Source · Select Committees · National Security Strategy (Joint Committee)
Recommendation 28
28
Deferred
The Government should further explore cable protection zones for critical areas of cable concentration, policed...
Recommendation
The Government should further explore cable protection zones for critical areas of cable concentration, policed by early warning indicators and heightened monitoring and response capabilities. This would require close co-operation with European partners, given the need to manage other maritime activities proportionately. (Recommendation, Paragraph 169) 67
Government Response Summary
The government agrees to further explore cable protection zones, noting potential utility but also jurisdiction limitations and challenges in congested marine environments. They are considering existing powers as part of a legislative review and are engaging with international partners while factoring in existing work on cable concentration areas.
Government Response
Deferred
HM Government
Deferred
The Government agrees with this recommendation to further explore cable protection zones. We recognise the potential utility of the Government creating such zones in areas of high cable concentration, where it has the jurisdiction to do so. We are considering the extent of existing powers to designate protected zones at sea as part of our comprehensive review of legislation concerning subsea cable infrastructure. It should be noted that these powers are limited outside of the Territorial Sea. In the Exclusive Economic Zone the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) provides that coastal States may create “safety zones” around “artificial islands, installations and structures”, but this does not include subsea cables. We also acknowledge the challenges posed in implementing cable protection zones, due to the highly congested nature of the UK’s marine environment. The UK’s extensive cable network and varied landing sites add a further layer of complexity that must be considered in assessing this proposal. Work has already been undertaken through The Crown Estate’s Marine Delivery Routemap, in collaboration with DSIT, to identify potential future areas of cable concentration, which we will factor into our assessment of the need for, and feasibility of, cable protection zones. We are also engaging with European partners and other international partners—through both bilateral discussions and multilateral forums—to strengthen cooperation on maritime infrastructure protection.