To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to strengthen the resilience of critical national infrastructure, democratic processes and supply chains against cyber and hybrid threats from hostile state actors.

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to strengthen the resilience of critical national infrastructure, democratic processes and supply chains against cyber and hybrid threats from hostile state actors.

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 24 June 2026 to Questions 11520 on Planning, for what reason his Department did not make an assessment of the potential impact of the Town and Country Planning (Discharge of Local Planning Authority...

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 24 June 2026 to Questions 11520 on Planning, for what reason his Department did not make an assessment of the potential impact of the Town and Country Planning (Discharge of Local Planning Authority...

Indeed. If anyone wants to see that graffiti, which is a remarkable example of the messages that Chartists leave for our history, I am sure the House can facilitate that.

Indeed. If anyone wants to see that graffiti, which is a remarkable example of the messages that Chartists leave for our history, I am sure the House can facilitate that.

As a former history teacher, the Leader of the House will know that Newport was the site of the UK’s last armed insurrection. Every year in Newport, we honour and commemorate the Chartists’ sacrifice at the annual Newport Rising festival, and I am delighted to say that the torchlit march...

As a former history teacher, the Leader of the House will know that Newport was the site of the UK’s last armed insurrection. Every year in Newport, we honour and commemorate the Chartists’ sacrifice at the annual Newport Rising festival, and I am delighted to say that the torchlit march...

First, I congratulate my hon. Friend on her very well-deserved damehood, announced last week. She is right to draw attention to the story of Chartism, because it is a vital part of the story of democracy in our country, not least the Newport rising in 1839. Our democracy is absolutely...

First, I congratulate my hon. Friend on her very well-deserved damehood, announced last week. She is right to draw attention to the story of Chartism, because it is a vital part of the story of democracy in our country, not least the Newport rising in 1839. Our democracy is absolutely...

What steps she is taking with Cabinet colleagues to help protect Welsh democracy from foreign interference.

What steps she is taking with Cabinet colleagues to help protect Welsh democracy from foreign interference.

To ask His Majesty’s Government, in light of the findings by the French agency Viginum that a foreign influence operation targeted the 2026 Scottish Parliament election, what steps they are taking to investigate and prevent foreign interference in UK democratic processes.

To ask His Majesty’s Government, in light of the findings by the French agency Viginum that a foreign influence operation targeted the 2026 Scottish Parliament election, what steps they are taking to investigate and prevent foreign interference in UK democratic processes.

We do not routinely comment on security matters. We are absolutely committed to safeguarding the UK’s elections and have well-established processes to protect democratic integrity across the country. The Government are implementing the counter political interference and espionage action plan through the Defending Democracy Taskforce to reduce foreign interference and espionage threats. The Government continue to work closely with our international partners to increase democratic resilience and counter the threat of foreign misinformation, manipulation and interference.

We do not routinely comment on security matters. We are absolutely committed to safeguarding the UK’s elections and have well-established processes to protect democratic integrity across the country. The Government are implementing the counter political interference and espionage action plan through the Defending Democracy Taskforce to reduce foreign interference and espionage threats. The Government continue to work closely with our international partners to increase democratic resilience and counter the threat of foreign misinformation, manipulation and interference.

Since my Question was submitted, we have had the disturbing news of the convictions of two people apparently with Russian links for arson attacks related to the Prime Minister. The very welcome recent Rycroft review’s remit, however, looked only at financial influence from overseas, so is now not the time for a broader review of foreign interference in all forms in our democracy?

Since my Question was submitted, we have had the disturbing news of the convictions of two people apparently with Russian links for arson attacks related to the Prime Minister. The very welcome recent Rycroft review’s remit, however, looked only at financial influence from overseas, so is now not the time for a broader review of foreign interference in all forms in our democracy?

The noble Lord raises a genuinely important point. The responsibility of every Government is to make sure that we keep all our citizens safe. We have seen significant state-based interference, both violent and online, in our democratic space. But rest assured that the Government keep these issues under review every day.

The noble Lord raises a genuinely important point. The responsibility of every Government is to make sure that we keep all our citizens safe. We have seen significant state-based interference, both violent and online, in our democratic space. But rest assured that the Government keep these issues under review every day.

My Lords, I was an OSCE observer last week at the elections in Armenia. Initial reports show that, although there was significant Russian interference, particularly on social media, its effect was mitigated because there was a very effective public education campaign. Will my noble friend the Minister therefore look at what this Government can do to educate the public about the dangers of foreign interference and the difference between information and misinformation from foreign sources?

My Lords, I was an OSCE observer last week at the elections in Armenia. Initial reports show that, although there was significant Russian interference, particularly on social media, its effect was mitigated because there was a very effective public education campaign. Will my noble friend the Minister therefore look at what this Government can do to educate the public about the dangers of foreign interference and the difference between information and misinformation from foreign sources?

I thank my noble friend for her work in Armenia. What has come to light is extraordinary, although I have been

reassured that, even with all those efforts, the Russian-supporting political party got only 17.5% of the vote. Obviously, we work closely with all our partners across all our allies to make sure that we learn best practice and share best practice where appropriate, and we will continue to do so. But each and every one of us also has a responsibility in this space to protect the democratic values we hold so dear.

I thank my noble friend for her work in Armenia. What has come to light is extraordinary, although I have been

reassured that, even with all those efforts, the Russian-supporting political party got only 17.5% of the vote. Obviously, we work closely with all our partners across all our allies to make sure that we learn best practice and share best practice where appropriate, and we will continue to do so. But each and every one of us also has a responsibility in this space to protect the democratic values we hold so dear.

