Source · Select Committees · Public Accounts Committee
Recommendation 8
8
Since 2015–16, the Department has reduced the size of its built estate by just 2%...
Conclusion
Since 2015–16, the Department has reduced the size of its built estate by just 2% (1,600 hectares). The Department also failed to meet two short-term targets set by Government in the 2015 Spending Review: to release land for 55,000 new homes by March 2020, and to raise £1 billion from the sale of land by March 2021. It raised £538 million and released land for just 9,200 houses, having never had any clear plans for how it would meet the 55,000 target. This failure is partly explained by changing military requirements for the estate after the targets were set, such as the decision of the United States to retain three large airfields —RAF Molesworth, RAF Mildenhall and RAF Alconbury—that the Department had planned to sell. The Department, however, did not seek to update its targets to reflect these changed circumstances.10
Government Response
Acknowledged
HM Government
Acknowledged
2.1 The government agrees with the Committee’s recommendation. Target implementation date: Spring 2022 2.2 The department has a clear plan for modernising its capabilities and reducing the size of the estate to meet Defence’s requirements, aligning with the 2021 Integrated Review (IR) and publication of the Command Paper. The department now has clarity on its near-term priorities and is committed to delivering the military requirement as efficiently as possible. 2.3 The department confirmed with Defence Ministers that the 2015 target to reduce the built estate by 30% is no longer appropriate and will no longer be pursued. The original target, which had been set out in the 2015 Strategic Defence and Security Review, was a top-down target assumption and was not based on detailed plans. Following the 2020 SR, 2021 IR and the publication of the Defence Command Paper, the department has a clear plan for modernising its capabilities and reducing the size of the estate of the next few years. 2.4 The DEO Portfolio will align its targets and benefits with the outcome of the 2021 IR. The department is working on delivering a refreshed DEO portfolio plan to reflect a post-IR capability laydown. Given the work involves refreshing the plan and re-costing implications of project changes and benefits, it is expected to be completed and formally endorsed within the department by Spring 2022.