Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

AUKUS

Tuesday 6 September 2022 · 3 questions

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 2 Partly answered 1 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Cabinet Ministers regularly meet their US and Australian counterparts to progress the AUKUS partnership.
  • The Prime Minister, Defence Secretary, and Australian Deputy Prime Minister visited Barrow for the commissioning of HMS Anson, highlighting the strength of the AUKUS partnership.
  • The Minister acknowledged the desire of Northern Ireland to contribute to the AUKUS partnership through its soldiers, sailors, and airmen.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Simon Fell
Foreign Affairs
Context

The question arises from recent high-level meetings between UK, US, and Australian officials to strengthen the AUKUS security alliance.

Question

What recent steps have been taken with Cabinet colleagues to strengthen AUKUS—the Australia, UK and US partnership?

Answer from Amanda Milling

Cabinet Ministers regularly meet their US and Australian counterparts to progress our landmark AUKUS partnership, including recently in the margins of the G20 and Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting, and in outbound and inbound ministerial visits. Last month, I visited Australia and met Assistant Foreign Minister Watts, who reaffirmed Australia's full support for AUKUS.

Answered
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Q2 Simon Fell
Defence Foreign Affairs
Context

The question follows an event in Barrow where the Prime Minister, Defence Secretary, and Australian Deputy Prime Minister attended the commissioning of HMS Anson, highlighting the strength of AUKUS ties.

Question

I thank my right hon. Friend for her response. I was pleased last week to welcome to Barrow the Prime Minister and the Defence Secretary, alongside the Australian Deputy Prime Minister, for the commissioning of HMS Anson, in an important sign of the strength of our AUKUS partnership. Does my right hon. Friend agree that the future requires much more close working between like-minded countries to counter authoritarian regimes, not just in the physical domain but in cyber-security and intelligence sharing too?

Answer from Amanda Milling

I completely agree. The Government have been clear that we must build a network of like-minded countries and flexible groupings if we are to protect our interests globally. I was really pleased when last week the Defence Secretary hosted Australian Deputy Prime Minister Marles at the commissioning ceremony for HMS Anson in my hon. Friend's constituency, demonstrating our deep defence ties, including through AUKUS.

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Q3 Jim Shannon DUP Strangford
Defence Northern Ireland
Context

The question is asked in the context of Northern Ireland wanting to contribute soldiers, sailors, and airmen towards new security policies. There is a desire for clarity on whether troops from Northern Ireland will be involved.

Question

The Minister's response makes clear the importance of all of us in the United Kingdom working together, and we in Northern Ireland want to be part of that, contributing soldiers, sailors and airmen. Can the Minister give some indication of whether our soldiers, be it the Irish Guards or the Royal Irish Regiment, will be part of this new security policy?

Answer from Amanda Milling

I am grateful to the hon. Gentleman for making sure that Northern Ireland has a voice in this. I am sure that my colleagues in the FCDO and the MOD have heard his pitch.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Whether soldiers from Northern Ireland will be part of new security policies was not directly answered.

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