Recommendations & Conclusions
132 items
32
Conclusion
First Report - Ready for War?
Accepted
Readiness is about acceptable risk. The decisions on what risks to take are ultimately political (based partly on military advice) rather than solely military or parliamentary decisions. Ministers will also inevitably need to reach judgments about the availability of information regarding threats and the UK’s readiness to respond 48 Meg …
Government response. The government agrees that there is no regular mechanism for scrutiny on readiness and offers a regular annual open session for the Committee to meet with Ministers and Service Chiefs to address this gap.
Ministry of Defence
33
Conclusion
First Report - Ready for War?
Accepted
The Government’s reaction to this specific inquiry has also been unacceptably slow and has impeded our work. Responses to our requests for written evidence have arrived many months late and contained very little useful information. We took up the Government’s offer of a meeting in private to review classified information. …
Government response. The government agrees that the response time for this specific inquiry was slow and commits to making every effort to prevent recurrence. They assure that the newly offered annual open session will be prioritised and provide useful, timely information.
Ministry of Defence
34
Conclusion
First Report - Ready for War?
Accepted
In the absence of adequate official information, public and parliamentary scrutiny of and debate about UK armed forces readiness currently relies on media reporting and corridor conversations, leading to suspicion that the forces are less ready than in fact they are. It does not need to be like this. The …
Government response. The government recognizes the need for more public information on planning assumptions and readiness, committing to releasing headlines from current Defence Planning Assumptions (DPAs) and 'as much as possible' of future DPAs when national and NATO planning processes mature.
Ministry of Defence
35
Conclusion
First Report - Ready for War?
Accepted in Part
In a functioning democracy, the House of Commons Defence Committee needs to be routinely informed about the planning assumptions and readiness of the nation’s armed forces. We therefore recommend that—following the Minister’s welcome commitment to work with us—the Government propose how we and our successors can receive at least annually …
Government response. The government commits to releasing headlines from current Defence Planning Assumptions (DPAs) and 'as much as possible' of future DPAs. However, it does not explicitly propose a mechanism for providing annual, detailed updates specifically to the Committee.
Ministry of Defence
36
Recommendation
First Report - Ready for War?
Accepted in Part
We also recommend that the Government explain why previously unclassified information about readiness is no longer published, recognise the reduction in public and parliamentary accountability that this has brought about, and seek to rectify the situation. In future, when a decision is being considered to classify previously available information, we …
Government response. The government explains the historical evolution and classification of Defence Planning Assumptions (DPAs) and has released a version of the 2023 DPAs to enhance transparency. However, it does not commit to consulting select committees before classifying previously available information in …
Ministry of Defence
37
Conclusion
First Report - Ready for War?
Accepted
At the end of 2023, over 7,000 UK Armed Forces personnel were deployed on more than 40 operations abroad.51 Some of these operations are long-standing commitments whereas others are in response to unexpected events. In the last quarter of 2023, the Secretary of State deployed a Royal Navy task group …
Government response. The government states that the UK Armed Forces continue to meet all their operational commitments, including participation in NATO missions, support for Ukraine, and addressing Houthi shipping attacks in the Red Sea.
Ministry of Defence
38
Conclusion
First Report - Ready for War?
Accepted
Standing commitments and ‘flying the flag’ operations can play a vital role in building alliances and partnerships that could help deter or win a future war. The Minister for the Armed Forces highlighted the work which the Rangers carried out countering Russian influence55 and the Secretary of State cited the …
Government response. The government agrees on the importance of alliances and partnerships, stating that the UK, as a leading NATO member, already leverages these relationships and deploys assets like aircraft carriers to build international defence capabilities.
Ministry of Defence
39
Conclusion
First Report - Ready for War?
Accepted
The Secretary of State told us that in relation to the additional deployments to KFOR and the Middle East, his “experience of our Armed Forces has been that when I have needed something so far, it has been there”: They will say yes, but they will also say, “But these …
Government response. The government affirms that the Armed Forces continue to meet all operational commitments, including NATO missions, support for Ukraine, and tackling Houthi attacks, demonstrating their ability to respond effectively to crises.
Ministry of Defence
40
Conclusion
First Report - Ready for War?
Acknowledged
The Minister for the Armed Forces acknowledged that the UK Armed Forces were deployed in excess of what the force structure was designed for, noting that “there is absolutely no pretending that we are not spending resource more keenly than our 51 X (formerly known as Twitter) post by the …
Government response. The government acknowledges the need to prioritise resources for modernisation and readiness, stating that lessons from the Russia-Ukraine War have led to a re-evaluation of assumptions and a greater focus on warfighting readiness, balancing existing programmes.
Ministry of Defence
41
Conclusion
First Report - Ready for War?
Accepted
Professor Michael Clarke told us “British forces over the past 30 years have done a great deal of operating, but have not prepared for war fighting, and there is a big difference between operating efficiently and well, and preparing for war fighting. The Ukraine war has brought the spectre of …
Government response. The government agrees the threat has changed and states that Defence is being optimized to fight, with lessons from Ukraine leading to re-evaluation of capabilities and readiness. It highlights £1.95bn allocated to address capability gaps and improve resilience.
Ministry of Defence
42
Conclusion
First Report - Ready for War?
Accepted
All three witnesses in our first evidence session questioned the warfighting readiness of the UK Armed Forces.63 General Lord Houghton later told us that the “hollowing out” of the Armed Forces since 2010 had led to shortfalls in the UK’s warfighting resilience: one of the ways in which we were …
Government response. The government confirms £1.95Bn from the 2023 Spring Budget has been allocated to improve defence resilience by building munitions and medical stockpiles, enhancing critical infrastructure, and supporting activities like supply chain mapping and wargaming.
Ministry of Defence
43
Conclusion
First Report - Ready for War?
Accepted
The MOD have acknowledged that there are gaps in their warfighting readiness. In written evidence submitted to this inquiry, the MOD highlighted that investment is required in: • Defence rail outload theatre capability; • Infrastructure and warehousing munitions; 59 Q427; 365 60 Q429;431–2; 435 61 Oral evidence taken before the …
Government response. The government confirms £1.95Bn from the 2023 Spring Budget has been allocated to improve defence resilience by building munitions and medical stockpiles, enhancing critical infrastructure, and supporting activities like supply chain mapping and wargaming, directly addressing identified investment needs.
Ministry of Defence
44
Conclusion
First Report - Ready for War?
Accepted
The Chief of the Defence Staff also told us that the MOD was investing in capabilities such as “complex weapons, general munitions, and operational spares stocks to meet the needs of sustained operation”.68 The Minister for the Armed Forces argued that decisions taken to make savings at the expense of …
Government response. The government details that it has placed almost £1Bn in contracts to replenish UK stocks of equipment and munitions, including various anti-tank weapons, missiles, and artillery rounds, which were provided to Ukraine.
Ministry of Defence
45
Conclusion
First Report - Ready for War?
Accepted
Using open source evidence provided to us, we have below set out a range of capability gaps and readiness shortfalls in each of the Front Line Commands. We do not doubt that the Government will be able to point to procurement programmes and arrangements with Allies which alleviate the situation. …
Government response. The government states that a significant recapitalisation programme is already underway across all domains, with new platforms entering service and commitments made in DCP23 to prioritize lethality, stockpiles, munitions, and a transformed partnership with industry to address capability shortfalls.
Ministry of Defence
46
Conclusion
First Report - Ready for War?
Accepted
General Sir Nick Carter told us that the Army was the “weakest service” and that it had “significant capability deficiencies”.71 Both Dr Simon Anglim and General Lord Houghton questioned whether the UK could field the heavy division which is committed to NATO without an Ally providing a Brigade.72 Professor Malcolm …
Government response. The government responds to concerns about the Army's capability deficiencies by detailing existing recapitalisation and modernisation programmes, new platforms, and commitments under DCP23 to enhance lethality, stockpiles, and industrial partnerships.
Ministry of Defence
47
Conclusion
First Report - Ready for War?
Accepted
Many of Dr Allport’s assessments of the capability shortages regarding the Army’s fighting vehicles align with what we discovered when we produced our 2021 Report on the challenges faced by the Army in updating its heavy armoured capability.76 When we suggested that there were serious deficiencies in the Army’s capabilities …
Government response. The government acknowledges the concerns regarding the Army's heavy armoured capability by outlining its ongoing recapitalisation programme and modernisation efforts across all domains, prioritizing new platforms, stockpiles, and industrial partnerships.
Ministry of Defence
48
Conclusion
First Report - Ready for War?
