Infrastructure: National Security

(asked on 18th January 2022) - View Source

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps his Department is taking to protect (a) water plants, (b) power plants and (c) other critical national infrastructure.


Answered by
James Heappey Portrait
James Heappey
This question was answered on 26th January 2022

Within the UK, the safety and security of individual pieces of critical national infrastructure is the responsibility of the relevant commercial operator and Police force for the geographical area in which it is located. At the strategic level, the department for Business, Energy, and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) is responsible for the overall operation and resilience of the UK's domestic energy sector. The Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) is responsible for the overall operation and resilience of the UK's water sector. The Centre for the Protection of National Infrastructure (CPNI) provides advice on the resilience of Critical National Infrastructure across the UK.

The Ministry of Defence and the UK Armed Forces are responsible for the security and territorial integrity of the UK as a whole. Defence of the UK and its overseas territories from the malicious intent of our adversaries is the first task of the Ministry of Defence and our Armed Forces. This extends to being prepared to defend against and counter external hostile threats to our way of life and the delivery of critical services. I would, however, like to reassure you that I have received no indication that the Armed Forces would be required to provide protection water plants, power plants, or to other critical national infrastructure in the foreseeable future.

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