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Select Committee · National Security Strategy (Joint Committee)

The National Security Strategy

Status: Open Opened: 17 Jun 2025 21 recommendations 16 conclusions 1 report

The Government published a new National Security Strategy (NSS) on 24 June 2025. The NSS reviews the risks facing the UK and sets out plans to address them, structured under three themes: security at home, strength abroad, and sovereign and asymmetric capabilities. The Committee is seeking views on how well the NSS addresses the range … Show more

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Reports

1 report
Title HC No. Published Items Response
4th Report – The National Security Strategy HC 1045 27 Mar 2026 37 Responded

Recommendations & Conclusions

5 items
1 Conclusion 4th Report – The National Security Stra… Accepted in Part

The Government must balance transparency with the public about the reality of threats the UK...

The Government must balance transparency with the public about the reality of threats the UK faces with not causing alarm and making sensitive information unnecessarily accessible to adversaries. However, there is a sense among industry stakeholders and civil society organisations that they were not sufficiently consulted in the development of … Read more

Government response AI summary
The government agrees on the importance of public awareness and engagement, detailing efforts for transparency through stakeholder consultation, an update on the China Audit, and a "transparent by default" approach for the NSRA. They also commit to publishing annual public survey findings on risk perception …
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Cabinet Office
2 Recommendation 4th Report – The National Security Stra… Accepted in Part

The Government must reconsider how it discusses security challenges, and avoid being unduly opaque.

The Government must reconsider how it discusses security challenges, and avoid being unduly opaque. The Government should provide annual progress updates to this Committee on commitments in the National Security Strategy and in other related strategies such as the Resilience Action Plan. The first of these updates should be provided … Read more

Government response AI summary
The government agrees on the importance of public awareness and engagement, detailing efforts for transparency through broad stakeholder consultation, an update on the China Audit, and a "transparent by default" approach for the NSRA. They commit to making an annual statement to Parliament on resilience …
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Cabinet Office
5 Recommendation 4th Report – The National Security Stra… Accepted in Part

The Government should ensure it has a full and robust assessment of the national security...

The Government should ensure it has a full and robust assessment of the national security risks of reducing the Official Development Assistance budget, resisting further cuts that could have a damaging effect for UK strategic interests. We note the International Development Committee is further examining the future of UK aid … Read more

Government response AI summary
The government defends ODA budget reductions but commits to engaging constructively with the International Development Committee's inquiry. They agree on the importance of stable funding for key soft power institutions, will continue to draw on the Soft Power Council's advice, and will ensure soft power …
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Cabinet Office
7 Recommendation 4th Report – The National Security Stra… Accepted in Part

The Government must clarify how follow-up and oversight of Lead Government Departments responsible for delivering...

The Government must clarify how follow-up and oversight of Lead Government Departments responsible for delivering the commitments in the National Security Strategy (NSS) will be sustained over time. This should involve accountability mechanisms at fixed points, for example through regular reporting to the National Security Adviser and his Deputies. These … Read more

Government response AI summary
The government describes its internal implementation approach for accountability and periodic reporting on National Security Strategy objectives and commits to updating the Committee on progress. However, it does not agree to publish an addendum assigning delivery responsibilities to named ministers, affirming departmental and ministerial accountability …
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Cabinet Office
8 Recommendation 4th Report – The National Security Stra… Accepted in Part

All Ministers with responsibility for delivery of aspects of the National Security Strategy should make...

All Ministers with responsibility for delivery of aspects of the National Security Strategy should make themselves available for scrutiny by this Committee at regular intervals, and as requested, to ensure proper parliamentary accountability. (Recommendation, Paragraph 42) Read more

Government response AI summary
The government accepted the principle of ministerial accountability and that ministers should attend when called upon, but stated that the government should be able to confirm which minister is best placed to represent the issue.
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Cabinet Office