Accepted
These capability shortfalls exist despite the fact that the Army budget has increased over the past decade and investment in the Army as an overall proportion of Defence spending has been maintained. Between the financial years 2013–2014 and 2022–2023, the Army’s overall budget grew in real terms by 15%78 and …
Government response. The government responds to the observation about capability shortfalls despite budget increases by outlining existing recapitalisation programs, new platforms coming into service, and current prioritization of lethality, stockpiles, and industrial partnerships under DCP23.
Ministry of Defence
49
Conclusion
First Report - Ready for War?
Accepted
When we discussed the current state of the Army with the Chief of the General Staff, he acknowledged issues existed but pointed to the work which he had done to “mobilise the Army so that it would be ready to fight with what it has in the course of the …
Government response. The government reiterates its ongoing recapitalisation programme, new platforms, and commitments under DCP23 to prioritize lethality, stockpiles, and industrial partnerships, in line with the Chief of the General Staff's previous statements about mobilizing the Army.
Ministry of Defence
50
Conclusion
First Report - Ready for War?
Accepted
Despite these actions, the Minister for the Armed Forces acknowledged that the “complete renewal of the British Army’s fighting echelon is in order to sustain our ability to put a British Division into the NATO fight under a British-led corps” would not be realised until “ the two Armoured Infantry …
Government response. The government outlines its ongoing recapitalisation programme and modernisation efforts across all domains, encompassing new platforms, stockpiles, and industrial partnerships, as its strategy to address Army renewal.
Ministry of Defence
51
Conclusion
First Report - Ready for War?
Accepted
We have been told that the Navy is undergoing a “maritime renaissance”85 and that the UK is moving towards a maritime strategy (which prioritises a naval response above land or air capabilities).86 The Chief of the Defence Staff told us that the Royal Navy made up 20–25% of NATO maritime …
Government response. The government addresses concerns about Navy capability gaps by detailing an ongoing recapitalisation programme, commitments under DCP23, and specific enhancements like the Naval Strike Missile, which are intended to transform and improve the Armed Forces' capabilities.
Ministry of Defence
52
Conclusion
First Report - Ready for War?
Accepted
Dr Rowan Allport of the Human Security Centre produced a detailed list of what he perceived to be Royal Navy readiness gaps and capability shortfalls which included: • Delays to the Type 26 frigate programme which have resulted in the Type 23 frigate force being run on far past its …
Government response. The government states it has a significant recapitalisation programme underway across all domains, bringing new platforms into service, prioritising lethality, and implementing a new Integrated Procurement Model to address capability shortfalls.
Ministry of Defence
53
Conclusion
First Report - Ready for War?
Accepted
These gaps are compounded by the efforts which have previously been made to improve the availability of Royal Navy vessels. Nick Childs described these as “in part, robbing Peter to pay Paul within the fleet in terms of stores, key equipment to cannibalise and sometimes personnel. It will be a …
Government response. The government states it has a significant recapitalisation programme underway across all domains, bringing new platforms into service, prioritising lethality, and implementing a new Integrated Procurement Model to address capability shortfalls.
Ministry of Defence
54
Conclusion
First Report - Ready for War?
Accepted
In response to questions on naval readiness, the Chief of the Defence Staff told us that the Royal Navy was “on the up” with significant transformation between 2020 and 2030 as it “becomes a carrier Navy again, that alongside the Air Force goes from fourth generation jets to fifth generation …
Government response. The government states it has a significant recapitalisation programme underway across all domains, bringing new platforms into service, prioritising lethality, and implementing a new Integrated Procurement Model to address capability shortfalls.
Ministry of Defence
55
Conclusion
First Report - Ready for War?
Accepted
However, both First Sea Lord and the Director Force Generation of the Royal Navy (Rear Admiral Steve Moorhouse) acknowledged that there were further steps to be taken, in terms of maintenance of vessels,103 both increasing lethality and managing stockpiles (including working closely with the supply chain to ensure they “understand …
Government response. The government states it has a significant recapitalisation programme underway across all domains, bringing new platforms into service, prioritising lethality, and implementing a new Integrated Procurement Model to address capability shortfalls.
Ministry of Defence
56
Conclusion
First Report - Ready for War?
Accepted
The difficulty of crewing naval vessels has resulted in consideration being given to removing some ships from the Fleet.107 The Royal Navy currently has two amphibious assault ships (HMS Bulwark and HMS Albion) which cycle in availability with one placed into maintenance and extended readiness whilst the other is held …
Government response. The government welcomes the decision to maintain the Albion-class vessels in operational service until their out-of-service dates in the 2030s.
Ministry of Defence
57
Conclusion
First Report - Ready for War?
Acknowledged
Both Generals Lord Houghton and Sir Nick Carter questioned the RAF’s ability to engage in peer-to-peer warfighting. General Lord Houghton suggested that the RAF had “good kit” in relation to its platforms and weapons but not enough of them—and a pilot shortage problem.110 He went to note that the RAF …
Government response. The government acknowledges the responsibility to ensure the Armed Forces have the right people, stating that increasing recruitment and improving retention are absolute priorities, with measures outlined in the Haythornthwaite Review and DCP23, and a new Transformation Directorate driving delivery.
Ministry of Defence
58
Conclusion
First Report - Ready for War?
Accepted
The Human Security Centre again produced a list of outstanding or near-future capability, resource and readiness shortfalls which the RAF faces: • A shortfall in combat aircraft numbers. The retirement of 30 Tranche 1 Typhoon aircraft in 2025 (with the majority of their airframe lives remaining) will leave only 107 …
Government response. The government explains that aircraft are retired when no longer cost-effective to maintain due to obsolescence or compliance costs, and that components from retired aircraft are used to maintain the operational fleet, which applies to Hawk and Typhoon Tranche 1.
Ministry of Defence
59
Conclusion
First Report - Ready for War?
Acknowledged
Professor Justin Bronk also raised the issue of F-35 fleet size, describing the F-35 force as “triple or quadruple-hatted in terms of how many parts of UK defence are counting on it for how many mission outputs in the case of a war [and] … there are not very many …
Government response. The government acknowledges the responsibility to ensure the Armed Forces have the right people, stating that increasing recruitment and improving retention are absolute priorities, with measures outlined in the Haythornthwaite Review and DCP23, and a new Transformation Directorate driving delivery.
Ministry of Defence
60
Conclusion
First Report - Ready for War?
The Chief of the Defence Staff told us that whilst there may be a tension between training and operational sorties, by Spring 2023 the RAF had delivered twice as many operational sorties as in the previous 12 months while also managing to deploy to the US Red Flag series of …
Ministry of Defence
61
Conclusion
First Report - Ready for War?
Not Addressed
The Chief of the Air Staff argued that the RAF had benefitted significantly from investment in the past 15 years which had resulted in the bringing into service the F-35 fleet; A400M fleet; the Voyager fleet and the P-8 Maritime Patrol Aircraft fleet. This had made the RAF “more capable” …
Government response. The government discusses the Defence Command Paper 2023's aims for modernising and mobilising conventional forces, enhancing lethality, and rebalancing investment in capabilities’ availability and sustainment, but does not specifically address the RAF's acknowledged need for investment in spares, infrastructure, and …
Ministry of Defence
62
Conclusion
First Report - Ready for War?
Acknowledged
Strategic Command is a joint force Command, working across defence and with the three Front Line Commands to integrate capabilities across all domains. Commander, Strategic Command told us that he would regard the different parts of his organisations as some of the jewels in the crown of defence’s capability: Permanent …
Government response. The government explains that the Defence Command Paper 2023 outlines a new purpose for Defence and details significant investments to upgrade nuclear systems and enhance ISTAR, Electronic Warfare, signals intelligence, and cyber capabilities, alongside improving the lethality of the Royal …
Ministry of Defence
63
Conclusion
First Report - Ready for War?
Not Addressed
He acknowledged the difficulty of talking about readiness in relation to Strategic Command given that “a lot of my organisation operates at readiness all the time, and readiness does not apply to quite a lot of my organisation”. He cited the nature of “constant engagement” in the work of PJHQ; …
Government response. The government discusses the Defence Command Paper 2023's aims for modernising and mobilising conventional forces, enhancing lethality, and rebalancing investment in capabilities’ availability and sustainment, but does not specifically address concerns about the scale of medical cover needed for war-fighting …
Ministry of Defence
64
Conclusion
First Report - Ready for War?
Acknowledged
In July the Chief of the Defence Staff told us that, as well as in medical and health, there were also skills and capability shortages in cyber/digital127 and in addition, the MOD Annual Report and Accounts highlighted intelligence as a “key workforce capability area for priority action”. The shortfall in …
Government response. The government acknowledges its responsibility to ensure the Armed Forces have the right people in the right place with the right skills and recognizes the challenge of competing in a demanding labour market to recruit and retain personnel.
Ministry of Defence
65
Conclusion
First Report - Ready for War?
