Question
If rule No. 1, as far as resilience is concerned, is “be prepared”, does the Minister agree that rule No. 2 should be “have a reliable back-up system”? In that connection, does he share my concern that both in the field of telephony and in the field of banking, back-up systems do not seem to exist? In particular, were the Government consulted before British Telecom decided not only to move to an internet-based telephone system, but to dismantle the copper wire system, which could have given us useful resilience in an emergency?
Answer
I broadly agree with the right hon. Gentleman’s rule No. 2, and he is right to stress the importance of having back-up systems. Essentially, a guiding principle in this campaign is making sure that households have their own back-up systems, but he is right to say that the Government need to think about the bigger picture, and to ensure resilience across our critical national infrastructure and in the areas of business and commerce to which he refers. I can give him an assurance that the Government work very closely with partners in the private sector, and various forums provide opportunities to engage on these matters. We take them very seriously, but I will look more carefully at the point that he has made.14% vibes
Verdict: AMBER (38/100)
The minister clearly agreed with the member's general point that back-up systems matter, but the reply was largely hedged on the specifics. It did not name telephony or banking, did not say whether the claim that back-up systems are absent is true, and drifted towards household back-up. It also did not say whether the Government was consulted before BT's decision to move to internet telephony and dismantle the copper network, so the questioner would likely need to ask again for specifics.
How we got there
| Question item | Coverage | Specificity | Rationale |
|---|---|---|---|
| Does the Minister agree that "have a reliable back-up system" should be rule No. 2 of resilience, following "be prepared" as rule No. 1? | Addressed | Direct | The minister explicitly says he broadly agrees with the member's 'rule No. 2' and with the importance of having back-up systems, which answers the question directly. |
| Does the Minister share the concern that back-up systems do not seem to exist in either telephony or banking? | Partially Addressed | Hedged | The reply agrees the Government must ensure resilience across critical national infrastructure and business and commerce, which is loosely the area of the concern, but it never names telephony or banking, never confirms or rejects the claim that back-up systems are absent, and pivots to household back-up systems. The remaining statements are general engagement and a promise to 'look more carefully', which are gestures rather than a concrete response. |
| Were the Government consulted before British Telecom decided to move to an internet-based telephone system and dismantle its copper wire network? | Not Addressed | Generic | The question asks whether the Government was consulted before BT's specific decision to move to internet telephony and dismantle the copper network, and the reply never says whether any such consultation took place; it only refers in general terms to working with private-sector partners and forums. |