Oral evidence sessions

7 sessions
Date Witnesses
26 Jan 2026 Dan Jarvis · Home Office, Matthew Collins · Cabinet Office, Rt Hon Darren Jones MP · Cabinet Office View ↗
17 Nov 2025 Air Commodore (retd) Blythe Crawford CBE · Tiberius Aerospace, Lieutenant Colonel (retd) Haydn Gaukroger OBE · Syos Aerospace, Professor Sir Anthony Finkelstein CBE · City St George’s, University of London, Professor Sir Nigel Shadbolt · Jesus College, University of Oxford, Sophia Gaston · AUKUS Industry Forum View ↗
3 Nov 2025 Isabel Hilton OBE, Jonathan Hall KC · Independent Reviewer of Terrorism Legislation, Lord Sumption OBE PC, FSA, FRHistS, Nigel Inkster CMG · MI6, The Rt Hon. the Lord Patten of Barnes KG CH View ↗
20 Oct 2025 Asoke Mukerji, Dr Marion Messmer, Rose Gottemoeller · North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), Will Todman · Middle East Program, CSIS View ↗
13 Oct 2025 Brigadier General Eero Rebo · Embassy of Estonia, Captain (Navy) Juha Ravanti · Embassy of Finland, Lisa Hollins · Voluntary & Community Sector Emergencies Partnership (VCSEP), Lord Toby Harris · National Preparedness Commission, Steve Vincent · West Midlands Local Resilience Forum View ↗
14 Jul 2025 Matthew Collins · Cabinet Office, Rt Hon Pat McFadden MP · Cabinet Office View ↗
23 Jun 2025 Grace Cassy · CyLon Ventures, Lord Peter Ricketts GCMG GCVO · Lords European Affairs Committee, Professor Michael Clarke · Royal United Services Institute (RUSI), Rachel Ellehuus · Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) View ↗

Who gave evidence

27 witnesses
WitnessOrganisationSessions
Matthew Collins · Deputy National Security Adviser Cabinet Office 2
Air Commodore (retd) Blythe Crawford CBE · Former Commandant of the Air and Space Warfare Ce… Tiberius Aerospace 1
Asoke Mukerji — 1
Brigadier General Eero Rebo · Defence Attaché Embassy of Estonia 1
Captain (Navy) Juha Ravanti · Finnish Defence Attaché for UK and Ireland Embassy of Finland 1
Dan Jarvis · Minister for Security Home Office 1
Dr Marion Messmer — 1
Grace Cassy CyLon Ventures 1
Isabel Hilton OBE — 1
Jonathan Hall KC · Independent Reviewer Independent Reviewer of Terrorism Legislation 1
Lieutenant Colonel (retd) Haydn Gaukroger OBE · Head of Capability Development Syos Aerospace 1
Lisa Hollins · Co-Chair Voluntary & Community Sector Emergencies Partnership (VCSEP) 1
Lord Peter Ricketts GCMG GCVO · Chair Lords European Affairs Committee 1
Lord Sumption OBE PC, FSA, FRHistS — 1
Lord Toby Harris · Chair National Preparedness Commission 1
Nigel Inkster CMG · Former Assistant Chief and Director of Operations… MI6 1
Professor Michael Clarke · Distinguished Fellow Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) 1
Professor Sir Anthony Finkelstein CBE · Former Chief Scientific Adviser for National Secu… City St George’s, University of London 1
Professor Sir Nigel Shadbolt · Professorial Research Fellow in Computer Science … Jesus College, University of Oxford 1
Rachel Ellehuus Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) 1
Rose Gottemoeller North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) 1
Rt Hon Darren Jones MP · Chief Secretary to the Prime Minister and Chancel… Cabinet Office 1
Rt Hon Pat McFadden MP · Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister… Cabinet Office 1
Sophia Gaston · Visiting Fellow in the Department of War Studies,… AUKUS Industry Forum 1
Steve Vincent · Strategic Manager West Midlands Local Resilience Forum 1
The Rt Hon. the Lord Patten of Barnes KG CH — 1
Will Todman · Deputy Director and Senior fellow Middle East Program, CSIS 1

Correspondence

6 letters
DateDirectionTitle
24 Jun 2026 From cttee Letter to the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, relating to the Government'…
16 Mar 2026 To cttee Response from the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster relating to the NSS inqu…
26 Jan 2026 To cttee Letter from the Chair to the Chief Secretary to the Prime Minister, Chancellor …
28 Oct 2025 To cttee Letter from Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government re…
8 Sep 2025 — Correspondence from Matt Collins, Deputy National Security Adviser following th…
23 Jun 2025 — Correspondence from the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster relating to the fo…