15 Feb 07. Strategic Lift: Committee Inquiry. The Defence Committee announced (15 Feb 07) that it was to inquire into Strategic Lift: the UK’s ability to launch and sustain military operations overseas. The Committee intends to look closely at the progress of the A400M transport aircraft programme.
Comment: The Committee will be accepting relevant written evidence until 29 Mar 07 and anticipates taking oral evidence during April 2007. (Source: DNA DEFENCE NEWS ANALYSIS, Issue 0708, 19 Feb 07)
15 Feb 07. Defence Industrial Strategy (DIS): Committee Report. The Defence Committee published (15 Feb 07) a Report on The Defence Industrial Strategy: update. The Report examines a number of issues, including: Defence industrial restructuring; the maritime sector; partnering arrangements; research & technology and technology transfer.
Comment: The Report contains little, if anything, that is new. Possibly the most telling sentence occurs in paragraph 23, where the Defence Procurement Minister is quoted as saying that “he acknowledged that the outcome of the Spending Review 2007 would affect everything”. All Defence Committee publications are available on the Internet (at www.parliament.uk/defcom). Printed
copies of the Report are available from TSO and from The Parliamentary Bookshop (Tel: 020-7219 3890), as HC 177, for £14:50. (Source: DNA DEFENCE NEWS ANALYSIS, Issue 0708, 19 Feb 07)