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Select Committee · Defence Committee

AUKUS

Status: Open Opened: 2 Apr 2025 24 recommendations 9 conclusions 1 report

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 military technologies. The Committee’s inquiry … Show more

Clear

Reports

1 report
Title HC No. Published Items Response
8th Report - AUKUS HC 841 28 Apr 2026 33 Responded

Recommendations & Conclusions

2 items
14 Recommendation 8th Report - AUKUS Accepted in Part

The Government must urgently remove barriers to workforce mobility across the AUKUS partners, beginning with...

The Government must urgently remove barriers to workforce mobility across the AUKUS partners, beginning with security clearances. We recommend that the MOD, working with trilateral partners and in consultation with industry, set out within six months a clear plan to enable mutual recognition or continuity of security clearances for AUKUS-related … Read more

Government response AI summary
The government welcomes the recommendation to address workforce mobility barriers, stating it's a top priority and accelerating efforts on security clearances. However, it will monitor progress through existing dialogues and rejects the need for an AUKUS visa, believing existing Home Office options are sufficient and …
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Ministry of Defence
31 Recommendation 8th Report - AUKUS Accepted in Part

Expanding Pillar 2 to include additional partners offers potential opportunities, but it will add a...

Expanding Pillar 2 to include additional partners offers potential opportunities, but it will add a further layer of complexity and negotiation to what is already proving to be a difficult task. Whilst remaining positive about a future expansion of Pillar 2, we reluctantly conclude that the focus for now must … Read more

Government response AI summary
The government highlights strong trilateral progress in Pillar II, including a funded project on Uncrewed Underwater Vehicle systems, aligning with deepening collaboration, but also explicitly states that AUKUS partners are exploring potential collaboration with additional countries, thereby not fully accepting the 'deepen before widening' constraint.
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Ministry of Defence

Oral evidence sessions

5 sessions
Date Witnesses
2 Dec 2025 Air Marshal Tim Jones · Ministry of Defence, Luke Pollard MP · Ministry of Defence, Vice Admiral Sir Chris Gardner KBE · Submarine Delivery Agency View ↗
26 Nov 2025 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 View ↗
19 Nov 2025 Sir Stephen Lovegrove - Prime Minister's Special Representative on AUKUS View ↗
21 Oct 2025 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 View ↗
9 Sep 2025 Dr Sidharth Kaushal · Royal United Services Institute (RUSI), Sophia Gaston · Centre for Statecraft and National Security, King's College London View ↗

Who gave evidence

16 witnesses
WitnessOrganisationSessions
Air Marshal Tim Jones · Deputy Chief of the Defence Staff (Force Developm… Ministry of Defence 1
Andrew Kinniburgh · General Director Make UK Defence 1
Angela Jones · Director of Thriving Places Westmorland and Furness Council 1
Dr Sidharth Kaushal · Senior Research Fellow Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) 1
Harry Holt · Chief Executive Nuclear Babcock International Group 1
Luke Pollard MP · Minister for Defence Readiness and Industry Ministry of Defence 1
Matthew Evans · Chief Operating Officer & Director of Markets techUK 1
Nona Buckley-Irvine · Head of Team Barrow Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government 1
Peter Anstiss · CEO Team Barrow 1
Samira Braund · Defence Director ADS 1
Sir Stephen Lovegrove - Prime Minister's Special Representative on AUKUS — 1
Sophia Gaston · Senior Research Fellow Centre for Statecraft and National Security, King's College London 1
Steve Carlier · President Rolls Royce Submarines Limited 1
Steve Timms · Managing Director BAE Systems Submarines 1
The Rt Hon The Lord Case · Chair Team Barrow 1
Vice Admiral Sir Chris Gardner KBE · Chief Executive Officer Submarine Delivery Agency 1