Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, what plans the Government has to transfer responsibility for protecting British democracy to her Department as recommended by the Intelligence and Security Committee’s report on Russia, published on 21 July 2020.

As set out in the Government’s response to the Intelligence and Security Committee’s report on Russia, our adversaries adopt a whole of state approach to hybrid and malign activity and tackling it therefore requires a cross-Government and cross-society response. In order to do so effectively, the Government draws on the skills, resources and remits of different departments, agencies and non-government organisations.

This activity is coordinated by the Defending Democracy programme in the Cabinet Office, with individual Government departments and the Security and Intelligence Agencies playing a key role in all relevant areas. As announced in the Queen’s Speech, the Home Office is bringing forward new legislation to provide the security services and law enforcement agencies with the tools they need to disrupt state threats, including threats to democracy. The National Security Council keeps this and all aspects of the Government’s approach to protecting UK democracy under review.