Lords Committee to hear from senior academics on UK’s defence strategy and infrastructure in the Middle East and Indo-Pacific regions
Monday 27 June 2022
On Wednesday 29 June the House of Lords International Relations and Defence Committee will hold an evidence session as part of its continuing inquiry: Defence concepts and capabilities: from aspiration to reality.
The Committee will explore issues relating to the UK’s strategic interests in the Middle East and Indo-Pacific regions. They will explore whether the Integrated Review and Defence Command Paper signify a shift in the UK’s regional priorities, and ask questions about the role and strategic importance of existing UK Defence infrastructure in these regions.
The session will start at 10.30am and will be available to watch live or on demand on Parliament TV or attend in person in Committee Room 4A, Palace of Westminster.
Giving evidence will be:
10.30am
- Professor Alessio Patalano, Professor of War and Strategy in East Asia, King’s College London; and
- Michael Stephens, Associate Fellow, Royal United Services Institute (RUSI).
Questions may include:
- Who are the UK’s most important allies in the Indo-Pacific and Middle East and why? What expectations do they have of us, what can we expect in return from them, and does the Defence Command Paper adequately reflect and respond to those expectations?
- What is the role of the existing UK Defence infrastructure in the Indo-Pacific, such as the support facilities in Singapore and Diego Garcia? Do they provide an adequate basing footprint for the Indo-Pacific ‘tilt’?
- What are the UK’s strategic interests in the Middle East and how highly should they rank among UK strategic priorities? Do the Integrated Review and Defence Command Paper provide adequate strategy and resources for achieving those interests?
- What capabilities does the UK need to achieve its Middle Eastern interests? Are those capabilities complementary to the requirements of other regions?
