UK to consult on tougher penalties for subsea cable damage

The UK Government, via telecoms minister Liz Lloyd, announced plans to consult on tougher fines and prison sentences for those who damage subsea cables and will bring forward new legislative proposals to modernise the criminal framework.

• Main announcement: The Government will consult on new legislative proposals to modernise and strengthen the criminal framework for subsea cable interference, including tougher fines and prison sentences; the speech was delivered by Liz Lloyd at the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) on 29 May 2026 (RUSI, London).

  • Event: Speech by Liz Lloyd, Telecoms Minister; Date: Friday 29 May 2026; Location: Royal United Services Institute (RUSI); Subject: security and resilience of subsea cables, legislative consultation on tougher penalties and updated criminal framework.

• Details and context: The Government also announced it will decide by the end of the year on retaining a UK‑flagged sovereign repair capability (current repair vessel response ~8 days), endorsed the European Subsea Cables Association’s Fishing Liaison Guidelines, and highlighted investments including a recent £600m deal to unlock the Eastern Green Link 4 530km subsea energy project; it cited “tens of billions of pounds” of private sector investment expected in UK AI infrastructure over coming years.