My Lords, the noble Lord, Lord Pack, referred to the Rycroft report, and a series of amendments to the pending legislation on elections were placed very soon after that report was published. May I ask that the Government go somewhat more slowly in relation to the proposed amendments and look at them more carefully, along with the events that the noble Lord, Lord Pack, identified, so that we do not have to come back yet again and amend yet more elections legislation in 12 or 18 months’ time?

My Lords, the noble Lord, Lord Pack, referred to the Rycroft report, and a series of amendments to the pending legislation on elections were placed very soon after that report was published. May I ask that the Government go somewhat more slowly in relation to the proposed amendments and look at them more carefully, along with the events that the noble Lord, Lord Pack, identified, so that we do not have to come back yet again and amend yet more elections legislation in 12 or 18 months’ time?

I know how excited the noble Lord will be about the legislation that will be in front of your Lordships’ House, which he will be able to scrutinise, and I am sure that my ministerial colleagues will enjoy the inevitable debate. The noble Lord is right: we obviously responded immediately to some of the biggest areas of immediate concern that we could legislate for, and our full response to the report will follow very soon. But several reports, including from the Foreign Affairs Select Committee in the other place, have looked at this space. We need to make sure that we respond to everything in the round and take some time, but also act quickly, given the potential impact that we see every day.

I know how excited the noble Lord will be about the legislation that will be in front of your Lordships’ House, which he will be able to scrutinise, and I am sure that my ministerial colleagues will enjoy the inevitable debate. The noble Lord is right: we obviously responded immediately to some of the biggest areas of immediate concern that we could legislate for, and our full response to the report will follow very soon. But several reports, including from the Foreign Affairs Select Committee in the other place, have looked at this space. We need to make sure that we respond to everything in the round and take some time, but also act quickly, given the potential impact that we see every day.

My Lords, the report that the noble Lord, Lord Pack, referred to was by a French government agency about the apparent operations of an Israeli company in exerting influence over campaigns in France, Britain and a number of African countries. The report mentions co-operation between the French government agency and the Swedish, British and Dutch Governments, as well as others. But would it not have been appropriate to alert our own population to what was going on? Now that we know that we have this sort of foreign influence through social media, coming from a number of different countries—not just from state actors but from private actors, such as the Israeli company and private actors in the United States, which exert considerable influence—should the British Government not have reported to their own public to tell us what was going on?

My Lords, the report that the noble Lord, Lord Pack, referred to was by a French government agency about the apparent operations of an Israeli company in exerting influence over campaigns in France, Britain and a number of African countries. The report mentions co-operation between the French government agency and the Swedish, British and Dutch Governments, as well as others. But would it not have been appropriate to alert our own population to what was going on? Now that we know that we have this sort of foreign influence through social media, coming from a number of different countries—not just from state actors but from private actors, such as the Israeli company and private actors in the United States, which exert considerable influence—should the British Government not have reported to their own public to tell us what was going on?

The noble Lord raises an important point. Obviously, France is one of our key allies—we have seen images only today of the President with the Prime Minister at the G7. I reassure your Lordships’ House that our position is that it is dangerous to jump to any conclusions on the basis of a single report. The UK Government will draw on our own analysis and draw our own conclusions.

The noble Lord raises an important point. Obviously, France is one of our key allies—we have seen images only today of the President with the Prime Minister at the G7. I reassure your Lordships’ House that our position is that it is dangerous to jump to any conclusions on the basis of a single report. The UK Government will draw on our own analysis and draw our own conclusions.

My Lords, it is increasingly clear that there was a major effort by the Russians in support of the SNP at the Scottish

Parliament elections, because it is in their interest to break up Britain. In view of this and subsequent events, is there not a case now for those elections to be rerun?

My Lords, it is increasingly clear that there was a major effort by the Russians in support of the SNP at the Scottish

Parliament elections, because it is in their interest to break up Britain. In view of this and subsequent events, is there not a case now for those elections to be rerun?

I thank my noble friend for so many things, but I am not sure that our colleagues who are currently campaigning in by-elections up and down the country will necessarily join me in doing so. My noble friend raises an important point about ensuring that people have confidence in the election results. That is why we have the Joint Election Security and Preparedness Unit, which was operational during the recent elections and is operational again during the current by-elections to make sure that we can all have confidence in the democratic process.

I thank my noble friend for so many things, but I am not sure that our colleagues who are currently campaigning in by-elections up and down the country will necessarily join me in doing so. My noble friend raises an important point about ensuring that people have confidence in the election results. That is why we have the Joint Election Security and Preparedness Unit, which was operational during the recent elections and is operational again during the current by-elections to make sure that we can all have confidence in the democratic process.

My Lords, the news of Russian state actors behind the arson attacks at sites linked to the Prime Minister is, as other noble Lords have pointed out, extremely concerning. Yesterday’s incident with the frigate “Admiral Grigorovich” shows that Russia has become increasingly reckless. Have similar trends been seen in Russian foreign interference operations online, including through the use of bots? What practical steps are Ministers taking to tackle this?

My Lords, the news of Russian state actors behind the arson attacks at sites linked to the Prime Minister is, as other noble Lords have pointed out, extremely concerning. Yesterday’s incident with the frigate “Admiral Grigorovich” shows that Russia has become increasingly reckless. Have similar trends been seen in Russian foreign interference operations online, including through the use of bots? What practical steps are Ministers taking to tackle this?