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To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the effect on the UK's national resilience of replacing the centrally powered Public Switched Telephone Network with Digital Voice services which depend upon electricity and broadband equipment within individual premises; and whether they have undertaken any comparative assessment of...
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the effect on the UK's national resilience of replacing the centrally powered Public Switched Telephone Network with Digital Voice services which depend upon electricity and broadband equipment within individual premises; and whether they have undertaken any comparative assessment of...
The Government is committed to ensuring that any risks from the industry-led migration of the analogue Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) to digital Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) are mitigated for everyone across the UK. VoIP technology is more resilient, more secure, enables better quality phone calls, and can be used to block scam calls. Over 92% of PSTN landlines have already been migrated.
Communications providers are under legal obligations to ensure uninterrupted access to emergency services, including 999 and 112, and to take appropriate and proportionate steps to identify risks to network resilience and mitigate service disruption.
In November 2024, the Government secured additional safeguards from the telecoms industry. These include the provision of free battery back-ups for vulnerable and landline dependent customers to ensure access to emergency services beyond one hour in a power outage. Many providers have gone further, providing 4-7 hours.
Communications providers are also subject to robust cyber security and resilience requirements under the Telecommunications (Security) Act 2021, including obligations to identify, manage and mitigate cyber risks that could affect network availability and services.
Amid multiple heatwaves this summer, is the UK is prepared for extreme heat? This briefing provides an overview of the risk posed by heatwaves, government policy, progress and stakeholder comment.
Amid multiple heatwaves this summer, is the UK is prepared for extreme heat? This briefing provides an overview of the risk posed by heatwaves, government policy, progress and stakeholder comment.
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the likelihood of power blackouts over the next five years.
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the likelihood of power blackouts over the next five years.
Great Britain has a highly resilient energy system. Government works closely with industry and regulators to improve and maintain the resilience and security of energy infrastructure and is confident the likelihood of a large-scale power outage remains low.
The National Energy System Operator (NESO) takes a holistic view of the changing energy landscape to assess the future operation of Britain's electricity networks and has tools available to manage the system under a wide range of scenarios.
Where localised power disruptions do occur, for example due to faults or severe weather, established response arrangements are in place to minimise impacts and restore supplies as quickly as possible.
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to publish the independent review into allegations regarding risk of blackouts during heatwaves make by whistle-blowers from the National Energy System Operator in July.
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to publish the independent review into allegations regarding risk of blackouts during heatwaves make by whistle-blowers from the National Energy System Operator in July.
The Government takes this matter very seriously and welcomes both the independent review into whistleblowing allegations and the separate review into grid performance during the recent period of extreme heat. Transparency will be a central principle throughout.
The Minister for Energy wrote to the Chair of NESO urging the key findings of the independent report to be published once the investigation has concluded.
Separately, NESO's post-event analysis, and Ofgem's conclusions, will be published. This will be subject to limited redactions required to protect the anonymity of individual staff members, commercially sensitive information, national security matters, or other legitimate confidentiality considerations.
Lords statement on allegations from whistleblowers within the National Energy System Operator regarding summer blackout risk.
Lords statement on allegations from whistleblowers within the National Energy System Operator regarding summer blackout risk.
I declare my interests as chair of Amey, Acteon and Buckthorn Partners. Can the Minister confirm the comments of whistleblowers that on 23 June
“constraints were breached and system security was compromised”—
and, I might add, five safety limits were breached as well? Can he confirm that such events can directly contribute...
I declare my interests as chair of Amey, Acteon and Buckthorn Partners. Can the Minister confirm the comments of whistleblowers that on 23 June
“constraints were breached and system security was compromised”—
and, I might add, five safety limits were breached as well? Can he confirm that such events can directly contribute...
The Government take the allegations that the whistleblowers have made recently concerning the operation of NESO very seriously. An external legal firm has been appointed to investigate, reporting to a panel independent of senior management; indeed, there is the opportunity for anybody independent of senior management to make representations to...
The Government take the allegations that the whistleblowers have made recently concerning the operation of NESO very seriously. An external legal firm has been appointed to investigate, reporting to a panel independent of senior management; indeed, there is the opportunity for anybody independent of senior management to make representations to...
My Lords, these allegations, if accurate, would represent a shocking breach of public trust by an organisation now owned directly by the Government. But it also demonstrates a failure of the current whistleblowing framework that, to be heard and to have some measure of protection, the whistleblower has had to...
My Lords, these allegations, if accurate, would represent a shocking breach of public trust by an organisation now owned directly by the Government. But it also demonstrates a failure of the current whistleblowing framework that, to be heard and to have some measure of protection, the whistleblower has had to...
As far as whistleblowing is concerned, I can speak only to this particular episode, but I point to the Government’s response—or, rather, the response of NESO and other bodies—in developing very rapidly a forum in which whistleblowers can confidentially and without any concerns about their own future or safety participate...
As far as whistleblowing is concerned, I can speak only to this particular episode, but I point to the Government’s response—or, rather, the response of NESO and other bodies—in developing very rapidly a forum in which whistleblowers can confidentially and without any concerns about their own future or safety participate...
My Lords, first, in welcoming my noble friend’s response, can he confirm that there was no loss of supply to customers on the occasion of the incidents referred to? Secondly, in response to the question from the noble Lord, Lord Moynihan, in which he attacked the Government’s investment in
wind...
