1800s law must be updated to protect 'backbone' of UK, MP says

An inadequate law from the 19th century must be strengthened to deter saboteurs from attacking the UK's critical undersea cables and pipelines, a minister has said.

Telecoms minister Ian Murray told the Sky News Defence Insider app that he would move "as quickly as possible" to update the law and ensure far greater punishments can be imposed on hostile actors who target such infrastructure, which carries the bulk of the nation's data and gas supplies.

Proposed sanctions include extending a maximum prison term from 5 to 14 years, and the ability to impose unlimited fines.

Russia has been accused of conducting a covert operation over cables and pipelines in waters north of the UK, using three submarines.

Any updated legislation would not be used against hostile states.

However, the Kremlin is believed to hire criminals and other proxies to conduct acts of sabotage on its behalf. The law would apply to such individuals.

Mr Murray said he hoped that the prospect of such a length prison term would act as a deterrence.

"Undersea cables are the hidden backbone of modern Britain, carrying the data we rely on every day to message friends and family, do our banking, and run our businesses," the minister said separately in a statement.

"The threats we face have changed dramatically, with suspicious Russian activity around critical undersea infrastructure, yet some of the laws protecting these vital connections date back more than a century.

"We intend to modernise those laws with tougher penalties, stronger requirements on industry and new powers to protect our national security, making sure the UK's critical infrastructure is fit for the threats of today and tomorrow."

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Fibre-optic cables running along the seabed carry around 99% of the UK's international data, underpinning everything from messages and video calls to online banking and shopping.

Any significant disruption in this flow of data would risk derailing daily life and could have a devastating impact on the economy.

The same is true for any attack against the UK's undersea pipelines that provide 74% of the nation's gas supply as well as its grid of undersea electricity cables.

In its push to update legislation governing underwater infrastructure, which dates back to 1885, the government is publishing a white paper on Thursday that sets out its proposals, which also includes requiring the companies that provide the subsea cables and pipelines to do more to identify sabotage and espionage risks.

The government is seeking views on the document from industry and other experts over the next 12 weeks.

Mr Murray said the legislation would be updated in the current parliament.

(c) Sky News 2026: 1800s law must be updated to protect 'backbone' of UK, MP says