Oral Answers to Questions Debate

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Department: Ministry of Defence

Oral Answers to Questions

Mary Creagh Excerpts
Monday 27th November 2017

(6 years, 12 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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Lord Lancaster of Kimbolton Portrait Mark Lancaster
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I was in my hon. Friend’s constituency quite recently at GCHQ, looking at the joint work that the MOD and GCHQ are carrying out together. He makes a reasonable point. That is why we are determined to invest in a career structure for cyber specialists, and we will be opening the defence cyber school at the Defence Academy at Shrivenham in January 2018.

Mary Creagh Portrait Mary Creagh (Wakefield) (Lab)
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Tweets are cheaper than tanks, and Russia, Iran and other state and non-state actors are increasingly looking to cyber and to social media as a cheap, effective way of destabilising the west. The Foreign Secretary told this House that he had seen no evidence of Russian interference in UK elections or the referendum. Has the Minister?

Lord Lancaster of Kimbolton Portrait Mark Lancaster
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Let us be absolutely clear: there are limits on what we can discuss in this Chamber, and I think the hon. Lady will recognise that. In this age of constant competition, this country is under constant attack from both state and non-state actors, and this is a defence capability in which we are determined to continue to invest.