07 Dec 17. Defence Committee. The Committee previously held a one-off oral evidence session on the situation in North East Asia in September 2017 following recent nuclear and missile tests by the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.
Subsequently, the government reported that North Korea was also responsible for the ‘Wannacry’ global malware attack in May 2017 which, in the UK, particularly affected NHS IT systems. Reports from the ongoing National Security Capability Review suggest that the government plans to increase investment in UK cyber capabilities.
The Defence Committee is examining the threats posed to the UK by North Korean capability, particularly from nuclear and cyber-attack, and the UK’s capability to respond to these threats. The Committee will also examine how the UK is currently responding to the North Korean crisis and its options for responding to further military escalation.
The Committee seeks written submissions addressing the following issues:
• What is the security threat currently posed by North Korea capabilities in nuclear, cyber and other, conventional weapons to the UK and its allies?
• Is the UK adequately prepared to defend against cyber and other emerging threats from North Korea?
• How is the Ministry of Defence supporting other government departments and the private sector to defend themselves against cyber threats, such as those posed by North Korea?
• What might be the potential capability of North Korea in nuclear, cyber and other, conventional weapons in the coming future?
• How might the UK government respond to any further escalation of the crisis, such as further development of North Korean military capabilities or conflict on or near the Korean peninsula.
Written submissions for this inquiry should be submitted via the inquiry page on the Defence Committee website and the deadline is Friday 12 January 2018.
Submissions should state clearly who the submission is from e.g. ‘Written evidence submitted by
Submissions must be a self-contained memorandum in Word or Rich Text Format (not PDFs). Paragraphs should be numbered for ease of reference and the document should, if possible, include an executive summary.
Submissions should be original work, not previously published or circulated elsewhere. Once submitted, your submission becomes the property of the Committee and no public use should be made of it unless you have first obtained permission from the Clerk of the Committee.
Please bear in mind that the Committee will not consider individual cases or matters currently before a court of law, or matters in respect of which court proceedings are imminent. If you anticipate such issues arising, you should discuss with the Clerk of the Committee how this might affect your submission.
The Committee normally, though not always, chooses to publish the written evidence it receives. If there is any information you believe to be sensitive you should highlight it and explain what harm you believe would result from its disclosure; the Committee will take this into account in deciding whether to publish or further disclose the evidence.
The personal information you supply will be processed in accordance with the provisions of the Data Protection Act 1998 for the purposes of attributing the evidence you submit and contacting you as necessary in connection with its processing. The Clerk of the House of Commons is the data controller for the purposes of the Act.
05 Dec 17. Committees on Arms Export Controls launch inquiry into UK arms exports during 2016. The recently re-formed Committees on Arms Export Controls (CAEC) are launching their first inquiry into arms exports during 2016.
CAEC is the joint meeting of the Defence, Foreign Affairs, International Development, and International Trade Select Committees to scrutinise arms exports. The Chair of the Committees is Gra