Not Addressed
When we asked the Commander Strategic Command how he was working on alleviating shortfalls, he provided the following examples: Health • Increasing the level of medical stocks whilst working with the NHS to ensure rotation the stock from MOD shelves through the NHS in order to avoid wasting product by …
Government response. The government details £1.95Bn in funding from the 2023 Spring Budget allocated to improve resilience and build munitions and medical stockpiles, and nearly £1Bn in contracts to replenish equipment, but does not address the specific methods mentioned for alleviating personnel …
Ministry of Defence
66
Conclusion
First Report - Ready for War?
Acknowledged
Both he and the Minister for the Armed Forces highlighted the importance of exploring a range of interventions in order to attract a modern workforce, with the Minister highlighting the Haythornthwaite Report as an ongoing project in this area.133 Commander, Strategic Command also pointed to the Reserve as being a …
Government response. The government acknowledges its responsibility to ensure the Armed Forces have the right people and recognizes the importance of attracting new generations with modern and flexible offers in a competitive labour market.
Ministry of Defence
67
Conclusion
First Report - Ready for War?
Accepted
When we asked each of the single service heads what shortfalls their Forces were carrying, all mentioned stockpiles as an area of significant (current) concern.135 The high rate of consumption of munitions in the war in Ukraine has exceeded the assumptions (and therefore the quantities held) by most Western forces. …
Government response. The government has allocated £1.95Bn from the 2023 Spring Budget and placed nearly £1Bn in contracts to build munitions and medical stockpiles and replenish UK stocks of equipment, directly addressing concerns about current stockpile levels.
Ministry of Defence
68
Conclusion
First Report - Ready for War?
Accepted
Although all of the Chiefs had pointed to events in Ukraine as the catalyst for investment in stockpiles, General Lord Houghton and General Sir Nick Carter both told us that stockpiles had been reducing for a number of years before the Russian full-scale invasion of Ukraine.139 We have also heard …
Government response. The government has allocated £1.95 billion to address long-standing challenges in defence, specifically using this funding to build munitions and medical stockpiles, including significant purchases of 155mm munitions and Storm Shadow, and has developed a strategy for munitions.
Ministry of Defence
69
Conclusion
First Report - Ready for War?
Not Addressed
The Government has previously pointed to its successes in signing contracts—in June 2022 it noted that it had secured “contracts for Next Generation Light AntiTank Weapons, Starstreak High Velocity Missiles, Lightweight Multirole Missiles, Archer 6X6 Artillery 132 Q406 133 Q406–7 134 Q453 135 Q213; 220; 237; 322 136 Ammunition supply …
Government response. The government reiterates the allocation of £1.95Bn from the 2023 Spring Budget for munitions and medical stockpiles and contracts to replenish equipment, but it does not address the committee's concern regarding the NAO's finding that these funds were not ringfenced …
Ministry of Defence
70
Conclusion
First Report - Ready for War?
Accepted
Beyond securing investment, there are further difficulties in replenishing stockpiles at pace. We heard from Professor Michael Clarke that the companies responsible for supplying precision weapons to UK Armed Forces have had small production runs for some time which there are challenges in scaling up, partly because of the consolidation …
Government response. The government outlines funding for munitions and medical stockpiles and commits to transforming its partnership with industry, engaging earlier in strategic conversations to create a more resilient industrial base and improve supply chain capacity, alongside implementing a new Integrated Procurement …
Ministry of Defence
71
Conclusion
First Report - Ready for War?
Accepted
In our March 2023 Report ‘Special Relationships? The US, UK and NATO’ we highlighted the issue of industrial capacity in relation to supply chain capacity and a lack of skilled workers.152 We were told by Government that: Further developing strategic alignment with industry will mean that together we can better …
Government response. The government details funding for stockpiles and commits to a transformed partnership with industry, including earlier engagement and a new Integrated Procurement Model, to build a more resilient industrial base and address supply chain and skills challenges, aligning with previous …
Ministry of Defence
72
Conclusion
First Report - Ready for War?
Not Addressed
We address the DCP23’s policy intentions on the MOD’s relationship with industry and the steps it has subsequently taken to improve industrial capacity in the final chapter on strategic readiness. Recruitment and retention
Government response. The response refers to the Defence Command Paper 2023, its purpose and objectives, but does not address industrial capacity or strategic readiness, the topic of the recommendation.
Ministry of Defence
73
Conclusion
First Report - Ready for War?
Acknowledged
The Haythornthwaite Review (examined in the section below) found that in 2022 there was a net outflow (the difference between the number of people leaving and those joining) of 4,660 from the UK Armed Forces with the “overall voluntary outflow rate increasing to 6.0%, up 1.7% from the previous year”. …
Government response. The government acknowledges its responsibility to ensure the Armed Forces have the right people and skills, and recognizes the importance of attracting and retaining personnel with modern offers in a competitive labour market.
Ministry of Defence
74
Conclusion
First Report - Ready for War?
Accepted
In January 2024, we took evidence on Army recruitment from Capita with which the Army has a contract to administer recruitment services.156 We heard that in 2022– 23, Capita recruited 68% of the target number of people that the Army said it required to maintain the workforce. In 2023–24, it …
Government response. The government acknowledges recruitment and retention as absolute priorities, detailing pay increases for Armed Forces personnel and referencing measures from the Haythornthwaite Review and Defence Command Paper 2023 to address staffing challenges, including establishing a new Transformation Directorate.
Ministry of Defence
75
Conclusion
First Report - Ready for War?
Accepted
The MOD publicly concedes that for every eight service personnel who leaves, it currently recruits five people, although we understand the situation may have deteriorated further.159
Government response. The government acknowledges recruitment and retention as absolute priorities and has introduced pay increases, explored 'zig-zag' careers, and established a new Transformation Directorate to address staffing challenges and improve the flow of personnel.
Ministry of Defence
76
Conclusion
First Report - Ready for War?
Acknowledged
The Chief of the Air Force highlighted the difficulty in recruitment presented by the UK labour market which had 1.3 million vacancies at the start of 2023.160 The First Sea Lord described the Armed Forces as being “in a battle for national talent” which required the Armed Forces to be …
Government response. The government acknowledges the challenge of recruitment and retention in a competitive labour market, highlighting recent pay increases, measures outlined in the Haythornthwaite Review and Defence Command Paper 2023, and the establishment of a new Transformation Directorate to address these …
Ministry of Defence
77
Conclusion
First Report - Ready for War?
Acknowledged
We understand from witnesses including the Minister for the Armed Forces and 0(cid:31) 3(cid:29)& Capita that this labour market challenge is not just an issue in the UK, and that partner m(cid:7)iUl(cid:11)iUta(cid:9)r(cid:14)ies in! (cid:2)N,DA(cid:23)T(cid:2)XO(cid:23)(cid:2)(cid:18), MAXM(cid:17)u(cid:2)sXt(cid:20)r5aMl5i(cid:6)a(cid:2), X:N(cid:2)eWw(cid:2)(cid:6) (cid:22)Z(cid:2)eWaXPla(cid:14)nPd(cid:14) and Japan are also struggling to recruit.162 31X(cid:25)F(cid:31)X0(cid:24)’(cid:25)X(cid:26)"XG(cid:29)1(cid:25)F’X-(cid:26)X(cid:27)(cid:28)(cid:25)(cid:29)(cid:30)(cid:31) X"#""XHX$#XI(cid:31)0(cid:25)(cid:31)G(cid:30)(cid:31) X"#"$2 Indeed, when we …
Government response. The government acknowledges the global nature of the recruitment challenge for Armed Forces, outlining ongoing efforts like pay increases, measures from the Haythornthwaite Review and Defence Command Paper 2023, and a new Transformation Directorate to improve recruitment and retention.
Ministry of Defence
78
Conclusion
First Report - Ready for War?
Acknowledged
In November, the Secretary of State told us that recruitment and retention was an area of concern for him given that in September 2023 there had been “183 pinch points, of which 61 were assessed as having a significant or acute impact”.163 The Minister for the Armed Forces echoed this: …
Government response. The government acknowledges the concerns regarding recruitment and retention "pinch points" within the Armed Forces, detailing ongoing initiatives such as recent pay increases, measures from the Haythornthwaite Review and Defence Command Paper 2023, and the creation of a new Transformation …
Ministry of Defence
79
Conclusion
First Report - Ready for War?
Deferred
A number of our witnesses were concerned with how the UK Armed Forces utilised their reserve forces. Professor Justin Bronk suggested that neither the Army nor the Air Force had “really figured out how to use the reserves sustainably” and Lord Houghton told us that that the UK did “not …
Government response. The committee's response indicates that the government has acknowledged the issues with reserve forces and is deferring detailed action to be based on recommendations from the upcoming Reserve Forces 2030 Review and Haythornthwaite Review.
