STORY
The Public Accounts Committee has warned that the Government’s delay in publishing the Defence Investment Plan has damaged the UK’s credibility with allies and industry. The committee said the absence of the plan had undermined confidence in the Ministry of Defence and weakened the Government’s ability to set out how the armed forces will be modernised.
The report said the delay risks squandering the opportunities created by technological change, including lessons from Ukraine’s battlefield experience. It warned that smaller defence companies were particularly exposed because they need clearer demand signals before investing in capacity and innovation.
The committee said the Ministry of Defence had not yet settled which capabilities, infrastructure and personnel it requires to put the armed forces on a warfighting footing within the available budget. The Government has said the plan will be published before the NATO summit in July.