescue Authority functions.
The Home Office will prioritise the actions needed to ensure fire and rescue services are welcoming, respectful workplaces that enable all individuals who work in them to thrive. We expect all partners and sector leaders to play their part.
Asked by: Jamie Wallis (Conservative - Bridgend)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what plans he has to implement the recommendations of the Law Commission report Hate crime laws: Final report, HC 942, published in December 2021 on hate crime towards LGBTQ+ people.
Answered by Laura Farris
We are grateful for the detailed consideration the Law Commission has given to its review of hate crime laws. In April 2023, the Government published a response to Recommendation 8 on misogyny as a hate crime. The Government will respond to the remaining recommendations in due course.
Asked by: Jamie Wallis (Conservative - Bridgend)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to help reduce the severity of ransomware attacks.
Answered by Tom Tugendhat - Shadow Minister (Home Office) (Security)
Tackling cyber crime is at the heart of the Government’s new National Cyber Strategy which is supported by £2.6bn of new investment over the three-year Spending Review period. The National Cyber Strategy (2022-2025) has set the direction and ambition for investment and efforts in UK Cyber.
Delivery of the National Cyber Strategy is driving significant improvements in the UK’s response to cyber crime. It is strengthening the law enforcement response and driving greater collaboration with the National Cyber Security Centre and the National Cyber Force.
Ransomware is a top priority for the Government. It is clear that ransomware attacks are increasingly common globally and represent one of the most significant, and growing, international cyber threats.
The Home Office launched a focused campaign to accelerate our response to this growing threat in June 2021. Key work strands include understanding the threat landscape; incident reporting, ransom payment, cyber sanctions; crypto assets policy, cyber insurance; and collaborating with colleagues across Government, law enforcement, industry and our international partners to tackle threat.
It is clear that ransomware attacks are increasingly common globally and represent one of the most significant, and growing, international cyber threats. As a transnational problem, any solution will need to be developed in close step with our international partners.
The UK works closely with allies across the world to disrupt ransomware gangs and the infrastructure they use to target UK businesses and organisations. In December 2021, the UK held a G7 Senior Officials’ Forum on ransomware to combat the threat, and the UK is taking a leading roles in the international US-led Counter Ransomware Initiative.
Resilience against these attacks is our best defence. The Home Office works alongside law enforcement and the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) to mitigate any harm to the UK from ransomware. The NCSC and the National Crime Agency (NCA) continues to advise organisations which fall victim to ransomware and provide guidance on how to protect yourself and your business.
Asked by: Jamie Wallis (Conservative - Bridgend)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent discussions she has had with international counterparts, such as her Danish counterpart, on cybersecurity.
Answered by Damian Hinds
I continue to speak regularly to my international counterparts on a wide range of security issues, including the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine.
The UK works closely with our international partners on Cyber Security through bilateral and multilateral fora including via the G7 meeting of Interior Ministers I hosted in London in September 2021.
We have recently launched the National Cyber Strategy supported by £2.6 billion of new investment and a Government Cyber Security Strategy. This investment will strengthen the response from law enforcement, who partner with the National Cyber Security Centre and the National Cyber Force in order to keep the UK safe.