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17 March 2025 - Defending Democracy - Oral evidence

Committee National Security Strategy (Joint Committee)
Inquiry Defending Democracy

Monday 17 March 2025

Start times: 4:00pm (private) 4:30pm (public)


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Is UK democracy safe from interference? Security Minister gives evidence on election security and trust

On Monday 17 March, Government Ministers will appear before the cross-party Joint Committee on the National Security Strategy, to give evidence to MPs and Peers on the UK’s ability to deter foreign interference and defend elections from attacks.

Meeting details

At 4:30pm: Oral evidence
Work Defending Democracy (Non-inquiry session)
Minister of State (Minister for Security) at Home Office
Director of Protect and Prepare at Home Office
Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Future Digital Economy and Online Safety at Department for Science, Innovation and Technology
Deputy Director for Information Threats and Security at Department for Science, Innovation and Technology

Members of the Committee will ask what the Government learned about security from the 2024 General Election. Topics discussed will likely include cyber attacks, mis and disinformation, intimidation of election candidates and the threat of a gradual erosion of trust in democracy.

The Committee may question Ministers about the UK’s exposure to heightened Russian aggression and what is being done to improve resilience, given the UK’s role in the Ukraine peace settlement and Europe’s evolving relationship with the US.

The Committee will also question Security Minister Dan Jarvis and Baroness Jones of Whitchurch about the work of the Defending Democracy Taskforce to address an increasingly complex security environment, and whether the security and intelligence services are doing enough to defend the UK’s democratic institutions.

Location

Room 4A, Palace of Westminster

How to attend