My Lords, first, in welcoming my noble friend’s response, can he confirm that there was no loss of supply to customers on the occasion of the incidents referred to? Secondly, in response to the question from the noble Lord, Lord Moynihan, in which he attacked the Government’s investment in
wind...
Yes, that does make it very important that we continue decarbonising our energy systems to make sure that they are very resilient in a different climate that we will have in the future, and that the consequences of, for example, continuing to provide energy via high-carbon fossil fuels are countered...
Yes, that does make it very important that we continue decarbonising our energy systems to make sure that they are very resilient in a different climate that we will have in the future, and that the consequences of, for example, continuing to provide energy via high-carbon fossil fuels are countered...
My Lords, does the episode not show that the integrity of the energy supply system is simply not fit for purpose? There is an overdependence on renewables that needs to be addressed as a matter of urgency.
My Lords, does the episode not show that the integrity of the energy supply system is simply not fit for purpose? There is an overdependence on renewables that needs to be addressed as a matter of urgency.
I disagree with the noble Baroness. The recent episode showed that, even in relatively new circumstances of extreme heat—rather than the more normal issue of energy margin certificates being issued because of the effect of cold and winter on the system—the system stood up to it very well and managed...
I disagree with the noble Baroness. The recent episode showed that, even in relatively new circumstances of extreme heat—rather than the more normal issue of energy margin certificates being issued because of the effect of cold and winter on the system—the system stood up to it very well and managed...
My Lords, can the Minister address the concern that the NESO inquiry is being conducted by a firm of City lawyers rather than electrical engineers? That gives the impression that the allocation of blame and legal liability is seen as more important than the integrity of the system. Is not...
My Lords, can the Minister address the concern that the NESO inquiry is being conducted by a firm of City lawyers rather than electrical engineers? That gives the impression that the allocation of blame and legal liability is seen as more important than the integrity of the system. Is not...
Many things are being done alongside the changing nature of the system to make sure that it retains its resilience and ability to supply power on a no-failure basis. These include continuing to build out the grid, and bringing forward ancillary services, new forms of artificial inertia, long-duration storage and...
Many things are being done alongside the changing nature of the system to make sure that it retains its resilience and ability to supply power on a no-failure basis. These include continuing to build out the grid, and bringing forward ancillary services, new forms of artificial inertia, long-duration storage and...
My Lords, will the Minister please accept that it is very important to ensure that the whistleblowing arrangements work effectively? Otherwise, people will use this opportunity to attack the Government’s excellent policy on moving as rapidly as we can to renewable energy, which is much cheaper and crucial for our...
My Lords, will the Minister please accept that it is very important to ensure that the whistleblowing arrangements work effectively? Otherwise, people will use this opportunity to attack the Government’s excellent policy on moving as rapidly as we can to renewable energy, which is much cheaper and crucial for our...
I could not agree with the noble Lord more. Whistleblowing is and should be an essential part of all these processes. Whistleblowers have to feel safe in what they say so that it can be properly looked at and lessons can be learned if it turns out that they pointed...
I could not agree with the noble Lord more. Whistleblowing is and should be an essential part of all these processes. Whistleblowers have to feel safe in what they say so that it can be properly looked at and lessons can be learned if it turns out that they pointed...
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of how the UK’s communications infrastructure would perform in maintaining mass public communications in the event of a national power outage.
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of how the UK’s communications infrastructure would perform in maintaining mass public communications in the event of a national power outage.
The Government works closely with communications providers, Ofcom, the energy sector and other partners to ensure the resilience and security of the UK's communications infrastructure. Communications providers are responsible for the resilience of their networks and services and have statutory obligations to identify, reduce and manage risks that could affect the security and availability of services. Ofcom oversees compliance and has powers to monitor, investigate failures and take enforcement action where appropriate. The Government is also supporting collaboration between the electricity and telecommunications sectors to reduce the likelihood of telecommunications disruption during power outages and, where disruption occurs, minimise the number of people affected and the duration of any impact. In the event of a national power outage or a large-scale cyber incident affecting broadband networks, plans are in place to ensure the public can continue to receive critical information. This includes the use of BBC Radio 2 and BBC Radio 4, which would continue to broadcast key public advice. In the event of a prolonged broadband outage, critical information can also be communicated through alternative channels, including Emergency Alerts, which do not require a broadband connection to operate.
On 6 September 2024, Ofcom published updated Network and Service Resilience Guidance setting out the measures communications providers should take to improve network resilience. In February 2025, Ofcom published a technical report on mobile power resilience and undertook further analysis of mobile network resilience. Building on this work, Ofcom updated its Resilience Guidance in June 2026, clarifying its expectations for mobile network operators' backup power arrangements and sharing its findings with Government to support wider policy development.
The Telecommunications (Security) Act 2021 established a strengthened framework for the security and resilience of public telecommunications networks and services, introducing enhanced security duties on providers to protect their networks and services against cyber attack and reduce the risk and impact of security compromises. The framework is supported by the Telecommunications Security Code of Practice, which was updated in 2026 to reflect evolving threats, technologies and operational practices.
Urgent question on allegations from whistleblowers within the National Energy System Operator regarding summer blackout risk.
Urgent question on allegations from whistleblowers within the National Energy System Operator regarding summer blackout risk.
(Urgent Question): To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero if he will make a statement on allegations from whistleblowers within the National Energy System Operator regarding summer blackout risk.
(Urgent Question): To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero if he will make a statement on allegations from whistleblowers within the National Energy System Operator regarding summer blackout risk.