STORY
The Joint Committee on the National Security Strategy has said the Government must answer outstanding questions about its national security plans, including defence spending, policy towards China and sovereign technology. The committee said ministers had not fully addressed concerns raised in earlier scrutiny of the Government’s strategy.
The committee chair has asked ministers to give details of the resilience and security projects expected to be funded within the 1.5% of GDP the Government plans to spend on resilience by 2035. The committee has also asked the Government to confirm that the overseas aid budget will not be cut further to fund defence commitments.
The intervention comes as national security policy remains a major issue in Westminster following recent changes in defence personnel and wider debate over defence funding. The committee said clarity was needed on how the Government intends to protect national resilience and maintain technological capability.