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Select committee: Defence Committee

In Search of Strategy—The 2020 Integrated Review: Government Response to the Committee’s First Report of Session 2019–21

Published 22 October 2020

Defence Committee The Integrated Security, Defence and Foreign Policy Review Report on parliament.uk ↗

At a glance

The government's response

This document responds to In Search of Strategy — The 2020 Integrated Review.

This is the government's response, published 22 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".

Read the government's response ↗ Report an error

Sources