Oral Answers to Questions

Daniel Francis Excerpts

Thursday 5th June 2025 Commons Chamber

[Ms Oppong-Asare]

We like to work with the Northern Ireland Executive on this issue. It is important that we share best practice and deal with the problems across the board.

[Daniel Francis (Bexleyheath and Crayford) (Lab)]

2. What steps he is taking to strengthen cyber-security.

[Susan Murray (Mid Dunbartonshire) (LD)]

9. What steps he is taking to improve national resilience against cyber-security threats.

[The Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster (Pat McFadden)]

Cyber-defence is an important part of our national security, with daily attacks against Government, businesses and individuals. Members across the House will have seen the recent attacks against British household names such as Marks & Spencer and the Co-op and, indeed, the Government’s own Legal Aid Agency. Earlier this week, the Prime Minister announced that responsibility for public sector and Government cyber-security will sit with the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology. That will strengthen technological resilience by better integrating cyber-security and expertise into the Government Digital Service.

[Daniel Francis]

In recent weeks, we have seen a series of cyber-attacks on retailers, including on my former employer, Marks & Spencer, and on Government services such as the Legal Aid Agency. Will the Minister update the House on what discussions he has had with the UK’s National Cyber Security Centre and others to ensure that these incidents are dealt with as swiftly as possible and that more is done to prevent such attacks succeeding in the future?

[Pat McFadden]

Earlier this week, I met the chief executive of the National Cyber Security Centre, which works with impacted organisations to investigate what has happened and who is responsible and to help them rebuild. It has been working with all the organisations that have been hit by recent cyber-attacks. I also made a speech about these issues at the CYBERUK conference in Manchester a few weeks ago.