Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many Russian naval, research and civilian-flagged vessels have been detected loitering near UK subsea cables, gas pipelines and interconnectors in each of the last five years; and assessment his Department has made of whether those vessels are mapping critical infrastructure.

For reasons of national security, I cannot provide detailed information on detections, intelligence assessments or the extent and timing of surveys of the United Kingdom’s critical undersea infrastructure.

The Ministry of Defence, working with partners across Government and our Allies, closely monitors maritime activity in and around UK waters. The Government’s £330 million investment over four years will strengthen the protection of the UK’s critical undersea infrastructure, enhancing our ability to detect, monitor, deter and respond to any potential threat.