Ministry of Defence
80
Conclusion
First Report - Ready for War?
Deferred
As with the regular Forces, the Reserve Forces also saw a higher outflow than intake in the year up to October 2023.168 The External Scrutiny Team (mandated to report on the ‘state of the volunteer reserve forces’) found in their 2023 annual report that “the state, 165 Q47; Q108 166 …
Government response. The committee's response implies the government acknowledged the concerns regarding the declining state of the Reserve Forces and intends to address them through recommendations from the forthcoming Reserve Forces 2030 Review and Haythornthwaite Review.
Ministry of Defence
81
Conclusion
First Report - Ready for War?
Deferred
Both the Chief of the General Staff and the Chief of the Air Staff told us that they were trying to grow their reserve forces but were concerned by their ability to recruit.171 Conversely First Sea Lord felt that “recruiting reserves is in some areas proving easier” than recruiting regulars.172 …
Government response. The committee's response indicates that the government has acknowledged the challenges in growing and utilising reserve forces, deferring plans for improvement to future recommendations from the Reserve Forces 2030 Review and Haythornthwaite Review.
Ministry of Defence
82
Conclusion
First Report - Ready for War?
Accepted
Professor Justin Bronk told us that the IR23 and DCP23 had demonstrated “the broad challenges and ambitions that the UK is faced with” but had given no indication of priority.175 We made the same criticism (which the Government rejected) of the 2021 strategies.176 This lack of prioritisation has resulted in …
Government response. The government acknowledges the importance of prioritising resources and outlines existing mechanisms, such as continuous review with NATO allies, balancing the Global Operate programme with DCP23 outcomes, the Capability Readiness Assessment Framework (CRAF), and the Defence Design review, which aim …
Ministry of Defence
83
Conclusion
First Report - Ready for War?
Acknowledged
The Chief of the General staff told us that the Army is currently delivering 130% of its capacity.180 The First Sea Lord admitted that there are always more tasks for a Navy than there are ships.181 We heard that by Spring 2023 the RAF had delivered twice as many operational …
Government response. The government points to the Defence Command Paper 2023 (DCP23) as its strategy to address defence challenges, outlining its purpose to protect the nation, enhance capabilities (including nuclear, ISTAR, electronic warfare, cyber, and lethality), and increase operational productivity by rebalancing …
Ministry of Defence
84
Conclusion
First Report - Ready for War?
Not Addressed
In December 2023, we were told that budgetary constraints meant that training had been cut in 2023 (and had the potential of being cut similarly in 2024) in order to manage the pressures on the defence budget.184 As the Chief of the General Staff noted, training is a vital part …
Government response. The government's response highlights the Defence Command Paper 2023 and its focus on enhancing capabilities and operational productivity, but does not directly address the committee's specific concern about cuts to training due to budgetary constraints and their impact on readiness …
Ministry of Defence
85
Conclusion
First Report - Ready for War?
Not Addressed
Military Aid to Civil Authorities (MACA) requests are an additional operational pressure on the armed forces, but we are unable to quantify this without information on the impact of MACA on the readiness of the Armed Forces, requested from the Government in November 2023, but not received at the time …
Government response. The government affirms that the Armed Forces will continue to provide support to civil authorities and maintain high readiness for national events, but the response does not address the committee's concern about other departments' over-reliance on military assistance or provide …
Ministry of Defence
86
Conclusion
First Report - Ready for War?
Accepted
Readiness is determined by the number of trained personnel and viable equipment the Armed Forces have available to deploy and sustain on operations determined by ministerial priorities. However, whilst the size of the Forces and the equipment available to them is primarily controlled through budget allocations, policy changes can also …
Government response. The government recognizes the importance of ensuring the Armed Forces have the right people and skills, committing to increasing recruitment and improving retention through measures such as pay increases, zig-zag careers, and the establishment of a new Transformation Directorate to …
Ministry of Defence
87
Conclusion
First Report - Ready for War?
Accepted
The Haythornthwaite Review ‘Agency and agility: Incentivising people in a new era’, was an independent study commissioned by the MOD and published in June 2023. The Review looked at a number of areas where recruitment and retention could possibly be improved within the UK Armed Forces. 183 Q349; 427 184 …
Government response. The government acknowledges the need for the right people and skills, outlining priorities for increasing recruitment and improving retention. It highlights measures from the Haythornthwaite Review and Defence Command Paper 2023, such as pay increases, zig-zag careers, and a new …
Ministry of Defence
88
Conclusion
First Report - Ready for War?
Accepted
Defence Command Paper Refresh (DCP23) identified the areas of the Haythornthwaite Review that Defence would take forward as a priority: • greater career flexibility through a Spectrum of Service, which will enable Defence to be better at retaining and surging talent across the whole force. This will include increasing fluidity …
Government response. The government reaffirms its commitment to ensuring the Armed Forces have the right people and skills, outlining ongoing priorities such as increasing recruitment, improving retention, introducing zig-zag careers, reviewing pay and progression, and establishing a new Transformation Directorate, all of …
Ministry of Defence
89
Conclusion
First Report - Ready for War?
Service accommodation is also part of the package of incentives available to the Armed Forces and their families. We expect to report separately on this later in 2024.193
Ministry of Defence
90
Conclusion
First Report - Ready for War?
Accepted
When we took evidence from Professor Sir Lawrence Freedman, he welcomed the proposals in DCP23 but told us that he would have liked to have seen actual targets and descriptions of how the MOD was planning to achieve them: 189 Ministry of Defence, Agency and Agility: Incentivising people in a …
Government response. The government states that a formal response to the Haythornthwaite Review's 67 accepted recommendations will be published in 2024, outlining next steps for delivery and implementation, including a broad roadmap for recruitment and retention and regular reporting of key indicators …
Ministry of Defence
91
Conclusion
First Report - Ready for War?
Accepted
In Autumn 2023 the Chief of the Defence Staff told us that the Secretary of State “will continue to study the Review’s 67 complex, interconnected recommendations and make a more detailed formal response later in the year”.195 At the time of writing, this has yet to happen.
Government response. The government confirms that a formal response to the Haythornthwaite Review's 67 recommendations, which were accepted in the Defence Command Paper refresh in 2023, will be published during 2024. This response will detail next steps for delivery and implementation, including …
Ministry of Defence
92
Conclusion
First Report - Ready for War?
Deferred
In December 2023, the MOD Permanent Secretary acknowledged that “inflow [into the UK Armed Forces] is not at the level we need, and outflow is too high” and (alongside the recommendations produced by the Haythornthwaite Review on zig-zag careers and total reward) pointed both to work being carried out on …
Government response. The government indicates that a formal response to the Haythornthwaite Review's 67 accepted recommendations, outlining next steps for delivery and implementation, will be published during 2024, deferring the Permanent Secretary's hope for a detailed plan by the end of 2023.
Ministry of Defence
93
Conclusion
First Report - Ready for War?
Not Addressed
The Minister for the Armed Forces welcomed the work ongoing in relation to the Haythornthwaite recommendations but when asked whether that work could be speeded up, told us that whilst the MOD’s inclination was to implement as many of the recommendations as possible, that work was not cost-neutral and the …
Government response. The government states that a formal response to the Haythornthwaite Review's recommendations will be published in 2024, outlining implementation steps, but the response does not specifically address the Minister's previously noted concerns about budgetary pressures impacting the speed of this …
Ministry of Defence
94
Conclusion
First Report - Ready for War?
Not Addressed
The original Defence Command Paper (DCP21) had committed to reserve forces being “given new, more clearly defined roles” including providing “capacity, alongside their regular and civilian colleagues, and an alternative source of diverse talent to conduct operations at home and abroad”. The MOD would “create an efficient and fluid spectrum …
Government response. The government states a formal response to the Haythornthwaite Review recommendations will be published in 2024, outlining future steps for recruitment and retention, but the response does not specifically address the prior DCP21 commitments regarding reserve forces or the recommendations …
Ministry of Defence
95
Conclusion
First Report - Ready for War?
Not Addressed
Both the Chief of the Defence Staff and the MOD Permanent Secretary pointed out that much of the work relating to the Haythornthwaite Review would impact on thinking about the Reserves.200 In July 2023 the Chief of the Defence Staff told us that the MOD intended to respond to Lord …
Government response. The government states a formal response to the Haythornthwaite Review recommendations will be published in 2024, outlining future steps for recruitment and retention, but it does not address the previously stated intention to respond to the Reserve Forces Review 2030 …
Ministry of Defence
96
Conclusion
First Report - Ready for War?
