I welcomed members of the House of Commons Defence Committee to Barrow as part of our inquiry into AUKUS, the vital security partnership with our allies the US and Australia.
As global centre of submarine and defence manufacturing expertise, Barrow is one of the cornerstones of this historic partnership. The future success of our area, our national security, and of AUKUS, are intertwined. You cannot have one without the others.
That is why, as the local MP and member of the Defence Committee, I am determined that we get this right and I am working hard to ensure that everything possible is done so we can play our central role in delivering AUKUS.
I was proud to show the committee our amazing shipyard and introduce them to some of our communities who support it. They are equally vital to the success of this historic international partnership.
I wanted my fellow committee members to get a full picture of the incredible progress that is being made as well as the many challenges that our communities still face following more than a decade of neglect and underinvestment.
Thank you to everyone who took the time to share their thoughts on the improvements that we need to see in the coming years. The committee will use the visit to inform the recommendations to Government in its AUKUS enquiry report later this year.