Select committee: Defence Committee
Recommendation 2
Sixth Report: Manpower or mindset: Defence’s contribution to the UK’s pandemic response
Published 25 Mar 2021
Paragraph 22
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)
Civilian agencies will inevitably require assistance in a crisis of this scale and there should be no stigma in seeking help from the Armed Forces. However, it is clear that preparations for a non-man-made threat such as an infectious disease pandemic were afforded less priority than issues such as terrorism, despite being assessed as having both high likelihood and high impact in the National Risk Register. The Government must take steps to ensure that the civilian agencies which have statutory responsibilities prepare properly, and that Defence does not become the default ‘first responder’ to make good deficiencies exposed by a developing crisis.
From: Defence Committee, Sixth Report: Manpower or mindset: Defence’s contribution to the UK’s pandemic response (HC 357), paragraph 22, 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".