Source · Select Committees · Defence Committee
8th Report - AUKUS
Defence Committee
HC 841
Published 28 April 2026
Government response
1st Special Report - AUKUS: Government Response · published 9 Jul 2026
Recommendations & Conclusions
3
Conclusion
Rejected
It is deeply disappointing that more than a year after Sir Stephen Lovegrove completed his...
Conclusion
It is deeply disappointing that more than a year after Sir Stephen Lovegrove completed his review of AUKUS, the Government’s commitment to issue a public version of his findings has not been fulfilled. This reflects poorly on the Government and …
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Government Response Summary
The government decided not to publish a public version of Sir Stephen Lovegrove's classified report to protect confidentiality and align with partner nations, but notes Sir Stephen has publicly shared headline findings and actions in response.
Ministry of Defence
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4
Recommendation
Rejected
We urge the Government to issue a public version of Sir Stephen Lovegrove’s report as...
Recommendation
We urge the Government to issue a public version of Sir Stephen Lovegrove’s report as soon as possible. (Recommendation, Paragraph 22)
Government Response Summary
The government rejected the recommendation to publish Sir Stephen Lovegrove’s report, citing the need to protect confidentiality of inputs from international contributors. Instead, Sir Stephen has made public engagements to share headline findings and actions.
Ministry of Defence
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8
Recommendation
Rejected
The Government should advocate for the US and Australia to follow the UK in appointing...
Recommendation
The Government should advocate for the US and Australia to follow the UK in appointing their own Special Representative (or an equivalent role). Consideration should also be given to establishing a joint secretariat to support them. (Recommendation, Paragraph 39)
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Government Response Summary
The government states that the US and Australia will continue to determine their national governance structures and that the UK will continue to work through existing structures, effectively declining to advocate for them to appoint special representatives or establish a new joint secretariat.
Ministry of Defence
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17
Recommendation
Rejected
The Government must demonstrate that the industrial uplift required to deliver SSN AUKUS is being...
Recommendation
The Government must demonstrate that the industrial uplift required to deliver SSN AUKUS is being funded and delivered at pace. We recommend that an annual assessment of planned versus delivered investment in submarine industrial capacity be conducted by the Prime …
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Government Response Summary
The government acknowledges the recommendation for an annual assessment but rejects it, stating that existing governance structures and reporting requirements are sufficient to manage SSN-AUKUS delivery.
Ministry of Defence
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