Recommendation 23

The Integrated Review of Security, Defence, Development and Foreign Policy was delayed until March 2021, but in November 2020 the government announced it would provide an additional £16.5 billion of defence funding over the next four years.70 The Department said that the recent funding settlement gives it the opportunity to address the challenges of Single Living Accommodation more fully.71 We asked how much of this additional money would be used on Single Living Accommodation, and the Department told us “a significant amount”, although it was unable to give a precise figure until the Review was published. The money will be spread across equipment procurement and 62 Q 52; C&AG’s Report, para 4.2 63 Q 77 64 Qq 79, 82–84; C&AG’s Report, para 4.2, Figure 13 65 Q 85 66 Qq 102–103 67 C&AG’s Report, paras 4.5, 4.6 68 Q 52 69 Qq 77–79; C&AG’s Report, para 4.6 70 C&AG’s Report, The Equipment Plan 2020 to 2030, Session 2019–21, HC 1037, January 2021 71 Q 14 Improving single living accommodation for service personnel 17 support, people and infrastructure.72 The Department did add, however, with reference to the £2 billion that consultants had estimated was needed to get all of the Single Living Accommodation into line with the Department’s Building Performance Standards, that it is unlikely to be at that kind of level. The Department stated that it needed to reduce the size of the estate and will work to free up money in that way.73 We expressed concern that the additional £16.5 billion of funding seemed to have been spent more than once before it had even arrived with the Department. The Department stated that it would be spent on a combination of areas, including remedying financial problems and further investment in people, equipment and infrastructure.74 Annington Homes