National Resilience
Monday, 19 October 2026
Contributions
Laura Kyrke-Smith (Aylesbury) (Lab)Labour
10. What steps he is taking with Cabinet colleagues to strengthen national resilience.
The Secretary of State for Defence (Wes Streeting)Labour
The strategic defence review published last year set out that defence must play a stronger role in protecting our homeland. The Ministry of Defence is taking a whole-of-Government approach, working closely with the Cabinet Office and particularly the Home Office. We are bringing together industry, civil society, emergency services and the public to help build a whole-of-society approach to resilience and preparedness. We are refreshing our homeland defence plans, we will introduce a defence readiness Bill, and we are strengthening critical national infrastructure resilience. I look forward to keeping the House updated, including on the actions that Members can take and ways they can support their constituents, and to supporting the national conversation that is under way.
Whether the threat is from Russia, Iran or rogue AI agents, keeping our country safe is the precondition for growth and progress here at home. Protecting ourselves means protecting the critical national infrastructure on which our constituents’ lives depend, whether that is our banking systems, road and rail networks, or electricity grid. As the Chief of the Defence Staff and the Secretary of State have said, we face a society-wide threat, and we must prepare and respond with a society-wide effort. Will the Secretary of State say more about what he is doing with Cabinet colleagues to protect our critical national infrastructure, and will he advise my constituents on what they can do to play their part in keeping us all safe?
The Prime Minister has announced threat briefings for CEOs from sensitive sectors, including defence and critical national infrastructure operators, to strengthen their understanding of the threats we face and improve our collective resilience. The Government have announced a national resilience public awareness campaign and a wider national conversation on defence and resilience to improve public preparedness. Individuals can play their part by following the preparedness advice on gov.uk, and we will all have a role to play in getting those messages across. Finally, we should be clear that those threats do not come just from overseas and that the aggressive targeting of defence industry leaders by protesters here at home is not acceptable. We will not tolerate the intimidation of people who are doing a job for our country.
Lincoln Jopp (Spelthorne) (Con)Conservative
When this issue came up in the Defence Committee last week, the Secretary of State said that the national conversation should leave the public “alert but not alarmed.” I personally think the public need to be a bit more alarmed, so I was reassured when the excellent General Sir Roly Walker said last week that “very soon, the political leaders of this country will start to have a frank conversation with the citizens of this country about just what is going on, and where the risk lies,”. When the Secretary of State starts that conversation, will he make it as cross-party as possible? It is important that this House sends a strong message to the country about the threats we face.
I wholeheartedly endorse the comments made by the Chief of the General Staff, which were widely reported over the weekend. Our armed forces chiefs are some of the most credible message carriers, and the ones the public will trust most. That is not to cast aspersions on Members across the House, but given that our popularity as politicians sits somewhere beneath traffic wardens and estate agents, we should lean in to— [ Interruption. ] I am not sure the Liberal Democrats want to go there this week. Let me take seriously the hon. Gentleman’s point about the need to work together on a cross-party basis. I am proud that on issues like Ukraine we speak with one voice and there is total unity, and there is enormous consensus across the House about the nature of the threat we face, the need to invest more, and the type of capabilities we need. That will be reassuring to both the public and our allies, and I would be delighted to work together in that spirit.
Dr Peter Prinsley (Bury St Edmunds and Stowmarket) (Lab)Labour
Many United States servicemen from RAF Lakenheath live off base in my constituency. As we all know, lately the United States’ bombers were removed from RAF Fairford. What more can every citizen do to increase national resilience, so as to protect and support the brave United States servicemen and servicewomen who are in our country at a time of increased threat from Russia?
I thank my hon. Friend for the work that he does in this House, as reflected in his question, to champion the great service that the United States’ personnel give to our collective security. Their presence here in the United Kingdom makes us safer and they are always welcome. The current US force posture at RAF Fairford is what we would expect to see outside of major combat operations. However, given the threat to RAF Fairford—respecting that there is still an ongoing investigation, I will be limited in what I say—we need to take base security seriously, and off-base support for UK and US personnel and those of our allies equally seriously. We have committed half a billion pounds of additional investment, and strengthened security technology and infrastructure across military sites. The challenges that we face here in the UK are challenges that are facing all our allies, and one issue that I discussed with Secretary Hegseth last week was about what more we could do together to strengthen our collective security across the alliance.
Sarah Pochin (Runcorn and Helsby) (Reform)Reform UK
Does the Secretary of State agree that the Territorial Army plays an important role in our national resilience? Will he commit to fight for increased funding for the Territorial Army in the forthcoming Budget, and what is he doing to increase recruitment?
We certainly support our reservists—they have an important part to play in our national defence. I will take the hon. Member’s question as yet another supportive submission to the Budget process on behalf of the Ministry of Defence. I can say confidently to the House that those Budget representations fall on very sympathetic ears with this Chancellor.
Source: UK Parliament Hansard API. Debate ID: 5419476.