Source · Select Committees · Public Accounts Committee
Recommendation 17
17
The Department said that Ajax’s safety problems had highlighted broader issues around noise-induced hearing loss,...
Conclusion
The Department said that Ajax’s safety problems had highlighted broader issues around noise-induced hearing loss, which formed the largest number of claims in the armed forces compensation scheme. It has commissioned the vice-chief of the defence staff and the second permanent secretary to examine the causes of those claims to see what it needed to do in response.34 28 Q 1; Letter dated 29 March 2022 from Minister of State to PAC Chair; Minister for Defence Procurement written statement 29 March 2022. 29 Q 7; C&AG’s Report, para. 3 30 C&AG’s Report, paras. 12, 13 31 C&AG’s Report, para. 2.27; Ministry of Defence, HS&EP Ajax Noise and Vibration Review, December 2021 32 Qq 30, 31; Letter from Ministry of Defence to Committee dated 6 May 2022 33 Q 90 34 Q 30 Armoured Vehicles: the Ajax programme 13 2 Delivering the Ajax programme Resolving the noise and vibration problems
Government Response
Not Addressed
HM Government
Not Addressed
The department has accepted all the recommendations in the King Report relating to safety and armoured vehicle procurement. Some have already been implemented and the remainder are being progressed. The independent Ajax Lessons Learned Review is looking specifically at the escalation of safety and other issues on acquisition programmes.