Select committee: Defence Committee
Recommendation 19
Second Report - The Integrated Review, Defence in a Competitive Age and the Defence and Security Industrial Strategy
Published 28 Jul 2022
Paragraph 103
Addressed to Ministry of Defence
Defence Committee Defending Global Britain in a Competitive Age All items in this report Report on parliament.uk ↗ Inquiry on parliament.uk ↗
Recommendation (the committee's words)
We welcome the uplift to the MOD’s budget in 2020 and the four-year budget commitment. However, inflationary pressures and an increase in the scale of threat means that it is no longer enough. At the same time, serious concerns persist around a number of procurement programmes. The Department now needs a strategy to regain both Parliament’s and the public’s trust in its procurement abilities. We are The Integrated Review, Defence in a Competitive Age and the Defence and Security Industrial Strategy 61 concerned that a real terms fall in sustainment funding (RDEL) up to 2024–25 will erode the Armed Forces’ ability to maintain and train on military equipment. We recommend a further, long-term increase to the budget but the MOD must ensure that money is not wasted. We recommend a further, long-term increase to the budget but the MOD must ensure that money is not wasted.
From: Defence Committee, Second Report - The Integrated Review, Defence in a Competitive Age and the Defence and Security Industrial Strategy (HC 180), paragraph 103, 28 July 2022
Government response
The government responded to the whole report on 10 November 2022 (deadline 28 September 2022).
Summary written by Accountability Index from the government's response. It is not the government's own words.The Government welcomes the report and says it "supports the sentiment" of the calls to update its strategy, while confirming an update to the Integrated Review and disputing some of the Committee's criticisms.
- On the Integrated Review, it says it "believes the IR and Defence Command Paper hold true" but is "not complacent", and that "Defence is supporting the update to the IR".
- On Army numbers, it says there are "currently no plans to reverse the Army's reduction in regular personnel", while adding that "as the threat changes, we need to change with it".
- On procurement, it states it does "not accept" that its record on large and complex programmes is "abysmal", citing the P-8A Poseidon and Type 31 frigate programmes. On publishing annual MACA figures, it says the MOD "will consider" a more detailed breakdown.
- On the Reserves Forces 2030 Review, the Government "will provide a response" following consideration of the UK's commitment to the NATO new force model. No date is given.