Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps he has taken to increase security of subsea infrastructure between the United Kingdom and continental Europe.

Subsea cables are critical to UK telecommunications digital infrastructure, and the Government are committed to maintaining and enhancing their security. This is a whole-of-Government effort including the Ministry of Defence, the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology and the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, alongside industry and international partners.

The Royal Navy plays a critical part in this RFA Proteus. the UK's first Multi-Role Ocean Surveillance Ship (MROS), is now operational and using its leading-edge technology to monitor underwater infrastructure in areas of UK sovereign interest.