The government is to strengthen Britain’s “archaic” counter-espionage laws amid growing concern about the security threat from foreign spies operating in the UK. The Queen’s Speech includes a commitment to a Counter-State Threats Bill which will create a U.S.-style register of foreign agents. Under American law, individuals working on behalf of foreign governments, officials, or political parties are required to register with the Department of Justice and file reports about their activities. Ministers believe the scheme will help curb the activities of foreign espionage agents and other foreign interference in the UK. The move comes amid widespread concern about the activities of Russian spies in the wake of the Salisbury nerve agent attack on former agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia in 2018. A report last year by Parliament’s Intelligence and Security Committee (ISC) accused ministers of having taken their “eye off the ball” when it came to the …