Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministerial Statement

Risk and Resilience: Annual Statement

04 December 2023 · 16 other contributors

Opened by Oliver Dowden Con Hertsmere

Crime & Law EnforcementDefenceEconomyDemocracy & ElectionsScience & Technology

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Oliver Dowden raised concerns about risk and resilience: annual statement in the House of Commons. A government minister responded. Other MPs also contributed.

Key points

  • The Minister outlined the Government's efforts to enhance resilience through new structures like the Resilience Directorate and COBR unit.
  • The introduction of an emergency alert system and investment in biological security with over 1.5 billion annually were highlighted.
  • The Deputy Prime Minister chairs a resilience sub-committee within the National Security Council and convenes regular meetings with blue light responders.

How the debate unfolded

MPs spoke in turn to share their views and ask questions. Here's what each person said.

Government Statement

Oliver Dowden

The Minister outlined the Government's efforts to enhance resilience in the face of a volatile world, including the establishment of new structures like the Resilience Directorate and COBR unit. He highlighted improvements such as the introduction of an emergency alert system and investment in biological security with over £1.5 billion annually. The Deputy Prime Minister chairs a resilience sub-committee within the National Security Council and convenes regular meetings with blue light responders, industry leaders, and voluntary sectors. New initiatives include a UK Resilience Academy to improve professional skills, guidance for businesses on threats to critical national infrastructure, and a unified Government resilience website for citizens. An additional £10 million was allocated for research on economic risks. The Minister praised the resilience community's work during crises like the pandemic.

Other contributors (16)
  • Pat McFadden Lab Wolverhampton South East

    Question

    What lessons have been learned from past failures in advance planning and contract management during the pandemic, and how will resilience be increased in critical infrastructure such as schools?

    Minister reply

    The Minister did not provide specific answers to these questions but acknowledged the need for continuous improvement and learning from previous challenges.

  • Pat McFadden Lab Wolverhampton South East

    Question

    How will the Government ensure resilience in the face of cyber-attacks, particularly considering recent incidents like WannaCry and ongoing threats to critical systems?

    Minister reply

    The Minister did not provide specific details but emphasised the importance of protecting against cyber-attacks by strengthening critical systems and collaborating with international partners.

  • Pat McFadden Lab Wolverhampton South East

    Question

    How will the Government ensure a free and fair election given Russia's influence and previous interference, as highlighted in the Intelligence and Security Committee report?

    Minister reply

    The Minister did not provide specific details but acknowledged the need to protect against electoral interference from any state or non-state actors.

  • Pat McFadden Lab Wolverhampton South East

    Question

    How will the centre ensure strong governance of the resilience strategy and enforce preparedness across Departments?

    Minister reply

    The Minister did not provide specific details but acknowledged the importance of effective governance to deliver national resilience.

  • Pat McFadden Lab Wolverhampton South East

    Question

    The need for resilience has been underlined by recent events. The right hon. Member asks about lessons learned from the huge degree of waste and fraud in covid contracts, energy crisis, public estate resilience, AI development challenges, cyber-attacks on critical systems, protection against election interference, and governance of the strategy.

    Minister reply

    The Government have introduced a biological security strategy with a £1.5 billion annual investment to prepare for biological hazards. We are boosting capabilities to produce an effective vaccine within 100 days in case of another pandemic. The Public Sector Fraud Authority has recovered double its target money in the first year. Investment is being made in renewables, and cyber resilience continues to be increased through the ministerial cyber board and the National Security Council’s resilience committee.

  • Julian Lewis Con New Forest East

    Question

    How would a future pandemic differ from previous ones in terms of strategic stocks of protective equipment, vaccine research, manufacture and distribution?

    Minister reply

    We are improving governance structures by moving from the establishment of the disease to the vaccine within 100 days through the taskforce. A separate unit deals with long-term risks headed by a head of resilience, focusing on short-term challenges and investing in testing equipment for vaccines.

  • Kirsty Blackman SNP Aberdeen North

    Question

    The MP questioned the Deputy Prime Minister's call for society-wide support, given austerity measures and public sector strain over 13 years. She cited increased hardship among constituents choosing between heating and eating.

    Minister reply

    Oliver Dowden responded that fiscal discipline from 2010 enabled interventions during the pandemic, including a winter fuel payment boost of £300 per household and other measures to support vulnerable individuals.

  • Theresa Villiers

    Question

    The MP inquired about improvements in cyber-resilience since the last annual report.

    Minister reply

    Oliver Dowden mentioned mapping risks across Government, exercising plans through tabletop exercises, and addressing historical issues at Sellafield with regulatory oversight.

  • Sarah Champion Lab Rotherham

    Question

    The MP asked about measures to prevent an increase in flood risk by 2050 due to climate change.

    Minister reply

    Oliver Dowden highlighted £5.2 billion investment from 2021-27 for better protection of over 60,000 properties and ongoing efforts to build defences against future deluges.

  • James Wild Con North West Norfolk

    Question

    The MP welcomed greater transparency on threats and asked about robust plans and regular testing.

    Minister reply

    Oliver Dowden mentioned conducting Exercise Mighty Oak this year to test responses to power outages, and developing the national resilience academy for training in exercises.

  • Alistair Strathern Lab Hitchin

    Question

    The MP questioned the self-reporting regime for raw sewage discharge.

    Minister reply

    Oliver Dowden noted an unprecedented package to address sewage discharge and highlighted £150 million investment in flood and coastal resilience innovation programme.

  • Richard Graham

    Question

    The MP suggested a 'Cyber Re' scheme to insure against cyber-attacks.

    Minister reply

    Oliver Dowden discussed the National Cyber Security Centre's role in helping councils with attacks, and said they are keeping an open mind on insurance schemes for local authorities.

  • Christine Jardine Lib Dem Edinburgh West

    Question

    The MP asked about resilience to annual events like flooding and storms.

    Minister reply

    Oliver Dowden confirmed high priority with cold weather warnings introduced for the first time, unprecedented flood risk prevention funding, and severe weather as a focus.

  • Simon Fell

    Question

    The MP asked about the role of the new academy in education against cyber threats.

    Minister reply

    Oliver Dowden highlighted the National Cyber Security Centre's development of products to inform individuals and the importance of updating mobile devices.

  • Jim Shannon DUP Strangford

    Question

    The MP inquired about discussions with devolved Administrations on building resilience for net zero targets.

    Minister reply

    Oliver Dowden noted a 68% reduction in carbon emissions under this Government, leadership in technologies like offshore wind, and ongoing work to help businesses build resilience.

Shadow Comment

Pat McFadden

The Shadow Minister welcomed the announcement of the UK Resilience Academy and volunteering hub but raised concerns about lessons learned from past failures such as the covid-19 response, energy crisis management due to Ukraine's invasion, and resilience in public estate infrastructure. He questioned the Government's approach to artificial intelligence development, protection against cyber-attacks, and measures to safeguard democracy during elections. The Shadow Minister also asked how the centre can ensure strong governance of the strategy to enforce preparedness across Departments.

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