06 Feb 25. MoD PUS in the Doghouse? An unprecedented spat has broken out between the Ministry of Defence’s top Mandarin and the chairs of two powerful House of Commons committees. In the cross-hairs is MoD Permanent Secretary David Williams, who has upset the chairs of the Public Accounts Committee, Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown, and Defence Select Committee, Tan Dhesi. The two chairs are very unhappy that the MoD has not published its Equipment Plan (EP) document for two years, effectively making it impossible for Parliament’s spending watchdog, the National Audit Office (NAO) to fully investigate defence procurement. On 28 January they dispatched a letter to Williams demanding that he provide the NAO with all the information they need to carry on their work. This was topped with a demand that he gets back to them by 25 February with a response to increase transparency about defence procurement.
In the letter, Williams is main butt of the committee chair’s wrath, rather than ministers, and they say it is “unacceptable” that the MoD has not produced an equipment plan for two years.
“We do not accept that any of the different reasons you and the Minister have given justify the loss of transparency involved in not producing an Equipment Plan for two successive years,” wrote Clifton-Brown and Dhesi. “However, the reality is that transparency on acquisition, expenditure and capability has decreased, severely undermining the ability of both Committees to scrutinise the estimated £300 billion of taxpayers’ money planned to be spent on defence equipment over the next decade. For the MoD to have published nothing for two years is unacceptable. However, we are especially concerned that you have effectively prevented the NAO from producing its EP for 2024 by not supplying it with the information necessary to support this process, even along the lines followed in 2023.”
“In the immediate term we would like the existing NAO EP reinstated,” wrote the two chairs. “Given the urgency around ensuring the continuity of the NAO EP, we ask you to confirm as soon as possible that you will provide the NAO with the required information, and by 25 February at the latest offer a fuller response to the other points in our letter.”
We asked the MoD what its top Mandarin thought about the letter from the chairs. A Ministry of Defence spokesperson told us, “This government is committed to reforming defence procurement to tackle waste and reduce programme delays, which is why the Defence Secretary has launched the biggest defence reform programme in 50 years. The Strategic Defence Review is looking in detail at the threats we face and the capabilities we need, which is why an MoD Equipment Plan was not published in 2024. We are committed to improving transparency, including around financial management, and we will continue to make information available about departmental spending.” (Source: Defence Eye)
House of Commons and House of Lords Hansard Written Answers
Army: Training
Question
James Cartlidge
Conservative
South Suffolk
Commons
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of (a) in-year savings measures and (b) stockpile depletion on the delivery of live fire training in the Army.
Answer
Luke Pollard
Labour
Plymouth Sutton and Devonport
Commons
Answered on 4 February 2025
There have been no specific in-year financial constraints imposed on the consumption of ammunition and therefore no impact on the delivery of live fire training.
As the hon. Member will understand from his time in the Ministry of Defence, for reasons of operational security, details of replenishment and stockpiles are highly classified, and I am withholding this information.
Defence: Cybersecurity
Question
Helen Maguire
Liberal Democrat
Epsom and Ewell
Commons
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps he is taking with Cabinet colleagues to (a) increase the role of the private sector within the defence sector and (b) allow industry partners to carry out essential cyber defence activities.
Answer
Luke Pollard
Labour
Plymouth Sutton and Devonport
Commons
Answered on 4 February 2025
The Ministry of Defence (MOD) works with multiple industry partners to carry out essential cyber defence activities. The Department works in a collaborative and integrated way across the technology and security sectors to deliver defensive cyber capabilities across Defence. There are two main Defensive Cyber Programmes that aim to bring in new technologies, processes, and ways of working to reduce cyber risk exposure across UK Defence. The programmes include a range of small, medium, and larger technology partners as part of their delivery ecosystems and are informed through insights gained via a wider group of Defence Industry partners through the Defence Cyber Protection Partnership (DCPP).
Furthermore, the new Defence Industrial Joint Council (DIJC) will be a future-focused and representative defence sector council that will extensively engage the private sector and other key industry partners, allowing them to help deliver Ministerially-endorsed and MOD official-endorsed recommendations into the Department.
Electric Cables: Seas and Oceans
Question
Edward Morello
Liberal Democrat
West Dorset
Commons
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment his Department has made of the threat posed to underwater cables by foreign states; and what steps he is taking to protect this infrastructure.
Answer
Luke Pollard
Labour
Plymouth Sutton and Devonport
Commons
Answered on 4 February 2025
Subsea cables are critical to UK telecommunications digital infrastructure, and we are committed to maintaining and enhancing the security and resilience of that infra- structure. We continue to co-ordinate with HMG partners, particularly DSIT who own subsea cables policy, as well as security partners, the subsea cables industry and international bodies to assess and understand risks to subsea cables.
Defence: Procurement
Question
Jim Shannon
Democratic Unionist Party
Strangford
Commons
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what estimate he has made of the number of defence projects that are over budget.
Answer
Maria Eagle
Labour
Liverpool Garston
Commons
Answered on 4 February 2025
The latest published Government Major Projects Portfolio data shows variance against budget for the Ministry of Defence’s major projects and can be found here:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/mod-government-major-projects-portfolio-data-2024
Defence Equipment: Procurement
Question
Luke Akehurst
Labour
North Durham
Commons
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to his speech delivered at the ADS Annual Dinner on 28 January 2025, what progress he has made on the Snapper system.
Answer
Maria Eagle
Labour
Liverpool Garston
Commons
Answered on 4 February 2025
The Snapper system is a new uncrewed maritime system, which has been rapidly developed specifically to support Ukraine. The system is currently undergoing final testing and further details will be set out in due course.
Defence Equipment: Procurement
Question
Luke Akehurst
Labour
North Durham
Commons
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to his speech delivered at the ADS Annual Dinner on 28 January 2025, what progress he has made on the Gravehawk system.
Answer
Maria Eagle
Labour
Liverpool Garston
Commons
Answered on 4 February 2025
The Gravehawk system is a rapidly developed bespoke air defence system, jointly funded by the UK and Denmark. This innovative system, which is able to retrofit air-air missiles for ground-based air defence, can use Ukrainian missiles already in their armed forces’ possession. With Ukraine under constant Russian bombardment, the Gravehawk system will boost Ukraine’s air defences, allowing them to defend their cities, troops and critical infrastructure. Two prototypes of the air defence capability system were tested in Ukraine in September 2024, and a further 15 will follow this year.