Committee calls on ‘lacklustre’ Government to clarify national security plans
The Government has been accused of failing to provide clarity on its national security strategy and defence spending amid concern the UK is “falling behind” its allies at a crucial time.
In a letter to Cabinet minister Darren Jones, the Joint Committee on the National Security Strategy (JCNSS) said urgent action was required to deal with multiple threats including Russia, as it called for the UK to “catch up quickly if we are serious about protecting our prosperity and security”.
The Government recently responded to a JCNSS report which made a series of recommendations, including requests for further details on key elements of the strategy.
JCNSS chair Matt Western described the response as “lacklustre” as he repeated demands for details in a letter to Mr Jones.
With the defence investment plan still unpublished and the Nato summit in Ankara taking place early next month, Mr Wester said it is imperative that the Government confirms progress on meeting its commitment to spend 1.5% of gross domestic product on security and resilience by 2035.
He also asked for details of specific resilience and security projects which will be included in the plans, and called for confirmation that the overseas aid budget will not be cut further to pay for defence spending.
The Committee recommended the Government should resist further cuts to the development assistance budget that “could have a damaging effect for UK strategic interests”, but this was not addressed in the Government response.
The letter asked for a response to a recommendation in the report that national security considerations should be published when new treaties and agreements are signed, which would prepare European allies for a “worst case scenario” at a time when “Europe can no longer rely on the United States in support of a crisis”.
Mr Western also said the committee acknowledged the risks of “telegraphing vulnerabilities to adversaries” by publishing lists of sovereign capabilities requiring development, but he highlighted that sovereign capability itself remains undefined by the Government.
Mr Western said: “The committee is disappointed in the Government’s lacklustre response to our detailed report.
“While we recognise ministers have many challenges to handle, we have heard evidence from many other nations who are levelling up their national security systems to deal with an increasingly challenging world.
“Just last week the committee took evidence on the potent threat posed Russia. We heard warnings that Putin is willing to exploit weaknesses in our society to his own advantage, in the same week that it was confirmed that the recent arson attack on the Prime Minister’s house was arranged by agents of the Russian state.
“As our report made clear, the Russian threat is just one of the many threats we face, many of which require urgent action.
“The Government’s response to our findings suggest we are at risk of falling behind our allies. We must catch up quickly if we are serious about protecting our prosperity and security.”
Amid instability in Government following Sir Keir Starmer’s announcement that he will step down, the new Defence Secretary Dan Jarvis has vowed to get the armed forces the funding they need after his predecessor quit over the issue.
John Healey and armed forces minister Al Carns resigned over the level of planned funding for the defence investment plan.
A Government spokesperson said: “This government is delivering a generational increase in defence spending – hitting 2.6% of GDP in 2027 and investing over £270 billion across this Parliament and are working towards publishing the Defence Investment Plan.
“We continue to update Parliament as we step up on national security at every level – leading European support for Ukraine, driving a stronger Nato, and investing in our capabilities at a generational scale.”
Published: by Radio NewsHub