Lord Jackson of Peterborough (Con)

My Lords, I support the excellent amendment in the name of my noble friend Lady Neville-Rolfe. It is timely, given the unstable nature of our world, particularly with regard to China and Russia, and the fact that, ever since the 2022 Nord Stream pipeline bombings, the idea of hybrid warfare or asymmetrical warfare waged from one nation to another, particularly affecting the Baltic states, is much more prevalent. I will give a couple of examples of recent incidents. In December 2025 Finnish police detained the vessel “Fitburg”, travelling from Russia, for allegedly damaging a cable between Helsinki and Estonia, and in November 2024 a PRC-rigged ship carrying Russian cargo was linked to damage to two Baltic cables. The concept of dragging anchors to damage nautical infrastructure and cables is now quite widespread, and it is an issue that has been to the fore in the strategy of NATO countries. I have two final points. First, this is an important amendment because it is not just state actors that are engaged in these practices. It is plausible and likely that the prevalence of this damage of vital nautical infrastructure, which affects utilities, energy et cetera, would be subcontracted to non-state actors. On that basis, it is appropriate to amend this clause with this amendment. Secondly, in her typically positive way, my noble friend has praised the Minister for engaging on this issue in Committee. She is quite right, and—I always say this, but it is nevertheless true—this is a helpful amendment. I do not think that this is particularly a party-political issue, but the amendment gives Ministers an imperative to do something about it. The amendment says to Ministers: if you do not choose to legislate specifically, with a discrete piece of legislation, then at least explain whether you think that the existing legislation is inadequate, aged and not fit for purpose—as the noble Lord, Lord Cromwell, rightly said—carry out a review of that and come forward with new legislation. If that is possible, I think that there is a degree of consensus around my noble friend’s excellent amendment. I think that the Minister should look at this issue. The hour is late, of course, but this is an incredibly vital and pressing issue on hybrid warfare, which, as I have said, will affect all our citizens over the coming years. It is better to get in early to upgrade the legislation and take advantage of this helpful, collaborative amendment to make the changes necessary.