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Committee hears evidence on defence spending

27 January 2010 (updated on 22 April 2010)

Image of UK Parliament portcullis

The Public Accounts Committee holds an oral evidence session on its 'Major Projects report 2009' on Ministry of Defence (MoD) spending. Watch live from 3.30pm.

Witnesses

  • Sir Bill Jeffrey KCB, Permanent Under Secretary of State
  • General Sir Kevin O’Donoghue KCB CBE, Chief of Defence Materiel
  • Vice Admiral Paul Lambert CB, Deputy Chief of Defence Staff (Capability), Ministry of Defence

The evidence session comes after the National Audit Office said the current defence programme is unaffordable. The MoD has already reduced the deficit between the defence budget and planned expenditure by £15 billion, but a shortfall of between £6 billion and £36 billion remains.

The financial crisis means a substantial increase in funding is unlikely, and closing the gap will require bold action as part of the Strategic Defence Review which is expected after the General Election.

The role of the Public Accounts Committee is to examine “the accounts showing the appropriation of the sums granted by Parliament to meet the public expenditure, and of such other accounts laid before Parliament as the committee may think fit”.