Source · Select Committees · Public Accounts Committee
Recommendation 10
10
Acknowledged
The Ukraine conflict has demonstrated the renewed importance of land capabilities, but the Department acknowledged...
Conclusion
The Ukraine conflict has demonstrated the renewed importance of land capabilities, but the Department acknowledged that there has been slippage in several major programmes.25 We are unconvinced by the Department’s assertion that it is doing all it can to speed up these programmes, or its claim that it could only go faster if it took more risks.26
Government Response Summary
The government recognizes the need to balance risk with speed and will write to the Committee with more detail on the department’s approach, including the scope to increase the pace of delivery to the front line, and provide an update on the implications for the Army’s forward equipment programme.
Government Response
Acknowledged
HM Government
Acknowledged
3.1 The government agrees with the Committee’s recommendation. Target implementation date: December 2023 3.2 The department recognises the need to balance risk with the speed of capability delivery. The experience of procuring equipment for Ukraine has shown what can be achieved with increased risk appetite and when pace is prioritised. There may be scope to take more risk to get capability into the hands of the user more quickly; however, this will not be appropriate in every case and needs to be carefully considered and the additional risk carefully managed. The department will write to the Committee with more detail on the department’s approach, including the scope to increase the pace of delivery to the front line. 3.3 The department will provide the committee with an update on the implications for Army’s forward equipment programme.