Written question asked by Lord Patten (Conservative) on Wednesday, 11 February 2026, in the House of Lords. It was due for an answer on Wednesday, 25 February 2026. It was answered by Lord Livermore (Labour) on Tuesday, 24 February 2026 on behalf of the Treasury.
Telecommunications Cables: Seas and Oceans
- Question
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To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the threats to financial services presented by the cutting of subsea cables or the monitoring of information carried by them.
- Answer
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Strengthening the financial sector’s resilience to threats and hazards of all origins is a key priority for HM Treasury and the financial regulators.
While individual subsea cables are vulnerable to damage, the UK’s international connectivity is resilient, supported by 45 international cables and high‑capacity fibre cables through the Channel tunnel.
However, critical sectors must be prepared for reasonable worst-case disruption. HM Treasury is working closely with the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology to update the Government’s assessment of how disruption or monitoring of subsea cables could affect financial services. This work will inform response planning and further support a secure, resilient financial sector.
Secondary information
- Type
- Written question
- Reference
- HL14541
- Session
- 2024-26
- Subjects
- Financial services Seas and oceans Telecommunications cables
- Link
- View this Written question on www.parliament.uk
Librarians' tools
- Timestamp
- 2026-02-24 15:48:00 +0000
- URI
- http://data.parliament.uk/writtenparliamentaryquestion/lords/2024-26/HL14541
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