Evidence Session
Monday 28th April, 3.30pm, Grimond Room, Portcullis
House
The Future of the
Equipment Plan
The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) will scrutinise the future of
the defence budget, procurement and military support for Ukraine
at 3.30pm on Monday 28th April.
The Government revealed in 2024 that an Equipment Plan for that
year, where it sets out its spending plans on equipment
procurement and support projects over the next decade to keep the
nation secure, would not be published. Information about it would
not be provided to the National Audit Office, with the government
saying a Plan would not provide an accurate reflection of the
government's spending plans.
The Prime Minister announced in February 2025 that defence
spending will increase to 2.5% of GDP from April 2027, with an
ambition to reach 3% in the next Parliament. The PAC believes the
lack of a Plan represents an unacceptable loss of transparency,
with the Chair of the PAC and the Defence Committee jointly
writing to the Ministry of Defence (MoD) expressing these points
on 28 January 2025. On
12 March, the MoD Permanent Secretary wrote to the Committee
to explain why the MoD has not produced an Equipment Plan since
2023 and to raise options for future reporting to Parliament.
The evidence session will see the Committee discuss the future of
the Equipment Plan with the MoD's most senior officials, with
likely topics including:
- Structural problems in the defence budget (identified in the
Committee's report on the 2023 Equipment Plan);
- Personnel issues which impact recruitment and retention of
people with the right skills;
- Lessons learned from the provision of military support to
Ukraine (informed by the National Audit Office's own investigation on the
topic); and
- Future plans for Parliamentary scrutiny of defence budgeting.
Witnesses
Panel from 3.30pm:
-
CB, Permanent Secretary,
Ministry of Defence (MoD)
- Admiral Sir Tony Radakin KCB ADC,
Chief of the Defence Staff, MoD
- Madelaine McTernan CB, Chief of
Defence Nuclear, MoD
- Andy Start, Chief Executive,
Defence Equipment and Support, Acting National Armaments
Director, National Armaments Director Group (NADG) and CEO
Defence Equipment and Support (DE&S), MoD
