Parliamentary Secretary for the Cabinet Office (): The Minister of State,
DBE CMG, has today
made the following statement:
"I wish to update the House on the launch of the UK Integrated
Security Fund (ISF) announced in the Integrated Review Refresh
(IRR) by the Prime Minister on 12 March 2023. The Integrated
Security Fund (ISF) will succeed the existing Conflict, Stability
and Security Fund (CSSF) in April 2024.
The ISF is a cross-Government fund developed to tackle the
highest- priority threats to UK national security at home and
overseas. The ISF
will use Official Development Assistance (ODA) and non-ODA
funding to enable the delivery of National Security Council
priorities. It will take an integrated, agile, catalytic, and
high-risk approach to find solutions to the most complex national
security challenges outlined in the IRR 2023.
Through integrating domestic and overseas national security
programming, it will aim to have real-world strategic impact,
bring value for taxpayers’ money, and demonstrate UK innovation.
The ISF will build on the important work supported by the CSSF.
New areas of ISF programming will reflect the priorities set out
in the IRR and will add additional priorities, including maritime
security, economic sanctions and emerging and disruptive
technology such as AI and quantum computing. The ISF has
allocated almost £1bn for FY 24/25 bringing some existing
economic deterrence and cyber programmes into the single fund. In
FY 22/23, the CSSF invested £830m as set out in the CSSF Annual
Report FY 22/23.
The report demonstrates how CSSF programmes have delivered clear
results. In the Lake Chad Basin region in West Africa data
collection, analysis and coordination between the military and
police improved the response to the threat from Improvised
Explosive Devices to local
communities. Violent extremist groups operating globally pose a
threat to the UK and to our allies. To counter the increase in
the threat of Turkish manufactured converted blank-firing weapons
on UK streets, CSSF programmes invested in capacity building and
advice resulting in changes to firearms legislation in Turkey.
This resulted in a drop in the sales of blank firearms in Turkey
and a decrease in imports of blank firearms into the UK.
These examples highlight the Fund’s tangible contribution to
enhance UK national security through integrated programmes across
12 government departments and agencies, with a presence in over
90 countries and territories."
