Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what recent discussions he has had with his US counterpart on the (a) purpose and (b) efficacy of the AUKUS programme.

AUKUS is a landmark security and defence partnership with two of our closest allies. It is one of the most strategically important partnerships in decades, supporting peace and security in the Indo-Pacific and Euro-Atlantic, while also delivering jobs and economic growth in communities across all three nations.

As one of our closest allies, the Defence Secretary and US Secretary of War have regular engagements where they discuss a number of matters, including AUKUS. The UK continues to work closely with the US and Australia at all levels to maximise the benefits and opportunities which AUKUS presents for our three nations.