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Cyber-security and UK Democracy
25 March 2024
Lead MP
Oliver Dowden
Debate Type
Ministerial Statement
Tags
Democracy & ElectionsForeign AffairsEnergy
Other Contributors: 41
At a Glance
Oliver Dowden raised concerns about cyber-security and uk democracy in the House of Commons. A government minister responded. Other MPs also contributed.
How the Debate Unfolded
MPs spoke in turn to share their views and ask questions. Here's what each person said:
Government Statement
The Minister provided a statement about malicious cyber-activity targeting the UK by actors affiliated with the Chinese state, including compromising the Electoral Commission and reconnaissance activity against parliamentary accounts. He emphasised that this is part of a persistent pattern of hostile behaviour from China, which has been sanctioned in response. The Government have taken measures such as creating offences for foreign interference, overhauling investment scrutiny through legislation, reducing China's role in sensitive sectors like civil nuclear power, and investing £2.6 billion to enhance cyber-resilience by 2025. He also highlighted the establishment of a National Protective Security Authority within MI5 to help organisations defend against state threats, an opt-in service for MPs from the NCSC to protect personal devices or accounts, and international collaboration with allies like the US.
Pat McFadden
Lab
Wolverhampton South East
Question
The Member inquired about the Government’s assessment of Chinese motives behind hacking activities. He questioned whether Beijing aims to disrupt democratic processes or gather data for other purposes, and sought clarification on why China targeted the Electoral Commission’s publicly available database.
Minister reply
The Minister responded by emphasising that these actions demonstrate hostile intent from China towards UK democracy but did not provide specific details about Chinese motives.
Pat McFadden
Lab
Wolverhampton South East
Question
The Member asked whether the electronic register for voting is sufficiently protected and if there are plans to engage in hack-and-leak activities similar to those attributed to Russia.
Minister reply
The Minister confirmed that attacks on parliamentary accounts were unsuccessful, but did not specify further details about the security of voter registration systems or likelihood of future hack-and-leak tactics.
Pat McFadden
Lab
Wolverhampton South East
Question
The Member inquired into the circumstances surrounding the indefinite pause on targeted sanctions against Chinese officials and requested an explanation for recent changes.
Minister reply
The Minister did not provide specific details about changes to sanctions policy but stated that the UK will continue to act robustly wherever China threatens its interests.
Pat McFadden
Lab
Wolverhampton South East
Question
The Member questioned whether former politicians are targeted by Chinese state actors and requested details on government efforts to investigate such allegations.
Minister reply
The Minister did not provide specific information about investigations into alleged targeting of former politicians but highlighted the Government’s commitment to protecting democracy.
Pat McFadden
Lab
Wolverhampton South East
Question
The Member asked if briefings would be provided for opposition leaders, the Intelligence and Security Committee, and other political parties on these matters.
Minister reply
The Minister did not specify if such briefings will take place but acknowledged the importance of national security to all parties.
Pat McFadden
Lab
Wolverhampton South East
Question
The Member inquired about measures to protect complex and valuable datasets from future manipulation by more powerful computing technologies.
Minister reply
The Minister highlighted the Government's efforts to enhance cyber-resilience through legislation and investment but did not provide specific details on protecting datasets from future threats.
Pat McFadden
Lab
Wolverhampton South East
Question
The Member asked if there is a fundamental reassessment of the overall threat posed by China, particularly in relation to critical infrastructure.
Minister reply
The Minister did not provide specific details about a reassessment but emphasised that the UK will continue to work with allies and respond robustly to threats.
Pat McFadden
Lab
Wolverhampton South East
Question
The MP thanks the Deputy Prime Minister and raises questions about Chinese motives, the hacking of the Electoral Commission’s database, potential data misuse by quantum computing, and calls for further briefing on these issues from all political parties.
Minister reply
The minister responds that China seeks to undermine successful democracies like the UK. He reassures that no infiltration occurred in the closed register of the Electoral Commission and acknowledges the risk of hack-and-leak tactics. He clarifies that there was no pause on targeted sanctions, and mentions ongoing work with the National Cyber Security Centre. The minister also emphasises the Government’s readiness to respond proportionately to the escalating threat from China.
Chingford and Woodford Green
Question
The MP welcomes two sanctions but criticises their inadequacy compared to American actions, highlighting human rights abuses in Xinjiang and Hong Kong. He questions why more comprehensive action is not taken.
