HC Deb 20 December 1999 vol 341 c371W
Mr. David Taylor

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on his plans to implement the policies announced on 25 January to protect the national infrastructure against electronic attack. [103719]

Mr. Straw

A range of initiatives has been taken. Departments have been asked to ensure that their own key systems will achieve independently assessable standards of security. Discussions are being held with a number of private sector organisations in order to identify the systems on which the national infrastructure critically depends, to assess and reduce their vulnerabilities, and to establish contingency arrangements. In order to take this forward, I have established an interdepartmental centre, the National Infrastructure Security Co-ordination Centre, to act as a point of contact for those involved in this work in both government and the private sector.