§ Mrs. LaitTo ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the answer of the Secretary of State for the Home Department of 25 January 1999,Official Report,column 75,on electronic warfare, what responsibilities of his Department for measures against information warfare will come within the lead responsibility of the Secretary of State for the Home Department. [68314]
§ Dawn PrimaroloThe Home Secretary's reply of 25 January set out his new responsibilities to co-ordinate action across government and to work with the private sector to ensure adequate protection for the UK's critical IT infrastructure. The responsibilities of individual Departments have not changed.
In this context, HM Treasury has responsibility for the regulatory framework for the financial sector. Within this framework, the Financial Services Authority has operational responsibility for banking supervision, which includes ensuring that banks have sufficient systems and controls to protect themselves against the possibility of attack. The Bank of England oversees the UK payment systems industry.
Inland Revenue and HM Customs and Excise have responsibility for ensuring the robustness of their systems against attack.