Source · Select Committees · Defence Committee
Recommendation 18
18
Acknowledged
As Australia works against tight timescales to develop the infrastructure and workforce required to build...
Recommendation
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 Government must co- ordinate closely with the Australian Government as it finalises its plans, ensuring that the UK has developed contingencies for all possible options. (Recommendation, Paragraph 80)
Government response summary AI-generated
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.
Summary of the government's response below — read the verbatim text to verify.
Government Response
Acknowledged
HM Government · verbatim extract
Acknowledged
The Government is grateful for the Committee’s recommendation and agrees that we must continue to maintain close collaboration with the Australian Government to ensure alignment and delivery across all elements of the AUKUS programme. A sustained programme of engagement at senior official and Ministerial levels, reinforced recently through the trilateral Defence Ministerial Meeting and Australia-UK Ministerial Consultations, continues to drive tangible progress against the Optimal Pathway, including on workforce and infrastructure development and build schedules across respective sites.
Read the full response on Parliament ↗