Minister reply
The minister acknowledges the severity of the situation described by the MP and reiterates the Government’s commitment to responding proportionately to threats from China based on current facts.
Kirsty Blackman
SNP
Aberdeen North
Question
Queries the ban on Hikvision extending only to sensitive sites, asks about future cyber-attacks, EU fund for cybersecurity, and assurances for a secure 2023 general election.
Minister reply
Explains ongoing review of Hikvision ban beyond sensitive sites, necessity of thorough intelligence assessments before attributing attacks, £2.6 billion investment in cybersecurity despite escalating risks.
Question
Asks if sanctions against two individuals and one company are proportionate; presses for China's inclusion in the enhanced tier of foreign influence registration scheme.
Minister reply
Confirms ongoing government agreement on enhanced tier status, notes first-time sanctions implementation as a targeted measure.
Question
Critiques the statement for being insufficient; questions about Lord Cameron's disclosure of interactions with Chinese entities and security budget cuts.
Minister reply
Clarifies that security services budget decisions are part of government agreements, reiterates commitment to national security.
Suella Braverman
Con
Fareham
Question
Advocates for listing China on the foreign influence registration scheme; questions the designation of China as a hostile state.
Minister reply
Acknowledges work on the National Security Act, disagrees with labeling China as a hostile state among Five Eyes nations.
Angela Eagle
Lab
Wallasey
Question
Surprised by the difference between briefings and statement; questions effectiveness of recent actions against Chinese threats.
Minister reply
Reiterates thorough intelligence assessments before announcements, emphasises continuous defensive action and security improvements.
Question
Discusses disinformation campaigns targeting the royal family by hostile states; queries public response to such conspiracies.
Minister reply
Expresses support for royal family in face of speculative attacks, urges skepticism towards online information sources.
Question
Thanks security officials for thwarting attacks and criticises the statement's lack of robust action; questions inclusion of China in foreign influence registration scheme.
Minister reply
Clarifies that a démarche has taken place, confirms ongoing review of enhanced tier status.
Question
Asks about updates to Network and Information Systems Regulations 2018; queries delay in parliamentary approval for these measures.
Minister reply
Confirms completion of work on the regulations, awaiting appropriate parliamentary time for implementation.
Chris Bryant
Lab
Rhondda and Ogmore
Question
I am sorry, but I find the Deputy Prime Minister today utterly unconvincing. The idea that “swift” means taking three years to publish something that has already been published by a Committee of this House is utterly preposterous. It means that if there were an attempt this year, we would hear about it long after the general election and possibly after another general election after that. The truth is that, if he actually thinks this is the sum total of all the Chinese state’s attempts to disrupt the British democratic system, he is wilfully blind and is therefore dangerous.
Minister reply
I am sorry that the hon. Member is not happy with the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, my right hon. Friend the Member for Sutton Coldfield (Mr Mitchell), who is sitting to my right, and who I think does an excellent job of answering questions in this House. On the time that this has taken, there is a difference between acknowledging, as the Electoral Commission did, the fact that an attack has taken place, and the process of attribution, which takes a longer period of time for the reasons I have set out repeatedly from this Dispatch Box.
Alec Shelbrooke
Con
Wetherby and Easingwold
Question
I am proud to have the British Library at Boston Spa in my constituency, and I will be meeting it in a week’s time to talk about the cyber-attack. That is just one aspect of what has happened recently, but we are talking about the protection of democracy as well, and the timeframes on which we are moving on some issues does concern me. One of the big concerns will be deepfake news profiles—with people alleged to have said things, and videos of people allegedly doing things—at the next election. I urge my right hon. Friend to work now to try to establish procedures so that everybody across this House will be able to call out efficiently the fake news that may be used to try to influence the election. As he has said, people should be careful what they believe, but what can people believe in unless there are robust systems to call out what is absolutely fake?
Minister reply
My right hon. Friend is absolutely right to raise this issue. We are working with tech companies on, for example, the watermarking of images to ensure that people have a sense of whether they are real. However, this cannot just be action from the UK Government; we have to work internationally, which is why at the global summit for democracy we launched the global Government compact on countering the deceptive use of AI by foreign states in elections. That is the United Kingdom leading across nations around the world to ensure that we can act in co-ordination to address this issue.
