AUKUS

Defence Committee Open Inquiry
Opened: 2 Apr 2025 Parliament page
This inquiry will examine the AUKUS partnership, a trilateral security agreement between Australia, the US and the UK which was announced in 2021. AUKUS will see the US and UK support Australia in acquiring a nuclear-powered submarine fleet alongside a deepening of co-operation between the three countries on other advanced … Read more
24 Recommendations
9 Conclusions
1 Report
5 Oral sessions
5 Events
Activity timeline 7 events
9 Jul
2026
Report published
28 Apr
2026
Report published
2 Dec
2025
Oral evidence
26 Nov
2025
Oral evidence
19 Nov
2025
Oral evidence
21 Oct
2025
Oral evidence
9 Sep
2025
Oral evidence
Oral evidence sessions 5 sessions
2 Dec 2025
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Panel 1
Air Marshal Tim Jones · Ministry of Defence Luke Pollard MP · Ministry of Defence Vice Admiral Sir Chris Gardner KBE · Submarine Delivery Agency
26 Nov 2025
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Panel 1
Angela Jones · Westmorland and Furness Council Nona Buckley-Irvine · Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government Peter Anstiss · Team Barrow The Rt Hon The Lord Case · Team Barrow
19 Nov 2025
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Panel 1
Sir Stephen Lovegrove - Prime Minister's Special Representative on AUKUS
21 Oct 2025
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Panel 1; Panel 2
Andrew Kinniburgh · Make UK Defence Harry Holt · Babcock International Group Matthew Evans · techUK Samira Braund · ADS Steve Carlier · Rolls Royce Submarines Limited Steve Timms · BAE Systems Submarines
9 Sep 2025
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Oral Evidence Session
Dr Sidharth Kaushal · Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) Sophia Gaston · Centre for Statecraft and National Security, King's College London
Title HC No. Published Items Response
8th Report - AUKUS HC 841 28 Apr 2026 33 Responded
Recommendations & Conclusions
11 results
Clear
1 Conclusion Acknowledged
8th Report - AUKUS
Our inquiry has underlined the importance of the AUKUS partnership, but has also laid bare...
Our inquiry has underlined the importance of the AUKUS partnership, but has also laid bare the scale of the endeavour that will be required to successfully deliver it. For the UK, AUKUS presents challenges but also great opportunities. Meeting those … Read more
Government Response
The government welcomed the Committee's conclusion on the importance and scale of the AUKUS partnership, affirming its commitment to the program and stating that the Prime Minister is driving sustained UK delivery through a whole-of-government effort.
Ministry of Defence
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2 Conclusion Acknowledged
8th Report - AUKUS
Almost five years on from the announcement of the AUKUS partnership, the world is a...
Almost five years on from the announcement of the AUKUS partnership, the world is a very different place. Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine and shifting US priorities have placed increasing pressure on Western nations’ defence and security apparatus. The alliances … Read more
Government Response
The government welcomes and agrees with the Committee's conclusion, affirming that the strategic rationale for the AUKUS partnership remains enduring and relevant amidst a changing global security context.
Ministry of Defence
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10 Conclusion Acknowledged
8th Report - AUKUS
The need to engage more openly with the public in a national conversation on defence...
The need to engage more openly with the public in a national conversation on defence and security issues has been a recurring feature of the political discourse in recent years and one on which we have previously pressed the Government … Read more
Government Response
The government agrees on the importance of public engagement and outlines its proactive efforts, including regular engagement with Members of Parliament, commitments for parliamentary briefings, and the 'National Endeavour' campaign to communicate the economic and technological benefits of nuclear programmes like AUKUS.
Ministry of Defence
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13 Recommendation Acknowledged
8th Report - AUKUS
We are deeply concerned by the Government’s failure to recognise the impact of barriers to...
We are deeply concerned by the Government’s failure to recognise the impact of barriers to workforce movement across the trilateral. The ensuing inconvenience and cost may currently be manageable—although they are having a stifling effect on collaboration—but it is clear … Read more
Government Response
The government acknowledged the concern about barriers to workforce movement and stated it is acutely aware of the issue. It has conducted a survey to identify barriers and continues to look for opportunities to make changes, but offered no specific new commitments to address the problem immediately.
Ministry of Defence
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15 Recommendation Acknowledged
8th Report - AUKUS
The development of new SSN facilities in Adelaide and Perth could pose a risk to...
