Extract from oral
answer (Lords) on Public Procurement: Data Offshoring
(Lab): My Lords,
thanks to a whistleblower, we learned on 4 August from the Daily
Telegraph that, up to 2021 when it was discontinued, a chain of
outsourcing resulted in software for our nuclear submarine
engineers being developed by private companies in Minsk and
Siberia. The Telegraph reported , the then Defence Secretary, as saying that the
breach left the UK's national security “vulnerable to
undermining”. Can my noble friend tell us whether this story is
true? If it is true, where can we find a credible, comprehensive
rebuttal? Otherwise, is it not likely that our deterrent will be
undermined?
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for
Culture, Media and Sport () (Lab): As my noble
friend will appreciate, the Ministry of Defence took these
reports extremely seriously. In response, on 6 September this
year, , the Minister of State for
Defence, confirmed that both the MoD and Rolls-Royce Submarines
had conducted an investigation into the matter. The Minister
assured that the investigation found no evidence that Belarusian
nationals had access to sensitive information and concluded that
no change to the MoD procurement policy was required. The
Ministry of Defence has set a policy of using Secure by Design.
This is a modern approach whereby senior responsible owners,
capability owners and delivery teams are accountable and
responsible for delivering systems that are cybersecure. This
includes ensuring new systems being bought or built carry out due
diligence on the security of their systems.
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Extract from Public
Bill committee sitting on the Great British Energy Bill - Oct
8
(West Aberdeenshire and
Kincardine) (Con):...Another concern with the Bill, which I think
the Bill itself addresses, is the relationship between GB Energy
and GB Nuclear. We desperately need new nuclear. We are waiting
for the decision on Sizewell and we would like to see the
decision on Wylfa as well as small modular reactors. There is a
genuine question about whether SMRs fit under the remit of GB
Energy or GB Nuclear, and it needs to be resolved. SMRs are
another of those technologies that British brains created but, if
we are not careful, we will see the supply chains go overseas. It
is an industry that is likely to be £180 billion within a decade.
The choice we have with that is either to support British
companies such as Rolls-Royce or, as with
wind, to import this key technology that should be supporting
companies and jobs throughout Britain...
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