Accepted
General Lord Houghton told us that the UK Armed Forces have maintained high levels of readiness for standing commitments (to domestic security and overseas non- discretionary tasks) and contingent commitments (commitments to allies and alliances such as the commitment to deploy forces to NATO at varying levels of readiness). Therefore …
Government response. The government refers to Defence Command Paper 2023, which outlines a clear purpose for Defence and a program of modernisation and mobilisation to address capability shortfalls, enhance lethality across the Royal Navy, Army, and RAF, and increase operational productivity.
Ministry of Defence
97
Conclusion
First Report - Ready for War?
Acknowledged
Professor Michael Clarke told us that both Integrated Review documents (the original and the refresh) had demonstrated that ministerial priorities were that “Britain should have a series of multiple roles that it can perform in the world and that it has high aspirations to a significant place in world politics, …
Government response. The government published the Defence Command Paper 2023, outlining a new purpose for Defence focused on protecting the nation and its prosperity, and highlighting the UK's role within NATO and its alliances. This paper, built on an increased MOD budget …
Ministry of Defence
98
Conclusion
First Report - Ready for War?
Acknowledged
General Lord Houghton was clear that the only way to reduce risk to readiness was to increase funding, while noting that this was a political choice, not a military one. The readiness assessments carried out by the MOD were shared with the Prime Minister, the Cabinet and the NSC for …
Government response. The government acknowledges the need to prioritise resources for modernization and readiness, stating that lessons from the Russia-Ukraine War have led to a re-evaluation of assumptions and a greater focus on warfighting readiness. It details ongoing work, including balancing the …
Ministry of Defence
99
Conclusion
First Report - Ready for War?
Acknowledged
One option that was suggested was that the UK Armed Forces could specialise in certain roles, relying on Allies to fill gaps in capability. Professor Bronk used the example of the Typhoon force which he described as covering “far too many mission sets” following its adoption of the roles previously …
Government response. The government acknowledges the discussion on specialisation, stating that the UK's approach through NATO leverages the collective capabilities of 32 nations, and Defence continuously reviews priorities in concert with allies.
Ministry of Defence
100
Conclusion
First Report - Ready for War?
Accepted
When we raised the prospect of specialisation with the Minister for the Armed Forces, he suggested that the greatest challenge would be coming to a consensus on what the UK might specialise in.212 He acknowledged that due to the current period of “great geopolitical uncertainty and instability” the UK Armed …
Government response. The government reaffirms its commitment to providing NATO with a full spectrum of defence capabilities, including nuclear and offensive cyber, arguing this comprehensive approach underpins both its NATO contributions and wider global hard-power projection. It highlights the dual utility of …
Ministry of Defence
101
Conclusion
First Report - Ready for War?
Accepted
A further example was presented at our sessions with the Secretary of State and senior MOD officials, when we questioned the utility of a contract to procure the Chinook CH-47. The project had already been delayed and (as a result of that delay and inflationary pressures) had increased in cost.214 …
Government response. The government has introduced a new Integrated Procurement Model to address issues of over-complex, over-budget, and delayed programmes by ensuring earlier expert assurance and empowering subject matter experts.
Ministry of Defence
102
Conclusion
First Report - Ready for War?
Accepted
Professor Bronk told us the choice was stark: either sufficiently resource the UK Armed Forces to allow them to have “full spectrum forces that can concurrently provide a reference force as a backbone of European NATO, while also doing expeditionary things for signalling, diplomacy and all sorts around the world” …
Government response. The government reaffirms its commitment to providing NATO with a full spectrum of defence capabilities, including nuclear and offensive cyber, arguing this comprehensive approach underpins both its NATO contributions and wider global hard-power projection. It highlights the dual utility of …
Ministry of Defence
103
Conclusion
First Report - Ready for War?
Accepted
Professor Chalmers thought it unlikely there would be an increase in defence spending anytime soon given the UK’s poor economic performance, as any increase would have to come either from cuts in other government spending or an increase of taxation.218 The Minister for the Armed Forces recognised that the funding …
Government response. The government states that the MOD's budget has increased to over £50 billion, projected to rise further, and that it is prioritising transforming the workforce model to attract and retain talent. It highlights recent pay increases for junior service personnel …
Ministry of Defence
104
Conclusion
First Report - Ready for War?
Rejected
Successive Defence Committees have looked at the possibility of mothballing equipment due to be retired220 to create a strategic reserve of equipment which could be utilised in the event of high intensity warfare. In 2018, the Government told our predecessor Committee that: When equipment is approaching retirement, Defence always has …
Government response. The government clarifies that decisions on retiring equipment are made by Front-Line Commands, considering factors like obsolescence, maintenance costs, and the availability of spares. It explains that long-term storage is often not viable due to expense and unsupportability, and that …
Ministry of Defence
105
Conclusion
First Report - Ready for War?
Rejected
In response to our recommendation last year that the Government mothball the 30 Tranche 1 Typhoons it is proposing to retire in 2025 (with 60% of their airframe fatigue lives remaining), we were told that whilst it would be feasible to retain the aircraft in storage, the investment required to …
Government response. The government reiterates that decisions on equipment retirement lie with Front-Line Commands, citing obsolescence, maintenance costs, and lack of spares as key factors against long-term storage. It states that equipment may be cannibalised for parts for operational fleets (e.g., Hawk …
Ministry of Defence
106
Conclusion
First Report - Ready for War?
Rejected
The Deputy Chief of the Defence Staff (Financial and Military Capability) told us that there was no point in holding on to capabilities which would become extinct, a point supported by the Secretary of State. However, he also acknowledged that mass would still be a requirement in future conflicts.224 The …
Government response. The government reiterates that decisions on equipment retirement lie with Front-Line Commands, citing obsolescence, maintenance costs, and lack of spares as key factors against long-term storage. It explains that long-term storage is often not viable due to expense and unsupportability, …
Ministry of Defence
107
Recommendation
First Report - Ready for War?
Accepted in Part
The commitments made to replenish and increase stockpiles made since the 2022 Autumn Budget have all been welcome. The question remains whether this is anywhere near enough to meet the potential threats we face. It is therefore disturbing to hear that the £1.95 billion awarded as part of the Spring …
Government response. The government stated that the £1.95 billion from the Spring 2023 Budget is being used to build munitions and medical stockpiles and for critical defence activities, providing examples such as 155mm munitions and Storm Shadow. It also noted nearly £1 …
Ministry of Defence
108
Conclusion
First Report - Ready for War?
Deferred
There are multiple capability shortfalls within the UK Armed Forces. For that reason, we welcome the decision to maintain the Albion-class vessels in operational service until their out of service dates in the 2030s. However, we are also increasingly concerned about the ability of the Armed Forces to attract and …
Government response. The government acknowledges the challenges in recruitment and retention, stating that all 67 recommendations from the Haythornthwaite Review were accepted in the Defence Command Paper refresh. It commits to publishing a formal government response outlining next steps for delivery and …
Ministry of Defence
109
Conclusion
First Report - Ready for War?
Deferred
Efforts to improve the recruitment and retention of both Regulars and Reserves are currently being considered by the MOD. We therefore recommend that once decisions have been made to adopt these recommendations, an implementation timetable with measurable deliverables is produced and shared with us so that we can scrutinise the …
Government response. The government commits to publishing a formal response to the Haythornthwaite Review during 2024, which will outline next steps for delivery, a broad roadmap for recruitment and retention, and regularly reported key progress indicators.
Ministry of Defence
110
Conclusion
First Report - Ready for War?
Accepted
The UK Armed Forces have sufficient Readiness for operations—they can carry out standing operations and contingent commitments. However, the breadth of their commitments is having an inevitable impact, in terms of budget requirements, subsequent constraints on training and the retention of personnel. It also appears to be delaying the development …
Government response. The government responds by detailing existing efforts and newly published strategies (DCP23, Haythornthwaite Review) to recapitalise, modernise, and improve the readiness, lethality, and personnel retention of the Armed Forces.
Ministry of Defence
111
Recommendation
First Report - Ready for War?
Accepted
Despite the Secretary of State’s insistence that the UK Armed Forces still have sufficient capacity to deploy in response to world events, we remain to be convinced. We are concerned that the breadth of ministerial requirements is in danger of pushing the Armed Forces far beyond what is sustainable. We …
Government response. The government states it continuously reviews priorities with NATO, balances programmes based on DCP23, and uses the Capability Readiness Assessment Framework (CRAF) to inform investment and prioritisation. It also mentions an ongoing review of the Defence Operating Model to better …
Ministry of Defence
112
Conclusion
First Report - Ready for War?
Rejected
We understand the financial implications of retaining capabilities after they have been retired but we question whether the MOD have considered all the options. We accept that maintaining equipment comes at significant cost but argue that such platforms do not need to be fully maintained—in a war of existence, a …
Government response. The government rejects the premise of alternative long-term storage, explaining that equipment disposal decisions consider obsolescence, lack of spares, high maintenance costs, and the 'reduce to produce' policy for maintaining existing fleets.
