Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what measures HMRC has in place to continue to run critical services in the event of a major internet outage.

HMRC services are designed with resilience and continuity in mind. While some services rely on internet connectivity—for example, digital access for citizens and connections to certain Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) platforms—the majority of HMRC’s core systems will continue to operate during an internet outage.

Internal connectivity between HMRC sites and hosted services is maintained through private, dedicated links that do not depend on the public internet. This ensures that critical processing and internal operations can continue without interruption.

For citizen-facing services that require internet access, HMRC has established Business Continuity plans. These include alternative communication channels, prioritisation of essential services, and manual fallback processes where appropriate, to minimise disruption and maintain service availability.