Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill on 2 February (HL13763), what recent evaluation they have made of the vulnerability of UK ports, rail freight networks, and warehousing facilities to sabotage or arson linked to hostile states; and how the conclusions reached compare with similar assessments of aviation security.

Answered by Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill - Minister of State (Department for Transport)

The government takes the security and resilience of critical transport infrastructure extremely seriously and has a robust security regime to tackle the range of threats the UK faces.

We work with the National Protective Security Authority, National Cyber Security Centre and across government to advise owners and operators of transport infrastructure on how they can protect themselves against sabotage. The Department will continue to monitor and mitigate existing and emerging threats across the whole transport sector, working with partners across government, internationally and with industry.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the role of criminal financing mechanisms, including cash payments and cryptocurrencies, in enabling hostile state-linked sabotage and arson attacks; and what steps they are taking to disrupt such financial flows.

Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)

National Security is the first duty of Government. The 2025 National Security Strategy identifies illicit finance as a core enabler of threats to the UK, including those posed by hostile states.

The Government’s 2025 National Risk Assessment of Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing, developed with expert input from across government, law enforcement and the private sector, further sets out a system‑wide assessment of money laundering risk, including cash‑based and cryptoasset‑enabled money laundering. It estimates that over £12 billion in criminal cash is generated annually in the UK, and that $1.7 to 5.1 billion in illicit cryptoasset transactions are linked to the UK each year. Both of these money laundering routes can be exploited to support hostile state activity.

The Government is committed to disrupting these illicit financial flows. We have already made significant progress through Economic Crime Plan 2, including bolstering law enforcement capability through providing the funding for the recruitment of 475 FTEs dedicated to tackling money laundering, investing in advanced cryptoasset tracing, and introducing amendments to the Proceeds of Crime Act in April 2024 that give law enforcement clearer powers to seize and recover cryptoassets.

Following completion of Economic Crime Plan 2, we will publish a refreshed approach to economic crime, including anti-money laundering and asset recovery, which will set out a strengthened whole‑system approach to tackling illicit finance.

Found: We have written in similar terms to Lord Stirrup GCMG GCVO, Chair of the European Affairs Committee.

Found: Yours sincerely, Lord Stirrup KG GCB AFC Chair of the European Affairs Committee

Found: Yours sincerely, Lord Stirrup KG GCB AFC Chair of the European Affairs Committee

Found: Yours sincerely Lord Stirrup KG GCB AFC Chair of the European Affairs Committee

Found: Flint Minister of State 2 Marsham Street London SW1P 4DF www.gov.uk/home-office Rt Hon Lord Stirrup

Found: Letter dated 02/03/2026 from Lord Lemos to Lord Stirrup regarding a question on cooperation in the context

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