Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what the staffing complement is by grade of the Government's dedicated national security unit to tackle fake news and disinformation.

The National Security Communications Team is expanding in capacity on the recommendations of the National Security Capability Review, published on the 28 March. The enhanced capability provided by the unit will ensure Government has the right mix of skills and expertise to use communications as a lever to support key national security objectives, and allow Government to better tackle the interconnected complex challenges to our national security, including (but not limited to) disinformation.

Recruitment to the National Security team is ongoing.

This work differs to that of the Rapid Response Unit which has been recently launched as a six-month pilot, based in No10 & the Cabinet Office, as part of the Government Communications Service (GCS) with the remit to expand existing digital analysis (including, but not limited to, misinformation and disinformation) and content capability to communicate public information that is accurate, clear and responsive.