Select committee: Defence Committee
Recommendation 1
Sixth Report: Manpower or mindset: Defence’s contribution to the UK’s pandemic response
Published 25 Mar 2021
Paragraph 17
Addressed to Ministry of Defence
Defence Committee Defence contribution to the UK’s pandemic response All items in this report Report on parliament.uk ↗ Inquiry on parliament.uk ↗
Recommendation (the committee's words)
From the evidence it is clear that there was a disconnect between the assessment of the threat of an infectious disease pandemic (flu or otherwise) and the preparations for such an event occurring. Subsequent government actions (such as the re-drawing of crisis machinery and the need to urgently procure large supplies of PPE) suggest that both organisational and practical preparations were not sufficiently mature. It is inexplicable that COBRA should have met only four times between 24 January and 2 March. This disconnect and its causes should be addressed at any future public enquiry into the UK’s response to the pandemic.
From: Defence Committee, Sixth Report: Manpower or mindset: Defence’s contribution to the UK’s pandemic response (HC 357), paragraph 17, 25 March 2021
Government response
The government responded to the whole report on 9 July 2021 (deadline 25 May 2021).
Summary written by Accountability Index from the government's response. It is not the government's own words.The government notes the Committee's recommendations on the pandemic review and on early use of Defence capabilities, describes Defence's role as supporting, and commits to a formal lessons identification process.
- On the Committee's conclusion about pandemic preparedness and COBRA, the government says only that it "notes the Committee's recommendation".
- On civilian agencies, it says Defence support is channelled through the MACA process, where "viable non-Defence solutions" to a request will be identified.
- On recognition and pay, it says base pay recommendations come from the pay review bodies and HM Treasury guidance, and that Defence is "bound by the Government's public sector pay pause". Medallic recognition is being led by the Cabinet Office, with "no further details" available.
- The Ministry of Defence has begun a formal lessons identification process and will "support any future Government-led reviews".