Richard Foord
Lib Dem
Honiton and Sidmouth
Question
The Deputy Prime Minister talked in his statement about “the powerful strength of our collective voices”. We can contrast the sanctions that have been announced this afternoon with those that followed the Novichok poisoning in 2018. On that occasion, 130 Russian diplomats were expelled from more than 25 countries, and the EU ambassador to Moscow was withdrawn. What steps are the Government taking to co-ordinate a robust response to this alleged attack on democracy by working with our democratic allies?
Minister reply
That is exactly what we are doing. I raised the issue with opposite numbers in Japan and Korea when I was there, and I have raised it with the United States, with whom we have been co-ordinating exceptionally closely.
Mark Pritchard
Con
The Wrekin
Question
May I join the Deputy Prime Minister in paying tribute to all those who do so much in the UK intelligence community? Will he join me in reassuring those on the shadow Front Bench that Lord Cameron in the other place oversees GCHQ and the Secret Intelligence Service, and he is probably in a good place to know what is going on? Reference has been made to the China report published in July 2023—I was one of the co-authors, with one or two others in this Chamber. Page 198 of that report referred to the UK security services facing “a formidable challenge”. I welcome the fact that the Government have played catch-up—that was another criticism—and have caught up to a certain extent. I particularly welcome the £2.6 billion over the past three years going to cyber-protection for our critical national infrastructure.
Minister reply
I am happy to continue.
Question
I welcome the tone of vigilance, which is in stark contrast to the nonchalance shown by the Johnson Government over earlier Russian interference in our elections and the Brexit referendum. Why should we believe the Government’s honest intentions when they still have not implemented all the recommendations of the Russia report?
Minister reply
The right hon. Gentleman will have seen the conduct of the Government and, for example, the further sanctions we imposed on Russia just a few months ago.
Question
Bearing in mind all that my right hon. Friend has said, he may be concerned to hear what we have heard in the Defence Committee. English Ministry of Defence companies are having a nightmare in employing those with specialist AI skills from university, because they are all Chinese. Is he aware of that, and what will he do to counter this potential threat to our security?
Minister reply
Clearly, anyone employed by a relevant defence company or in the UK Government will be subject to advanced vetting, which would likely preclude a number of the individuals my hon. Friend described.
Question
These cyber-attacks occurred in 2021 and 2022, so we really must ask how it has taken the Government so long to make this statement. We should reflect on the Deputy Prime Minister saying that these actors gained access to the Electoral Commission’s email and file-sharing systems, which contain copies of the electoral register. This is an election year, and it should put fear into the hearts of all of us that the Chinese have access to the UK’s electoral register, at a time like this when we are already worried about bad actors, about cyber-attacks taking place and about the use of AI.
Minister reply
I will answer the question slightly less aggressively than how it was put; I will make my point in my own way. First, as the Electoral Commission said in its statement, the data contained in electoral registers is limited, and much of it is already in the public domain.
Desmond Swayne
Con
New Forest West
Question
A successful deterrent requires the capability and the will to retaliate. Have we got either?
Minister reply
Yes, we do, on both fronts. My right hon. Friend will be well aware of our National Cyber Force, but I do not comment on the conduct of that from the Dispatch Box.
Stephen Kinnock
Lab
Aberafan Maesteg
Question
In January 2023, Lord Cameron of Chipping Norton—prior to his appointment as Foreign Secretary, of course—went to Sri Lanka to drum up investment for Port City Colombo, which is a belt and road project launched by President Xi, which many believe will become a military base for the Chinese navy. Following Lord Cameron’s appointment as Foreign Secretary, many freedom of information requests have been submitted to the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office to try to shed light on his visit to Sri Lanka, including who he met and what sort of conversations took place, but to date not a single one of those FOI requests has been complied with by the FCDO. Does the Deputy Prime Minister agree that that is a matter of the highest public interest and that sunlight is the best form of disinfectant, and therefore the FCDO should comply with those FOI requests as a matter of urgency?
Minister reply
The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office always deals with FOI requests in the proper way. I have to say that trying to link Chinese cyber-attacks to our current Foreign Secretary is pretty desperate stuff.