Ministry of Defence
113
Conclusion
First Report - Ready for War?
Accepted
Strategic readiness is described by the Minister for the Armed Forces as “the readiness of the nation to bring to bear all the nation’s strength to compete with an adversary”.227
Government response. The government explains that strategic resilience is maintained through the ability to mobilize military resources, with Reserves and the Strategic Reserve playing a central role. It adds that the Armed Forces are integral to countering threats and supporting civil authorities, …
Ministry of Defence
114
Conclusion
First Report - Ready for War?
Accepted
Describing the key components of strategic readiness, the Minister for the Armed Forces highlighted the importance of the industrial base and its ability to increase its capacity; enablers which project and sustain the force (not just in terms of equipment and warfighters but also medical services, signallers, logisticians and engineers …
Government response. The government is implementing a 'transformed partnership with industry' to build a more resilient industrial base, and is prioritising stockpiles, munitions, enablers, and storage facilities to enhance strategic readiness.
Ministry of Defence
115
Conclusion
First Report - Ready for War?
Not Addressed
It therefore goes wider than the remit of the Ministry of Defence—for example, having appropriate infrastructure and sufficient skilled and experienced workers are areas which are vital but are responsibilities of other government departments.230 A current example of this is that the national skills shortage is the main cause of …
Government response. The government's response focuses on MOD's internal recruitment and retention efforts and the Haythornthwaite Review, but does not address the conclusion that issues like infrastructure and skilled workers extend beyond MOD's remit and involve other government departments.
Ministry of Defence
116
Conclusion
First Report - Ready for War?
Accepted
As well as addressing its own resilience and readiness issues, the MOD is involved in drawing up the national defence plan which will address the wider issues in strategic resilience and readiness. Initial work was carried out for the Defence Command Paper Refresh (DCP23) and the intention is for this …
Government response. The government confirms that MOD has consistently maintained national defence plans, recently consolidated its contributions, and works collaboratively with other departments, welcoming continued scrutiny of these ongoing efforts.
Ministry of Defence
117
Conclusion
First Report - Ready for War?
Accepted
The Defence Command Paper Refresh (DCP23) looked at the requirements for strategic resilience in its final chapter. In relation to the defence of the homeland, the MOD highlighted areas where Defence plays a critical role, including the policing of national airspace (through the constant provision of Quick Reaction Alert aircraft) …
Government response. The government lists military outputs and non-discretionary tasks related to strategic resilience, confirms the importance of Reserves, and reiterates the Armed Forces' ongoing role in civil contingencies and national security.
Ministry of Defence
118
Conclusion
First Report - Ready for War?
Accepted
The DCPR23 committed the MOD to working with partners across Government to plan and test how vulnerabilities could be identified and to work together to exercise the systems required in a time of war. It states that Defence will “support a wider Governmental effort to better anticipate, assess, prevent, mitigate, …
Government response. The government states it has increased transparency in the National Risk Register and that departmental responsibilities for national defence planning will follow the Cabinet Office's Resilience Directorate approach for inter-departmental collaboration on risk.
Ministry of Defence
119
Conclusion
First Report - Ready for War?
Accepted
Finally, the DCP23 highlights the work carried out by Defence to “identify and mitigate a range of economic security risks” including the screening of investment in defence- relevant sectors of the UK economy. Work is ongoing to establish how Defence can stop adversaries from gaining specialist defence knowledge through research …
Government response. The government refers to the Defence Command Paper 2023, which addresses the identification and mitigation of economic security risks, access to critical minerals, and securing the defence supply chain, implying that work is already underway.
Ministry of Defence
120
Conclusion
First Report - Ready for War?
Accepted
External to the DCP23 process, the MOD has also been engaged in Exercise AGILE STANCE which is a five-year programme originally set up by General Sir Nick Carter to “up [the UK Armed Forces’] game in terms of what our readiness looked like and be realistic about it” by exercising …
Government response. The government refers to the Defence Command Paper 2023, implying that ongoing work already addresses the exercise of the Services’ ability to disperse from their bases in order to maintain survivability in the event of an attack.
Ministry of Defence
121
Conclusion
First Report - Ready for War?
Accepted
The Chief of the Defence Staff told us that the Reserve was also being mobilised under Exercise Agile Stance with a series of mobilisation exercises of Active Reserve elements taking place across each of the single Services, between January and March 2024 and in September 2024 which will “inform and …
Government response. The government reaffirms the critical role of Reserves and the Strategic Reserve in national resilience and civil contingencies, highlighting their importance for mobilising military resources and sustaining warfighting capabilities.
Ministry of Defence
122
Conclusion
First Report - Ready for War?
Accepted
Defence industry plays an integral role in Armed Forces readiness. The First Sea Lord explained that the UK Armed Forces rely heavily on the defence industry to deliver “world-leading capability to deal with those who may wish us harm”.242 Nick Childs and Professor Justin Bronk both highlighted that contracts with …
Government response. The government states it will implement a transformed partnership with industry through DCP23 commitments, engaging earlier in strategic conversations to create a more resilient, reliable, and adaptable industrial base.
Ministry of Defence
123
Conclusion
First Report - Ready for War?
Accepted
Despite the acknowledged reliance on industry, both General Lord Houghton and General Sir Nick Carter questioned whether the relationship between the MOD and industry was effective in supporting strategic readiness. General Lord Houghton told us that despite numerous reviews on defence procurement, the relationship between Defence and the defence industry …
Government response. The government is reforming the defence acquisition system with a new Integrated Procurement Model and committing to earlier engagement with industry under DCP23 to create a more resilient industrial base.
Ministry of Defence
124
Conclusion
First Report - Ready for War?
Accepted
In 2023, we examined the organisation responsible for the majority of MOD procurement (Defence Equipment & Support).248 Pointing to the conclusion by the Public Accounts Committee that defence equipment “arrives into service many years late and significantly over-budget, with depressing regularity”, something which means that “neither taxpayers nor our Armed …
Government response. The government is reforming the defence acquisition system with a new Integrated Procurement Model, which includes earlier expert assurance and empowerment of subject matter experts, to prevent over-complex and over-budget programmes.
Ministry of Defence
125
Conclusion
First Report - Ready for War?
Accepted
Professor Clarke warned us in April 2023 that the implications of the Ukraine war were “taking time to filter through to Governments.”251 One of the most obvious examples of this is the length of time it took to conclude a contract for an increase in production of 155 mm artillery …
Government response. The government allocated £1.95Bn and placed £1Bn in contracts to build munitions stockpiles, including 155mm rounds, and has developed a strategy for munitions based on lessons from the Ukraine war.
Ministry of Defence
126
Conclusion
First Report - Ready for War?
Accepted
When we took evidence on DE&S, we heard from industry that it wanted: long- term consistency on required capabilities; earlier engagement in the requirement setting process, multi-year budgets; an improved (and consistent) social value framework; and decisions made with reference made to imperatives other than lowest up-front cost (such as …
Government response. The government's new Integrated Procurement Model aims for earlier expert assurance, empowerment of subject matter experts, and spiral development, alongside a transformed partnership with industry that includes earlier strategic engagement to build resilience.
Ministry of Defence
127
Conclusion
First Report - Ready for War?
Accepted in Part
In our Report on DE&S we recommended that: • The MOD should engage with industry at an earlier stage, particularly on future requirements and their feasibility; • The MOD should consider the implications of the shortage of skilled and experienced workers and draw up a plan to help develop and …
Government response. The government committed to earlier engagement with industry and accepted all Haythornthwaite Review recommendations for the workforce, with a formal response detailing implementation to be published in 2024.
Ministry of Defence
128
Conclusion
First Report - Ready for War?
Accepted
Our Report did not cover issues with the outsourcing of Army recruitment as that is (currently) a contract managed by the Army rather than DE&S. However, we raised it and the proposed future tri-service recruitment contract with the Secretary of State and the Minister for the Armed Forces. The Secretary …
Government response. The government accepted all 67 recommendations from the Haythornthwaite Review addressing recruitment and retention, with a formal response outlining next steps and a broad roadmap to be published in 2024.
Ministry of Defence
129
Conclusion
First Report - Ready for War?
Accepted
Shortly after our Report was published, the DCP23 was produced by the Government. It announced that key lessons from Ukraine had resulted in the following conclusions: • The pace of battlefield innovation means that decades-long acquisition programmes and upgrades are no longer suitable—instead simpler platforms which can be upgraded at …
Government response. The government highlighted its new Integrated Procurement Model and transformed partnership with industry, which aligns with the DCP23 conclusions by focusing on earlier expert assurance, driving pace through spiral development, and creating a resilient industrial base.