The development of new SSN facilities in Adelaide and Perth could pose a risk to workforce retention at the UK’s equivalent facilities in Barrow-in- Furness and Plymouth. The MOD must closely monitor workforce flow as the design and build of … Read more
Government Response
The government acknowledges the importance of workforce retention and movement, highlighting substantial investment in nuclear defence programmes and the successes of Team Barrow, Team Plymouth, and the Nuclear Skills Plan, asserting that AUKUS is not a talent competition but a partnership to expand the nuclear workforce.
Ministry of Defence
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18 Recommendation Acknowledged
8th Report - AUKUS
As Australia works against tight timescales to develop the infrastructure and workforce required to build...
As Australia works against tight timescales to develop the infrastructure and workforce required to build its sovereign nuclear-powered submarine capability, it will need to take decisions which could have implications for the UK’s own build schedule at Barrow. The UK … Read more
Government Response
The government agrees on the need for close collaboration with Australia and states that sustained engagement is driving progress on workforce, infrastructure, and build schedules. However, it does not specifically commit to developing contingencies for all possible options as recommended.
Ministry of Defence
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19 Conclusion Acknowledged
8th Report - AUKUS
There was a clear consensus in our evidence that the regeneration of the town of...
There was a clear consensus in our evidence that the regeneration of the town of Barrow-in-Furness is essential to the delivery of AUKUS. The formation of Team Barrow and the investment committed to date to address 51 this is welcome, … Read more
Government Response
The government agrees Barrow's regeneration is essential for AUKUS, highlighting Team Barrow and the £200m Transformation Fund, and citing additional commitments like £7m for the Alfred Barrow Health Centre as part of a strong cross-government approach to regeneration.
Ministry of Defence
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22 Conclusion Acknowledged
8th Report - AUKUS
Delivering on the UK’s commitment to increase port visits and later rotate an Astute-class submarine...
Delivering on the UK’s commitment to increase port visits and later rotate an Astute-class submarine out of Australia will be essential to maintaining credibility within AUKUS. We were glad to receive the Minister’s assurance that the UK remained on track … Read more
Government Response
The government acknowledges the pressure on the Astute-class fleet but reaffirms its commitment to delivering port visits and a rotational presence in Australia, outlining a balanced approach of managing deployments, investing in maintenance, and sharing the burden with partners.
Ministry of Defence
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29 Conclusion Acknowledged
8th Report - AUKUS
There is an obvious alignment between the workstreams covered under Pillar 2 and the Defence...
There is an obvious alignment between the workstreams covered under Pillar 2 and the Defence Industrial Strategy’s themes of innovation, resilience and prosperity; and it offers clear opportunities for defence-related growth. However, the UK’s approach to Pillar 2 has so … Read more
Government Response
The government recognizes the alignment between Pillar II and the Defence Industrial Strategy, outlining ongoing efforts like the Advanced Capabilities Industry Forum and the ITAR exemption to accelerate capability development and industrial growth. It highlights over £13 million in AI and autonomy contracts and a new signature project, committing to continue providing greater clarity and opportunity for industry.
Ministry of Defence
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32 Conclusion Acknowledged
8th Report - AUKUS
A programme of AUKUS’ scale and scope will not succeed if it is perceived within...
A programme of AUKUS’ scale and scope will not succeed if it is perceived within Whitehall as one of many defence programmes competing for scarce resources. Only strong and visible political leadership from the very top of Government can counter … Read more
Government Response
The government acknowledged the conclusion, affirming the Prime Minister's full commitment to AUKUS and highlighting existing measures such as appointing a Special Representative and establishing a new Cabinet Office team to ensure the program receives necessary focus and priority.
Ministry of Defence
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33 Recommendation Acknowledged
8th Report - AUKUS
As we approach five years since the partnership came into being, with changes of Government...
As we approach five years since the partnership came into being, with changes of Government in each partner nation and domestic reviews completed, now is the time to seize the opportunity AUKUS presents and demonstrate the UK’s firm commitment to … Read more
Government Response
The government acknowledges the report and reaffirms the Prime Minister's full commitment to AUKUS, highlighting existing efforts like the appointment of a Special Representative and a new Cabinet Office team to drive delivery, and offers to provide an update in 2027.
Ministry of Defence
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Government Response AI assessment · 33 of 24 classified
Accepted 14
Accepted in Part 2
Acknowledged 11
Deferred 2
Rejected 4
Total 24 recs + 9 conclusions