Question
It is absolutely right that we call out these malicious actions, because otherwise they will become normalised. Does the Deputy Prime Minister agree that when it comes to our security, and indeed our economic interests, there is an important parity between the digital space and our physical terrain, and that that should be reflected in defence spending? Does he also agree that Beijing is watching today’s events and will no doubt retaliate? Should we brace ourselves for further individual sanctions against British personnel?
Minister reply
My right hon. Friend is right to highlight the need for investment. That is precisely why, in the last spending review period, we put £2.6 billion into our wider cyber-defences.
Alison Thewliss
SNP
Glasgow Central
Question
We should be worried about Chinese influence in various areas of Government. Graham Barrow, the Companies House expert, has been warning for quite some time about dubious company incorporations that have originated in China. He believes that they are being created using an algorithm, and there is evidence that companies are being incorporated using stolen UK credentials, from UK addresses, streets at a time. What conversations has the Deputy Prime Minister had with Companies House, and would he be willing to meet Graham Barrow to hear his conclusions?
Minister reply
I, or another Minister, will be happy to meet him. That is precisely why we set up the National Cyber Security Centre, which uses GCHQ expertise to inform our approach to cyber, and engages with businesses and individuals. Week after week, I receive delegations from around the world who want to see what we have done with the National Cyber Security Centre.
Greg Smith
Con
Mid Buckinghamshire
Question
The £2.6 billion in additional money to counter cyber threats is very welcome. This field is constantly evolving, and those who wish us harm are innovating further. I accept that my right hon. Friend will not comment on the exact detail, but will he at least assure the House that the £2.6 billion outguns what those who wish us harm spend on new threats?
Minister reply
The amount of spending compares extremely favourably with that spent in similar G7 countries around the world. I am confident that we have world-leading expertise, and we are constantly evolving our capabilities in this space.
Jim Shannon
DUP
Strangford
Question
I thank the Deputy Prime Minister for his statement and his answers. The deputy prime minister may be aware—if not, he will be shortly—that the all-party parliamentary group for international freedom of religion or belief, which I chair, had its website hacked, and the text that questioned human rights violations by China was removed. Will the Deputy Prime Minister commit to stop handling the Chinese oversteps—with authority, and help China understand that it will not trample democracy in this place without being held accountable?
Minister reply
We will certainly hold China to account in the way described. I will happily make sure that the parliamentary authorities and the National Cyber Security Centre are in touch with him about the attack he described.
North Cotswolds
Question
We know that legacy IT systems are most likely to be cyber-attacked. Has the Deputy Prime Minister ordered an inventory of all Government IT equipment, to see where particular vulnerabilities lie?
Minister reply
Yes. My hon. Friend is right to raise this issue. The first step is to properly understand where those vulnerabilities lie. We have undertaken extensive work to ensure that we know where risks lie and are putting in place measures to remediate them.
Chris Law
SNP
Dundee Central
Question
This is too little, too late. It is reactive, not proactive. Two lowly officials get sanctioned when half the UK population’s data and electoral roll get cyber-attacked. I do not feel that the issue is being taken seriously enough. Let me remind the House how serious this is: in October last year, MI5 warned of the “epic scale” of Chinese espionage, and reported that more than 20,000 people in the UK had been covertly approached online by Chinese spies. How can any of us here trust this UK Government when they are far too late, and do very little of what needs to be done?
Minister reply
I simply do not accept that characterisation. Given it was this Government who set up the NCSC, this Government who set up the ministerial cyber board, and invested £2.6 billion in our cyber-defences, I have consistently warned about the cyber-threats facing the United Kingdom.
Bob Seely
Con
Isle of Wight
Question
Every time the Deputy Prime Minister comes to the House he lays out his plans eloquently and is more assertive; he says, “We are doing this new thing and that new thing.” Do we not still need much greater coherence across all Government Departments in how we deal with the threat?
Minister reply
My hon. Friend raises an important point. The UK Government has evolved enormously in their approach to China. We continue to increase our efforts on matters described, precisely why we set up the defending democracy taskforce, led by the Minister for Security.
Kirsten Oswald
Sinn Féin
West Tyrone
Question
The Deputy Prime Minister is right to address these issues and call them out, but just calling them out does not cut the mustard. There is a worrying sense of “nothing to see here” in some responses. Does he think Members across the House who are underwhelmed by his statement are wrong?
Minister reply
Firstly, it is important to remember that ultimately these attempts were unsuccessful. We continue to increase efforts on matters described and will not hesitate to take action.