Ministry of Defence
130
Conclusion
First Report - Ready for War?
Accepted
Many of our recommendations were adopted within the DCP23. That document commits Defence to engaging at an earlier stage in strategic conversations with industry about requirements and developing relationships with key Defence Executives. This should allow Defence and industry to work together to address issues such as “availability of critical …
Government response. The government reiterated its commitments from DCP23, detailing how the new Integrated Procurement Model supports earlier engagement with industry, expert assurance, and spiral development to build a resilient industrial base.
Ministry of Defence
131
Conclusion
First Report - Ready for War?
Accepted
In December 2023, the Deputy Chief of the Defence Staff (Financial and Military Capability) told us that there had been recognition of the importance of trying “to make sure that our pipeline of munitions is always on, rather than boom and bust” and that the MOD were now working with …
Government response. The government highlighted its new Integrated Procurement Model and transformed partnership with industry, which aims for earlier strategic engagement, expert assurance, and spiral development to create a resilient industrial base and align with long-term commitments.
Ministry of Defence
132
Conclusion
First Report - Ready for War?
Accepted
As well as earlier engagement on requirements, the acquisition process is moving from one focused on specifying exact requirements to one which focuses on the ‘spiral development’ of capabilities—this will allow for the iterative development of capabilities to keep pace with innovation on the battlefield whilst also ensuring that these …
Government response. The government confirmed that its new Integrated Procurement Model emphasizes earlier engagement and spiral development of capabilities, aiming for iterative improvements and a resilient industrial base.
Ministry of Defence
133
Conclusion
First Report - Ready for War?
Accepted
In order to ensure that Defence can replenish and increase stockpiles of munitions, spares and operational supplies, the DCP23 recognises that industry needs to have robust and resilient supply chains which have assured access to “key materials, components and 263 Ministry of Defence, Defence’s response to a more contested and …
Government response. The government committed £1.95 billion from the 2023 Spring Budget to build munitions and medical stockpiles and support critical activities, including supply chain mapping. It detailed significant investments in various munitions purchases and confirmed £1 billion in contracts to replenish …
Ministry of Defence
134
Conclusion
First Report - Ready for War?
Accepted
The DCP23 commits Defence to prioritising time within its acquisition system (within the parameters of time, cost and performance) as: driving pace is critical–even if it forces us to increase our risk tolerance elsewhere. Our ambition is to reduce radically the average time from the identification of a military need …
Government response. The government reiterated its commitment to prioritising speed in the acquisition system through the new Integrated Procurement Model, which involves earlier expert assurance, empowering subject matter experts, and using 'spiral' development to reduce programme complexity and delivery times.
Ministry of Defence
135
Conclusion
First Report - Ready for War?
Accepted
It also states that Defence intends to set “a maximum five-year commitment for acquisition programmes, with a maximum three-year commitment for digital programmes” although it acknowledges that the MOD procures a wide range of equipment, goods and services and so will need to “tailor our approach to reflect the risk …
Government response. The government states that the new Integrated Procurement Model, which involves earlier expert assurance and empowered subject matter experts, is designed to ensure future military programs are delivered efficiently, avoiding past challenges of over-complexity and delays, and will incorporate 'spiral' …
Ministry of Defence
136
Conclusion
First Report - Ready for War?
Accepted
Both Commander, Strategic Command and the Minister for the Armed Forces were at pains to emphasise that this was a real change in approach. Commander, Strategic Command told us that Defence needed to look at long-term pipelines to supply the munitions and stockpile capabilities which meant moving away from a …
Government response. The government affirmed its commitment to a transformed partnership with industry and a new Integrated Procurement Model to create a more resilient industrial base, engaging earlier in strategic conversations to avoid previous challenges of over-complex and delayed programmes.
Ministry of Defence
137
Conclusion
First Report - Ready for War?
Accepted
The Minister was clear that current procurement processes were no longer viable as a result of the pace of innovation.277 He acknowledged that this was a complete paradigm shift and a “frankly nascent part of policy making”.278 He warned that no private business has a peacetime obligation to maintain unused …
Government response. The government highlighted its new Integrated Procurement Model, a system designed to reform military procurement with earlier expert assurance, empowered subject matter experts, and 'spiral' development to avoid over-complex, over-budget, and delayed programmes.
Ministry of Defence
138
Conclusion
First Report - Ready for War?
Acknowledged
We welcome the Government’s decision to assess what the country would need to do to maintain a warfighting effort. However, it is worrying that this work had not already been undertaken. The national defence plan is still a work in progress but we intend to maintain ongoing scrutiny of the …
Government response. The government stated the MOD has always maintained defence plans, recently consolidating its contribution and improving operational planning, and is considering options for sustaining warfighting capabilities. It welcomed continued scrutiny of warfighting and strategic readiness efforts.
Ministry of Defence
139
Conclusion
First Report - Ready for War?
Accepted
The Government’s approach to procurement reform is not yet finalised and we have heard many promises of change before. The MOD has shown willing to engage with us as it finalises this approach. We welcome this engagement, but are not yet in a position to reach a view on the …
Government response. The government confirmed that details of the new Integrated Procurement Model were announced by the Minister for Defence Procurement on 28 February 2024, prior to the Easter recess, and a supporting document is publicly available.
Ministry of Defence
140
Recommendation
First Report - Ready for War?
Accepted in Part
Under a national defence plan, each relevant Government Department would have its own responsibilities. We recommend that these responsibilities are published as far as possible, and—if any responsibilities cannot be published for national security reasons—these should be provided in confidence to the relevant select committee. We also recommend that, for …
Government response. The government committed to making departmental responsibilities in national defence planning as transparent as possible, following the approach for the National Risk Register, but did not address the recommendation to add these roles to the responsibilities of a named Minister.
Ministry of Defence
141
Conclusion
First Report - Ready for War?
Accepted
Russia’s full scale invasion of Ukraine has fundamentally changed the threat— demonstrating that Russia has both the capability and intent to prosecute a war in Europe. This requires a wholesale shift in approach towards warfighting resilience both in the UK and Allies.
Government response. The government agreed that Russia's invasion changed the threat, requiring a wholesale shift, and outlined its response via the 2023 Defence Command Paper, a sustained campaigning approach, Euro-Atlantic focus, NATO commitments, and reliance on Reserves and a Strategic Reserve for …
Ministry of Defence
142
Conclusion
First Report - Ready for War?
Accepted
It is a matter of national pride that whenever the Armed Forces are asked to carry out a task, they will find a way. It is to the credit of the Armed Forces that they have sustained this effort for so long. But overtasking has both a personal cost for …
Government response. The government acknowledged challenges like overtasking, recruitment shortfalls, and industrial capacity, outlining its strategy through DCP23, increased budget, and a transformed industry partnership. It is prioritising workforce model transformation with improved career opportunities, easier re-joining, pay increases, and a new …
Ministry of Defence
143
Conclusion
First Report - Ready for War?
Accepted
Personnel need time to recover from operations, and time to train and develop new skills. But the demand of operations makes that harder to achieve. It is unsurprising that more people are leaving the Forces than joining them. All three services have growing capability shortfalls—these have been a feature of …
Government response. The government acknowledged the challenges of operational demands on personnel, retention, and capability shortfalls, committing to implement all 67 recommendations from the Haythornthwaite Review. A formal response outlining delivery and implementation steps for recruitment and retention will be published in …
Ministry of Defence
144
Recommendation
First Report - Ready for War?
Accepted
The Government must act to break this cycle, and do so swiftly, to ensure that the UK is ready not only to face the challenges of today, but also to face the storm clouds on the horizon. Ready for War? 53 Conclusions and recommendations What is Readiness?
Government response. The government agrees the threat has changed and states it is already embedding a sustained campaigning approach and leveraging existing commitments to NATO, reserves, and strategic reserves to ensure readiness.
Ministry of Defence
1
Conclusion
First Report - Ready for War?
Accepted
The protection of sensitive information plays a vital role in the security of this country. However, the Ministry of Defence has become demonstrably less transparent over the past decade. The fact that the Minister and senior military personnel did not realise that information which is now classified was once widely …
Government response. The government acknowledges the need for greater transparency regarding planning assumptions and readiness, immediately releasing 'headlines' from current Defence Planning Assumptions (DPA23) and committing to release as much information as possible from the next iteration.
Ministry of Defence
2
Conclusion
First Report - Ready for War?
Accepted
Readiness is about acceptable risk. The decisions on what risks to take are ultimately political (based partly on military advice) rather than solely military or parliamentary decisions. Ministers will also inevitably need to reach judgments about the availability of information regarding threats and the UK’s readiness to respond to those …
Government response. The government committed to establishing a regular annual open session for the committee to meet with Ministers and Chiefs of the Single Services to scrutinize readiness decisions and risk management.
