Questions & Answers
Q1
Direct Answer
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Context
The MP inquires about recent progress made by the Department on the AUKUS partnership.
What recent progress his Department has made on the AUKUS partnership?
I am pleased to confirm that we have made significant progress in developing the AUKUS partnership. The AUKUS defence ministerial meeting last month announced a range of tri-national activities taking forward advanced capabilities, including our deep space advanced radar capability, DARC. Australian personnel are training in the UK and the US, and £4 billion-worth of contracts have been awarded to UK companies building SSN-AUKUS. Finally, Congress passed legislation to enable AUKUS to facilitate frictionless trade between partners, including the reform of the international traffic in arms regulations.
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Assessment & feedback
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Q2
Direct Answer
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Context
The MP mentions a visit by the Secretary of State and Australian Prime Minister to Rolls-Royce Raynesway in her constituency, highlighting its role in training apprentices.
Has the Minister considered how the Government can work with Rolls-Royce to further the UK's nuclear skills capacity?
I am grateful to my hon. Friend for her excellent question and I would be delighted to visit Raynesway. Last August, I was pleased to announce the launch of the nuclear skills taskforce, jointly with the Under-Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, my hon. Friend the Member for West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine (Andrew Bowie). The taskforce will drive activity through a coherent action plan, bringing together Government, academia and employers, crucially from across both civil and defence nuclear sectors, including from Rolls-Royce.
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Q3
Partial Answer
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Context
The MP expresses concern about potential delays in the AUKUS project due to bureaucratic inertia.
What is being done to keep this vital project on track? How often is the Minister meeting his officials to monitor and chase progress?
I am not aware of any slippage. We meet frequently and discuss this incredibly important matter. I am pleased to hear his confidence that AUKUS has cross-party support. It is generating huge numbers of jobs for the future: an additional 1,700 jobs will be created in Raynesway to build the reactors for the UK and Australia.
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Assessment & feedback
Specific frequency of meetings with officials was not addressed
Response accuracy
Q4
Partial Answer
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Context
The MP highlights concern over the Government's current level of focus and leadership for AUKUS implementation.
If AUKUS is not even in his job description and his officials are working on it part time, how can we take the Minister seriously when he says it is important?
The way we take it seriously is not by judging the number of officials or what we are doing in that regard, but by looking at what we are actually delivering in the real world in terms of military capability and for British industry. As I just said, the US has reformed ITAR and there are thousands of jobs across the UK, boosting our Indo-Pacific capabilities. This is an extremely important project.
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Assessment & feedback
Specific number of officials or time allocation was not addressed
Focusing On Outcomes Rather Than Process
Response accuracy