Vicky Ford
Con
Castle Point
Question
Democracy is precious but scary to hear a foreign power might intervene. Concerned about threats and harassment women get standing for Parliament, especially as we get closer to an election. As well as cyber-security, very concerned about physical security. Two and a half years ago, her Essex neighbour was murdered at his constituency surgery. Last Friday, recommended security operatives did not show up. Will the Deputy Prime Minister look again at how our security is governed?
Minister reply
My right hon. Friend makes concerning allegations which I will take up for Government working with House authorities. We take threat seriously and agreed an unprecedented increase in protective security for Members of this House.
Tim Farron
Lib Dem
Westmorland and Lonsdale
Question
When it comes to matters of national security, inclination is to work on a cross-party basis. The relative weakness of the response to attacks combined with evasiveness over questions about financial interests increases people’s concerns. Will the Deputy Prime Minister strengthen his response and demonstrate actions and transparency that this soft-pedalling is nothing suspicious?
Minister reply
The hon. Gentleman says we should have a cross-party approach, then seeks on political grounds to denigrate the Foreign Secretary turning matter into party political issue.
Dean Russell
Con
Watford
Question
When we think ahead to election, we should bear in mind point raised about artificial intelligence and threat to democracy. There are many risks of which we may not be aware, and the data being used with data from Facebook and other sources to enable people pretending they are something they are not. Could there be an education campaign letting public know better ways to become aware of risks?
Minister reply
My hon. Friend has made important point about need for greater awareness among public of risks, and of need to treat images with much more scepticism. I will take this up with colleague the Education Secretary.
Carol Monaghan
SNP
Glasgow North West
Question
Professor Jim Saker, the president of the Institute of the Motor Industry, has warned about the threat that Chinese-manufactured electric vehicles could pose, in giving China access to big data and personal information. He has said that connected electric vehicles flooding the country could be the most effective Trojan Horse that the Chinese establishment has to impact the UK. What consideration has the Deputy Prime Minister given to the threat posed by those vehicles?
Minister reply
That too is an important point. Obviously, any new technology or cars put on the UK market will have to meet our safety standards, and that will include an assessment of the threats to which the hon. Lady has referred. Under the National Security and Investment Act 2021, I can decide to block or impose conditions on any investments or transactions, from whichever state, and whichever company, in any country. That is another tool in our weaponry that we did not have previously.
David Jones
Con
Clwyd West
Question
My right hon. Friend will no doubt be aware that the Electoral Commission failed a National Cyber Security Centre cyber essentials audit at about the time when these breaches occurred. Among the failings identified was the fact that staff laptops and smartphones were running outdated systems—including Windows 10 Enterprise, which, at the time, was no longer receiving security updates. Does my right hon. Friend not agree that these failings look awfully like extraordinary negligence on the part of the Electoral Commission, and how satisfied is he that the commission has done everything necessary to regularise its procedures?
Minister reply
My right hon. Friend is right to highlight that issue. It is precisely because of those concerns that we have ensured that the Electoral Commission is working closely with the National Cyber Security Centre to achieve a significant step up in its capabilities and its cyber resilience. It was essential for that work to be undertaken, and it has been undertaken.
Rochdale
Question
In May this year, Rotherham will hold a local election, like other places throughout the country. At the last local election, in 2021, Labour kept control of Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council by a margin of only 54 electors. What steps are the Government taking to ensure that when people cast their votes for the Conservatives in Rotherham, those votes to end 50 years of Labour rule are secure?
Minister reply
I trust and hope that we will achieve that outcome. I would like to assure Members that we have every confidence in the integrity of the elections. Through the defending democracy taskforce and the action taken by the Minister responsible for local government, my hon. Friend the Member for North Dorset (Simon Hoare), who has written to all local authorities in the past week, we are ensuring that the integrity of those important elections is preserved.
Shadow Comment
Pat McFadden
Shadow Comment
The Shadow Minister expressed support for efforts to counter attempts by China to interfere with democracy but raised several questions about motives behind Chinese hacking, protections of electronic voter registers, hack and leak activities similar to Russia's tactics, changes in sanctions policy, investigation into allegations against former politicians like David Cameron, briefings for opposition leaders and committees, protection of complex datasets from future manipulation, and reassessment of the overall cyber-threat.
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