The Defence Secretary avoided confirming whether the Defence Investment Plan will be published before Parliament rises for the Christmas recess during defence questions in the House of Commons.
Liberal Democrat MP Ian Roome asked for a specific publication day, noting that the plan had been expected before the recess. Healey did not provide a date, instead telling the House that the government was “working flat out between now and the end of the year to finalise the defence investment plan.” He pointed to the scale of the task, saying Roome would “appreciate the scale of the decisions we need to make” and referring to “a programme from the last government that was overcommitted, underfunded and unsuited to meet the threats that we face in the future.”
The absence of a clear answer prompted further questioning from Conservative shadow defence secretary James Cartlidge, who asked directly whether the plan would be published before the House rises on Thursday. Healey replied that “the answer is the same as I gave to the hon. Gentleman,” again stating that ministers were “working flat out between now and the end of the year to finalise the defence investment plan.”
Cartlidge challenged that response, arguing that the lack of a timetable suggested slippage. He reminded the House that Healey had previously said the plan would be “completed and published in the autumn,” adding that it was now “already late, just like the SDR, just like the Defence Industrial Strategy.” He cited Defence Select Committee concerns that progress on war readiness was too slow.
Healey rejected that criticism and turned the focus back on the previous government’s record. He said MPs should “take no lessons from the hon. Gentleman,” arguing that earlier strategies on munitions and drones were “often promised and never published” or lacked funding. He added that the last government’s defence funding plan was “published as an election gimmick” and “in 14 years was never delivered.”
While Healey stressed that work on the plan is ongoing, his refusal to confirm a publication date, combined with repeated references to finalisation running until the end of the year, suggested that release before the Christmas recess is increasingly unlikely.
So it doesn’t need to be published while Parliament is sitting? I thought that was a requirement.
There is no legal or procedural requirement (unlike primary legislation). Best practice though, unless you want to minimise scrutiny and avoid questions.
No great surprise, despite the assurances for months from Ministers that it would be published.
I was listening to this live just now. I cannot think of any other walk of life when someone can give such a non answer and not be forced to clarify.
Things really have to change in Parliament – MPs should be allowed to request a straight answer…
They are allowed to, and they did unfortunately the only person who can hold a minister to task about an evasive question is the Speaker. The only other action is to escalate to PM question time on Wednesday ! But TBH there is no real way to hold HMG to account whilst they holed a collosal Majority.
Dear Mr Mandelli,
Well my source and Analysis of what would happen in Westminster was correct, unfortunately its Option B. But he will not even admit he has now missed his target date to deliver to Parlaiment and its all the previous Governments fault.
If you listen really carefully you can here a sound coming from Moscow its called Laughter.
P’d off in Derby.
Talks between the EU and UK about the £130b joining fee for the EU defence fund have broken down. No doubt the money is linked to the Defence dept budget. This uncertainty ( and Ajax) is a likely the reason that the Treasury ‘can’t make the numbers add up’. Not much Healey can do. Probably down to Thomas-Symonds to negotiate the deal – linked up to the EU demand for a youth exchange agreement no doubt. Nothing is easy.
They’ve no interest in Defence beyond the grandstanding opportunities it gives them on the big boys table by having nukes, and the money channelled to the MIC for the jobs and the economy, which they are trashing with the other hand at the same time.
Sooner the country realise this, the better. Sadly, most have no interest in defence it seems despite the polls saying more support greater funding of the military.
It doesn’t go there, it goes to other areas of “Defence” which we’ve discussed endlessly here theres no point going over again.
As said, not in the least bit surprised.
Well, we know we’ll get it this year. At some point. Brilliant.
Or that they’ll be working flat out into next year on it, which is the other possible interpretation.
They won’t publish the defence investment plan before parliamentary recess on 19th December.
They’ve got huge problems now in defence budget.
1) GBAD has to improve
2) lethality with drones and long range missiles has to improve
3) autonomous drones aren’t coming online fast enough to undertake key missions manned platforms that have already been scrapped eg MCM and ASW warfare + protection of critical offshore infrastructure.
4) personnel numbers- too low and not able to deter effectively.
5) bugger all attritional reserve
6) internal security of UK mainland- we are all happy with that? ( Cough cough RAF Brize Norton, cough cough)
7) key programmes are running late, not delivering and are an utter dogs dinner- F35B no UK weapons integration, ajax- still broken and causing occupational harm to soldiers- likely needs to be scrapped and CV90 ordered instead. Tempest needs pushing into production, wedgetail number must go back up, Poseidon numbers must be increased.
Army has bugger all artillery left- RCH155 needs ordering asap.
Even if we scrap AJAX where are the funds for an entire buy of CV90 a a replacement.
Well that clearly shows it will be crap, a farce talked up as some thing great. All talk and nothing else as always. Do nothing, talk a lot, the odd vague hint and that will deter Russia? thank good Poland and Germany are re arming because we are not. And when we do it will be half arsed to save money.
No surprise… They’ve said there’s an Imminent decision on the Medium Helicopter fleet with only one bidder and talk of that bidder upping and closing the factory in the UK because they’re not there for free.
We are working flat out to order nothing if we can avoid it. We do have a plan though to get things done sometime.
It’s getting a bit silly.. but it does show there is a major argument going on.. Normally the treasury would just say no and get whatever rubbish published… let’s hope it’s the last gasp of treasury authodoxy being defenestrated.
like many people I thought Labour were ready to take a grip and Mr Healey and team were committed to the cause
looks like its the same as always with HMT causing untold damage to the UK, in this case its ability to defend itself
We really need to start with homeland defence and work our way out, it really is that bad. I also think we should align more with the nordic block as at least they order stuff from us instead of the EU countries who want our troops stationed but aren’t that willing to buy British.
Time to be laser focused and get on with it – instead I have so little confident and fully expect another government big on talk short on action