Committee publication · Correspondence · 2 September 2025

Letter to Lord Robertson relating to the Strategic Defence Review, 10 July 2025

From: Business and Trade Sub-Committee on Economic Security, Arms and Export Controls

Summary

The Business and Trade Sub-Committee invites Lord Robertson, author of the Strategic Defence Review, to provide evidence on UK economic security threats. The committee is preparing a baseline analysis report and seeks Robertson's assessment of principal security threats, economic security vulnerabilities from state actors, potential use of economic tools as hybrid warfare, and any SDR insights beyond the Defence Ministry's remit.

Key findings

Committee endorses Robertson's conclusion that security and economic strength are inseparable, requiring a whole-of-society approach to economic resilience
Sub-Committee seeks detailed assessment of principal UK security threats and specifically economic security threats from four main state threat actors identified in the SDR
Inquiry examines potential use of economic tools by adversaries as sub-threshold and hybrid action against the UK
Committee requests information not deemed relevant to Ministry of Defence implementation but potentially important to wider government
Inquiry scope covers definition of economic security, strategic necessity, technology risks (AI), international best practice, and integration with growth/industrial/trade strategy

Tone

Procedural

Topics

economic-securitystrategic-defencestate-threatshybrid-warfaregovernment-coordination

Key actors

Lord Robertson of Port Ellen, Business and Trade Sub-Committee on Economic Security, Arms and Export Controls, Defence Committee, Ministry of Defence, Strategic Defence Review Team

Notable line

“… the security of the realm is inseparable from our economic strength — and that protecting that economic strength now demands a whole-of-society approach to economic security …”

Key Quotes

“… the security of the realm is inseparable from our economic strength — and that protecting that economic strength now demands a whole-of-society approach to economic security and resilience.”
— Chair, Business and Trade Committee · Endorsing Robertson's SDR conclusions and framing the committee's inquiry approach

“To enable the Sub-Committee to fulfil its duties in informing the public and Parliament, I would be grateful if you could provide publicly as much information as possible.”
— Chair, Business and Trade Committee · Requesting Robertson provide his response in publicly available form

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Source · parliament.uk record ↗