Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters has so far been unresponsive to appeals for help by William Hyde.

Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters has confirmed there is Russian intelligence activity happening on New Zealand soil.

The revelation comes after both Peters and Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern assured the public there was nobody in the country that fit the profile of the types of spies that other countries have expelled in the wake of the Salisbury nerve agent attack in Britain.

Peters maintains that's the case but during Question Time on Wednesday he did say that the country's Security Intelligence Service (SIS) is aware of Russian intelligence activity here and "where it is seen appropriate, action is taken".

Following his comments in the House, Peters said if there were people in New Zealand's Russian embassy that fit the profile of those working in other parts of the world that have been expelled, then the Government would have acted long ago.

READ MORE:

* ​UK-Russia spy scandal: Deadly nerve agent 'planted in daughter's suitcase'

* Western leaders blame Russia for poisoning

* Russia bristles against poison 'provocation'

As many as 26 countries are reported to have expelled Russian envoys in the last week.

British Prime Minister Theresa May ousted 23 diplomats in response to the nerve agent attack on former Russian double agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter in Salisbury earlier this month - her actions triggered an international response.

Ardern and Peters have both confirmed the SIS and New Zealand's Five Eyes security partners were consulted about the decision not to expel anyone from the Russian embassy.

"People in the Five Eyes have consulted with us on our decision, understand our decision, and did so before the decision was made," Peters said.

Minister in charge of security and intelligence, Andrew Little, said Peters' statement about Russian intelligence activity in New Zealand was "almost certainly correct".

"I'm not going to go into the details about that. What I'm totally confident of as Minister in charge of our security and intelligence agencies is that they are totally abreast of the threats to New Zealand, and they are acting appropriately in relation to those threats."

Little said Peters had received the same advice as him and it's not to say "we are free from those threats".

Asked if he could characterise the Russian intelligence activity, Little said he wouldn't do that because he didn't want to "potentially disclose the way our agencies operate and the advice that they have".

"What I can say, is the fact that we as a country, acting like other countries does not mean that we are actively addressing the same threats that those countries are facing."

Earlier on Wednesday Ardern said the Government was considering stopping New Zealand visas being issued to some Russians.

Ministry of Foreign Affairs officials have been asked to look at other measures that could be used against Russia.

"For instance, around the issuing of visas for particular people of Russian origin who may be in some way inappropriate for travel to New Zealand. I'm awaiting that advice."

Ardern reiterated there were people from other countries gathering intelligence in New Zealand, but none who met the criteria of an undeclared intellegence agent, and none at the same threshhold as those who were expelled by other countries.