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National Security Strategy

My Lords, we have a set of work streams and one that the office for cybersecurity will tackle relates to international engagement. We are engaged internationally. As I said, we are almost joined at the hip with the US, and that stems from the agreement signed in the late 1940s between the NSA and GCHQ. We are working very closely with the US on its huge project to sort out the problems that it has in this area. Indeed, at times the US has used us to help in finding out what some of the problems are. We are working with the US very closely, as we are with the French and a number of European allies. Therefore, an international engagement work stream is part and parcel of this whole issue. I mentioned to the noble Baroness, Lady Miller, that we are working on the agreement with Europe, which we hope to have ready soon, although there are complexities in these matters. I agree entirely about NATO, and I think that we will have to put in more effort there. That is why I want an international engagement stream, because I believe that we need to be closely involved. It is a global issue, although I think that there is a difference of equity among people. We have a greater understanding with the US by a quantum amount than we do with almost any other country. However, that does not mean that we do not need an international work stream and that work will be done.