Ministry of Defence
3
Conclusion
First Report - Ready for War?
Acknowledged
The Government’s reaction to this specific inquiry has also been unacceptably slow and has impeded our work. Responses to our requests for written evidence have arrived many months late and contained very little useful information. We took up the Government’s offer of a meeting in private to review classified information. …
Government response. The government acknowledged its slow response time for this inquiry and committed to making every effort to prevent recurrence, assuring the planned annual open session would be prioritised and substantive for providing information.
Ministry of Defence
4
Conclusion
First Report - Ready for War?
Accepted
In the absence of adequate official information, public and parliamentary scrutiny of and debate about UK armed forces readiness currently relies on media reporting and corridor conversations, leading to suspicion that the forces are less ready than in fact they are. It does not need to be like this. The …
Government response. The government explained the evolution of Defence Planning Assumptions into classified documents but committed to enhancing transparency and has released a version of the 2023 DPAs.
Ministry of Defence
5
Conclusion
First Report - Ready for War?
Deferred
In a functioning democracy, the House of Commons Defence Committee needs to be routinely informed about the planning assumptions and readiness of the nation’s armed forces. We therefore recommend that—following the Minister’s welcome commitment to work with us—the Government propose how we and our successors can receive at least annually …
Government response. The government did not commit to providing routine detailed updates on planning assumptions and readiness, instead detailing recent financial allocations for resilience, munitions stockpiles, and replenishment of aid to Ukraine.
Ministry of Defence
6
Recommendation
First Report - Ready for War?
Deferred
We also recommend that the Government explain why previously unclassified information about readiness is no longer published, recognise the reduction in public and parliamentary accountability that this has brought about, and seek to rectify the situation. In future, when a decision is being considered to classify previously available information, we …
Government response. The government's response discussed the importance of recruitment and retention for the Armed Forces, committing to publish a formal response to the Haythornthwaite Review recommendations during 2024, which does not address the committee's recommendation about classifying readiness information.
Ministry of Defence
7
Recommendation
First Report - Ready for War?
Deferred
The commitments made to replenish and increase stockpiles made since the 2022 Autumn Budget have all been welcome. The question remains whether this is anywhere near enough to meet the potential threats we face. It is therefore disturbing to hear that the £1.95 billion awarded as part of the Spring …
Government response. The government's response deflects the recommendation regarding stockpiles and budget allocation by focusing entirely on recruitment and retention issues, stating a formal HMG response to the Haythornthwaite Review will be published in 2024 to outline next steps for people-related reforms.
Ministry of Defence
8
Conclusion
First Report - Ready for War?
Acknowledged
There are multiple capability shortfalls within the UK Armed Forces. For that reason, we welcome the decision to maintain the Albion-class vessels in operational service until their out of service dates in the 2030s. However, we are also increasingly concerned about the ability of the Armed Forces to attract and …
Government response. The government agrees with the concerns about attracting and retaining personnel, stating a formal HMG response to the Haythornthwaite Review will be published during 2024 to outline next steps for delivery and implementation of recruitment and retention reforms.
Ministry of Defence
9
Conclusion
First Report - Ready for War?
Deferred
Efforts to improve the recruitment and retention of both Regulars and Reserves are currently being considered by the MOD. We therefore recommend that once decisions have been made to adopt these recommendations, an implementation timetable with measurable deliverables is produced and shared with us so that we can scrutinise the …
Government response. The government's response outlined the new purpose of Defence and broad strategic investments and capabilities from the Defence Command Paper 2023, but did not commit to providing an implementation timetable with measurable deliverables for recruitment and retention initiatives.
Ministry of Defence
10
Conclusion
First Report - Ready for War?
Accepted
The UK Armed Forces have sufficient Readiness for operations—they can carry out standing operations and contingent commitments. However, the breadth of their commitments is having an inevitable impact, in terms of budget requirements, subsequent constraints on training and the retention of personnel. It also appears to be delaying the development …
Government response. The government responded by referencing the Defence Command Paper 2023 (DCP23), which outlines its strategy to protect the nation and enhance lethality of forces through initiatives like the Naval Strike Missile, Army deep fire capabilities, and RAF drone technology, alongside …
Ministry of Defence
11
Recommendation
First Report - Ready for War?
Acknowledged
Despite the Secretary of State’s insistence that the UK Armed Forces still have sufficient capacity to deploy in response to world events, we remain to be convinced. We are concerned that the breadth of ministerial requirements is in danger of pushing the Armed Forces far beyond what is sustainable. We …
Government response. The government stated it is taking forward work to balance the Global Operate programme with Defence Command Paper priorities, continuously reviewing capabilities and utilising the Capability Readiness Assessment Framework, but did not commit to a budget uplift or a new, …
Ministry of Defence
12
Conclusion
First Report - Ready for War?
Rejected
We understand the financial implications of retaining capabilities after they have been retired but we question whether the MOD have considered all the options. We accept that maintaining equipment comes at significant cost but argue that such platforms do not need to be fully maintained—in a war of existence, a …
Government response. The government rejected the recommendation for alternative mothballing solutions, explaining that decisions on equipment disposal are made based on obsolescence, lack of spares, high maintenance costs, and the need to use components from retired platforms.
Ministry of Defence
13
Conclusion
First Report - Ready for War?
Accepted
We welcome the Government’s decision to assess what the country would need to do to maintain a warfighting effort. However, it is worrying that this work had not already been undertaken. The national defence plan is still a work in progress but we intend to maintain ongoing scrutiny of the …
Government response. The government stated that the MOD has always maintained defence plans and has recently consolidated contributions and improved command, control, and operational planning, and is currently considering capability options to sustain warfighting.
Ministry of Defence
14
Conclusion
First Report - Ready for War?
Accepted
The Government’s approach to procurement reform is not yet finalised and we have heard many promises of change before. The MOD has shown willing to engage with us as it finalises this approach. We welcome this engagement, but are not yet in a position to reach a view on the …
Government response. The government committed to and has now delivered details of the new Integrated Procurement Model, which were set out in an oral statement on 28 February 2024 with a supporting document made available.
Ministry of Defence
15
Recommendation
First Report - Ready for War?
Acknowledged
Under a national defence plan, each relevant Government Department would have its own responsibilities. We recommend that these responsibilities are published as far as possible, and—if any responsibilities cannot be published for national security reasons—these should be provided in confidence to the relevant select committee. We also recommend that, for …
Government response. The government committed to making departmental responsibilities in national defence planning as transparent as possible, following the existing approach for lead government departments in risk planning, but did not commit to publishing specific responsibilities or assigning a named minister.
Ministry of Defence
16
Conclusion
First Report - Ready for War?
Accepted
Russia’s full scale invasion of Ukraine has fundamentally changed the threat— demonstrating that Russia has both the capability and intent to prosecute a war in Europe. This requires a wholesale shift in approach towards warfighting resilience both in the UK and Allies.
Government response. The government agreed that the threat has fundamentally changed due to Russia's invasion and described its ongoing efforts, including updating the Defence Command Paper and embedding a campaigning approach, to maintain warfighting resilience.
Ministry of Defence
17
Conclusion
First Report - Ready for War?
Accepted
It is a matter of national pride that whenever the Armed Forces are asked to carry out a task, they will find a way. It is to the credit of the Armed Forces that they have 56 Ready for War? sustained this effort for so long. But overtasking has both …
Government response. The government agrees with the changed threat context and references the Defence Command Paper 2023, outlining existing strategic ambitions to protect the nation. It details ongoing efforts by the Armed Forces, Reserves, and Strategic Reserve to meet operational and civil …
Ministry of Defence
18
Conclusion
First Report - Ready for War?
Deferred
Personnel need time to recover from operations, and time to train and develop new skills. But the demand of operations makes that harder to achieve. It is unsurprising that more people are leaving the Forces than joining them. All three services have growing capability shortfalls—these have been a feature of …
Government response. The government acknowledges the issue of personnel shortfalls and states that a formal response to the Haythornthwaite Review recommendations on recruitment and retention, outlining next steps and a roadmap, will be published in 2024.
Ministry of Defence
19
Recommendation
First Report - Ready for War?
Accepted
The Government must act to break this cycle, and do so swiftly, to ensure that the UK is ready not only to face the challenges of today, but also to face the storm clouds on the horizon. (Paragraph 144) Ready for War? 57
Government response. The government agrees the threat environment has changed and asserts that it is already responding by embedding a sustained campaigning approach, maintaining strong NATO commitments, and developing strategic reserves and civil contingencies support.
Ministry of Defence