4th Report - Rash or Rational? North Korea and the threat it poses
- HC No.
- HC 327
- Published
- 5 Apr 2018
- Items
- 0
- Government response
- Government response published 13 June 2018. Read the government's response ↗
Select committee: Defence Committee
North Korea inquiry
Closed
Opened 6 Dec 2017
Closed 23 Aug 2017
Defence Committee Inquiry on parliament.uk ↗
Inquiry scope (the committee's words)
The Defence Committee is examining the threats posed to the UK by North Korean capability, particularly from nuclear and cyber-attack, and the UK’s capability to respond to these threats. The Committee will also examine how the UK is currently responding to the North Korean crisis and its options for responding to further military escalation. This inquiry follows a one-off oral evidence session that the Committee held in September 2017 on the nuclear and missile testing by North Korea and the situation in the region. Report: Rash or rational? North Korea and the threat it poses Report: Rash or rational? North Korea and the threat it poses (PDF) Government Response: Rash or rational? North Korea and the threat it poses Government Response: Rash or rational? North Korea and the threat it poses (PDF)
Where it stands
The inquiry is closed, opened 6 December 2017.
The committee has published 1 report, most recently 4th Report - Rash or Rational? North Korea and the threat it poses on 5 April 2018.
The government's response
Published 13 June 2018.
Summary written by Accountability Index from the government's response. It is not the government's own words.The government welcomes the Committee's report and says it will keep up the international 'maximum pressure campaign' on North Korea until Kim Jong Un matches his words with 'concrete actions' towards denuclearisation.
- On sanctions enforcement and proliferation, it describes working with partners through the UN, the EU and its diplomatic network, including training on counter-proliferation financing and deploying Royal Navy ships to the Asia-Pacific region to assist in maritime enforcement.
- On the Committee's recommendation to spell out deterrence and containment, it does not address that directly; it says it will "keep our strategy and approach under constant review" and remains committed to a denuclearised North Korea.
- On cyber funding, it says the Modernising Defence Programme is "still in the evidence gathering and analysis phase" and that "no investment decisions have been taken", including on cyber capabilities. It does not commit to funding from outside the defence budget.
- On evacuation and amphibious capability, it says its plans are "regularly reviewed and updated" and "not dependant on the availability of a single defence asset". It says "all elements of the force structure remain in scope" at this early stage of the MDP.
Reports
All reportsEvidence
- 3 oral evidence sessionsLatest 23 January 2018
Recent activity
- 7th Special Report - Rash or Rational? North Korea and the threat it poses: Government Response to the Committee's Fourth Report13 June 2018, Report published
- 4th Report - Rash or Rational? North Korea and the threat it poses5 April 2018, Report published
- Oral evidence session23 January 2018, Oral evidence
Reports
Oral evidence sessions
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