Recommendation 20

The Department confirmed that the Integrated Review—which had not been published at the time we took evidence—would contain substantially different capability choices from the current Equipment Plan.55 The government intends that the additional funding will be invested in capability enhancements and new technologies, and be used to help the Department to address the financial problems it has faced over the last five years.56 As Ministers had not yet made final decisions, the Department could not set out what proportion of the additional funding would be used to develop new capabilities.57 The Department told us that details of the specific new programmes and capability cuts will be set out when the Integrated Review is published, and it expected this to be in spring 2021.58 We emphasised our intention to continue to scrutinise the outcome of the Integrated Review and the Department’s management of equipment expenditure.59