Written questions

Telecommunications Cables: Repairs and Maintenance

Lords · Question HL3369 · Tabled 9 Sep 2026 · Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport · Official record

Answered 24 Sep 2026

Question

Asked by Lord Spellar

To ask His Majesty's Government how many (1) repair vessels for communication cables, and (2) repair crew for communication cables, are based in the UK.

Answer

Answered by Baroness Mackenzie of Sherwood, 24 Sep 2026

Owners of subsea telecoms cables manage repair and maintenance through membership of commercial cable maintenance agreements. There are currently six cable repair vessels servicing the maintenance agreements in the Atlantic and Northern Europe, one of whi...