Select committee: Defence Committee
Recommendation 16
In Search of Strategy — The 2020 Integrated Review
Published 13 Aug 2020
Paragraph 106
Addressed to Ministry of Defence
Defence Committee The Integrated Security, Defence and Foreign Policy Review All items in this report Report on parliament.uk ↗ Inquiry on parliament.uk ↗
Recommendation (the committee's words)
Capability decisions made as part of the Review should be informed by the Review’s foreign policy analysis, threat and risk assessment and defence operating concepts. Defence planning assumptions and the UK’s overall defence posture should be reviewed, and informed by the following questions: a. What platforms, weapons and personnel, readiness and maintenance are required to ensure the resilience, availability and adaptability of the UK’s Armed Forces? b. What “critical mass” is required for our Armed Forces to respond to the threats and risks to the UK? c. What investment and innovation are required to respond to and exploit technological developments? d. Which existing capabilities can be enhanced or retired?
From: Defence Committee, In Search of Strategy — The 2020 Integrated Review (HC 165), paragraph 106, 13 August 2020
Government response
The government responded to the whole report on 22 October 2020 (deadline 13 October 2020).
Summary written by Accountability Index from the government's response. It is not the government's own words.The government's response welcomes the Committee's inquiry and says the Integrated Review is addressing or will address most of the issues raised, while saying that the Comprehensive Spending Review will determine funding.
- On challenge to assumptions, the government states that it "agrees with the Committee that appropriate challenge is critical to delivering the Integrated Review", and says external challenge is being invited, including through targeted workshops.
- On defence funding, it says it remains committed to spending at least 2% of GDP, which should be seen as "a floor and not a ceiling", while adding that "we should not fixate on percentages".
- On a long-term settlement, the government says the Comprehensive Spending Review "will provide a multiyear financial settlement for Defence" and that its position on that Review "has not changed".
- On procurement, it says decisions on adapting existing policies will be based on investment decisions made as part of the Integrated Review, and it looks forward to updating the Committee "in due course".