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Select committee: Public Accounts Committee

Conclusion 1

Twenty-Third Report - Delivering carrier strike Published 13 Nov 2020 Addressed to HM Treasury

Public Accounts Committee Delivering carrier strike All items in this report Report on parliament.uk ↗ Inquiry on parliament.uk ↗

Conclusion (the committee's words)
On the basis of a report by the Comptroller and Auditor General, we took evidence from the Ministry of Defence (the Department) on its progress in developing Carrier Strike and the steps it still needs to take to achieve its full operating capabilities and deliver value for money from its investment to date.1

From: Public Accounts Committee, Twenty-Third Report - Delivering carrier strike (HC 684), 13 November 2020

Government response

The government responded to the whole report on 4 February 2021.

Summary written by Accountability Index from the government's response. It is not the government's own words.

The government states that it agrees with the Committee's recommendation on six of its recommendations (numbered 1 to 6), and disagrees with one part, on the whole life cost of buying more than 48 jets.

  • On future ambitions for Carrier Strike, the government agrees; the department says that once the Integrated Review is published it "will evaluate the outcomes in detail to refine its policy ambitions", with any future investments captured in the costed 10-year Equipment Plan.
  • On the cost of more than 48 jets, the government disagrees, stating it is "not possible" to expand the costing model beyond 48 aircraft until the Integrated Review results are known and a formal mandate change to the Lightning Programme is issued.
  • On Lightning II expenditure, the government agrees, but notes that the private briefing agreed with the Committee for 20 January 2021 "does not meet the recommendation timeline (within one month)".
  • On Crowsnest, the government agrees and says a written brief on how it has addressed the late delivery "will be provided to the Committee in February 2021"; full capability is to be achieved in 2023.

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