Oral Answers to Questions

Jonathan Lord Excerpts

Monday 6th December 2010 Commons Chamber

[John Howell (Henley) (Con)]

2. What methodology her Department follows to determine the nature of security threats to the UK.

[Jonathan Lord (Woking) (Con)]

12. What methodology her Department follows to determine the nature of security threats to the UK.

[Stephen Mosley (City of Chester) (Con)]

13. What methodology her Department follows to determine the nature of security threats to the UK.

--- Later in debate ---

[Mrs May]

My hon. Friend makes a very pertinent point. On WikiLeaks, the Prime Minister’s national security adviser has written to all Departments to ask them to look again at their information security and to provide him with assurance about the level of that information security.

My hon. Friend makes a wider point about cybersecurity. This Government recognise the importance of dealing with cybersecurity and cybercrime, which is why we focused on both in the strategic defence and security review and in the national security strategy, and over the next four years £650 million is being made available to develop a national cybersecurity programme.

[Jonathan Lord]

What are the Government doing to prevent threats from within and to tackle radicalisation?

[Mrs May]

My hon. Friend also makes an extremely important point about security. We must remember the importance of prevention as well as dealing with security threats as they arise. We are reviewing the Prevent programme, which was initiated by the previous Government, with a view to separating more clearly its counter-terrorism work from the integration or participation-in-society work of the Department for Communities and Local Government. In that work, we are also looking at radicalisation issues so that we can ensure that our programmes are effective.