Source · Select Committees · National Security Strategy (Joint Committee)
Recommendation 26
26
Accepted in Part
The Government should seek to provide a joined-up subsea cables function providing a centralised point...
Recommendation
The Government should seek to provide a joined-up subsea cables function providing a centralised point of contact for industry and international partners. This body should co-ordinate, not duplicate, cross-government work—bringing together departments and agencies covering subsea infrastructure operations, policy, security, resilience and contingency planning. In the first instance this could involve upgrading the Subsea Infrastructure Response Group into a formal, standing co-ordination and oversight body, reporting into an inter-ministerial group jointly led by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology and the Ministry of Defence. (Recommendation, Paragraph 163)
Government Response Summary
The government partially agrees, accepting the importance of a centralised function but rejecting the upgrade of SIRG and a new inter-ministerial group. They state an Undersea Infrastructure Security Oversight Board has been established to provide a joined-up function and ministerial oversight is already provided by the National Security Council.
Government Response
Accepted in Part
HM Government
Accepted in Part
The Government partially agrees with this recommendation. We agree with the Committee on the importance of a centralised, cross-government function to support coordination on subsea cable security policy. However, we do not think that expanding the scope of HMG’s Subsea Infrastructure Response Group (SIRG) beyond its current operational remit would be the most effective approach, as it is designed to be an agile forum to facilitate intelligence sharing and coordinate the Government’s response to crisis scenarios. As part of wider efforts to strengthen governance in this area, the Government has established an Undersea Infrastructure Security (UIS) Oversight Board, chaired by the Cabinet Office and consisting of members from relevant Government departments and agencies. This senior-level body will provide a joined-up function that the Committee envisages and serve to set the strategic direction across government. We believe DSIT should continue to be responsible for industry engagement on subsea telecoms cables, as the Lead Government Department (LGD) for cables. DSIT works closely with MoD and other key departments to facilitate government engagement with the sector, and both departments engage with industry through the DSIT-chaired Subsea Communications Cable Industry Group (SCCIG). The Government does not plan to set up an additional dedicated inter-ministerial group as effective Ministerial oversight is already provided by the National Security Council.