Commons Sense

Hansard-based summaries and metrics

National Security 2024-04-25

2024-04-25

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Questions & Answers

Q1 Direct Answer
Mike Amesbury
▸ Context
The question stems from a context where the government has announced increased defence spending to strengthen national security.
What steps his Department is taking to strengthen national security. The Prime Minister recently announced a fully funded plan to increase our defence spending by £75 billion over six years, building on existing resilience frameworks and integrated review to address evolving threats.
Oliver Dowden
Protecting national security is our first duty. We are increasing defence spending by £75 billion over six years, bringing forward a national defence and resilience plan, building on the resilience framework and integrated review to respond to evolving threats. The Cabinet Office co-ordinates strategy through Cobra, resilience directorates and the National Security Council.
▸ Assessment & feedback
Response accuracy
Q2 Partial Answer
Mike Amesbury
▸ Context
Following arrests in Germany and the UK related to spying for China, a report by the Intelligence and Security Committee concluded that there is no government strategy or whole-system approach to address this threat.
In light of recent arrests and the IS Committee's findings, when will the Minister develop a comprehensive strategy to address the serious threat posed by China?
Oliver Dowden
We dealt with this in both the integrated review and its refresh, which outlined a co-ordinated approach. We are taking actions such as directly attributing attacks to China and imposing sanctions on them.
▸ Assessment & feedback
Specific timeline for developing a comprehensive strategy not provided
Response accuracy
Q3 Partial Answer
Nia Griffith Lab
Llanelli
▸ Context
With upcoming local and national elections, concerns have been raised about the integrity of the electoral system due to potential risks from deepfakes and misinformation.
What assessment has the Department made regarding the risks posed by deepfakes and misinformation in the upcoming elections?
Oliver Dowden
I have considerable concerns about deepfakes. We see hack and leak tactics used by hostile states in previous elections, enhancing AI capabilities. We are developing our strategy through the Defending Democracy Taskforce and undertaking exercises to enhance our capabilities.
▸ Assessment & feedback
Concrete steps or timeline not specified
Response accuracy