Select committee: Defence Committee
Conclusion 5
2nd Report - Defence in the High North
Published 22 Oct 2026
Addressed to Ministry of Defence
Defence Committee Defence in the High North All items in this report Report on parliament.uk ↗ Inquiry on parliament.uk ↗
Conclusion (the committee's words)
If the government believes that the JEF provides a valuable additional capability alongside NATO structures, and Canada is admitted into the JEF, then focusing more on the High North may well be the most effective use of resources. With Sweden and Finland having joined NATO, eight of the nine countries around the Baltic Sea are now members of the Alliance, offering significant capabilities of their own in that region. (Conclusion, Paragraph 50)
From: Defence Committee, 2nd Report - Defence in the High North (HC 71), 22 October 2026
Government response
Government response awaited: deadline 22 December 2026.