MOD spends twice as much on land as nuclear deterrence

THE Ministry of Defence spends twice as much maintaining its land as on the nuclear deterrent – but does not know on what, the Commons public accounts committee has found.

A third of the MOD estate, made up of training areas and accommodation, is in an “unacceptable condition”, according to a report by the committee.

The MPS say that the MOD has repeatedly “missed by miles” the numerous targets it has set itself and spent £4.6billion on estate management in 2019-20, double the annual cost of the UK’S nuclear deterrent.

In a report released today, the committee says it will not be until 2025 that the MOD can claim to have reached a “competent” level of asset management, failures that “continue to harm the well-being” of personnel”.

The defence estate, including the Mod’s training and accommodation buildings and facilities, covers 1.5 per cent of Britain and is valued at £36 billion.

The committee accepted that the MOD had ended its 10-year management contract with Capita in 2019, five years early, as the contractor was “not delivering expected benefits”.

In evidence to the committee, David Williams, the Mod’s permanent secretary, said that the assumed savings and benefits from outsourcing work had been “substantially off track”.

However, sacking Capita had “created a skills and capabilities gap which the [MOD] is seeking to fill by building in-house capabilities, although it currently remains reliant on contractors” the report noted.

The Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO), established by the MOD a decade ago to address problems, had taken “five to six years to understand what we have and the condition it is in”, according to Graham Dalton, its department head.

Questioning Mr Dalton for the report, Mark Francois, the Conservative MP and a committee member, excoriated the DIO for years of dithering and mismanagement.

“It has taken you seven years to have a booking system for some of your accommodation that still is not in service,” Mr Francois said.

“Which of these three best describes this overall? Is it a shambles, a total shambles or a complete and utter shambles? Is it A, B or C?”

Mr Dalton declined to answer the “rhetorical question”, but agreed that the situation could be improved.