The UK's Article 3 obligations and the Defence Readiness Bill

This inquiry will examine the UK’s resilience and preparedness for conflict, asking whether the UK government is meeting its obligations under NATO’s Article 3. The inquiry will also look at what powers the proposed Defence Readiness Bill might need to include to enable civil assistance to military authority in the event of a conflict. Under NATO’s Article 3 obligations, the UK has committed to a “national resilience” 1.5% of GDP spending target, including protecting critical infrastructure, defending networks, ensuring civil preparedness and resilience, innovating, and strengthening the defence industrial base. This inquiry will seek to understand what the responsibilities and roles of UK Defence are under Article 3 and whether the UK is currently capable of fulfilling these responsibilities. It will explore the contributions towards Article 3 obligations from each department and whether the cross-government work on preparedness and resilience is effective. It will also examine best practice from Allies across Europe.