Delays to the publication of the UK's defence investment plan (Dip) have severely damaged the nation's credibility with its allies, according to a scathing report from the public accounts committee (PAC). The committee has called for a government apology amid reports that all of the Royal Navy's hunter-killer submarines are currently out of service.
Impact of Delays on Credibility and Security
The defence investment plan, originally expected last autumn, has been repeatedly postponed due to warnings about a significant funding gap over the next four years. It is now scheduled for release before a Nato summit in early July. The PAC report emphasises that the delays have undermined trust with the UK's allies and created uncertainty within the armed forces and the defence industrial base.
Geoffrey Clifton-Brown, chair of the committee, stated: “Those responsible may argue there are good reasons for the Dip’s continuing absence, but our report makes clear that excuses to the effect of ‘taking the time to get the details right’ simply do not cut it. Whatever the content of the Dip when it eventually does appear, the damage from its absence has been done – to the nation’s credibility, to its safety, to its armed forces, and to certainty within its entire defence industrial base. Any government minister attempting to explain away this delay should instead ask themselves what message the bureaucratic drift of the past months has given to the public, as well as the UK’s allies and its adversaries, and simply apologise.”
Ministry of Defence Response
The Ministry of Defence (MoD) has not yet decided which capabilities, infrastructure, and personnel are required to transform the armed forces for warfighting readiness within the available budget, nor has it secured cross-government agreement for the plan. Prime Minister Keir Starmer has confirmed that the plan will be published before the Nato summit in Turkey beginning on 7 July.
An MoD spokesperson commented: “The government is providing a generational increase in defence spending, with an extra £270bn across this parliament. The defence investment plan will fix the outdated, overcommitted and underfunded programme we inherited. We are working hard to finalise it. As the defence secretary told parliament this week, the prime minister is determined to publish it before the Nato summit.”
Submarine Maintenance Crisis
The PAC report emerges alongside reports that the Royal Navy's entire fleet of Astute-class hunter-killer submarines is docked for maintenance and repair work. These submarines are crucial for protecting the Vanguard-class submarines that carry nuclear Trident missiles. The first sea lord has ordered the development of a submarine maintenance recovery plan to prevent overruns and increase capacity for war readiness.
The MoD stated: “Strengthening and sustaining our submarine capability is a top priority and we are taking decisive action to ensure its long-term resilience. The strategic defence review has underscored the critical importance of sustained and targeted investment across the defence nuclear enterprise, and we are unwavering in our efforts to deliver the resources, infrastructure and support necessary to meet current and future operational demands. We do not routinely comment about specific submarine operations and availability, but British waters are always protected with a range of assets including warships, patrol aircraft and submarines.”
Additional Challenges
A naval source told the Mail on Sunday that “a lack of investment for decades in providing the backup infrastructure to keep them [submarines] safe” had contributed to the problem. Additionally, a technical issue was discovered on HMS Prince of Wales, one of Britain's two flagship aircraft carriers, while it was docked in Norway.
Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy assured that Starmer's promise for defence spending to reach 3% of national income is “absolutely sacrosanct under this government.” He added that the money would be found for new equipment and infrastructure, and that defence of the nation is “the first purpose of any government.”
Sharon Graham, general secretary of the Unite union, warned: “The failure to deliver the Dip is a threat to British jobs and skills and a threat to national security now and in the future. UK defence must be recognised as a strategic national asset. When the Dip is published, no ifs or buts that money must be spent in the UK. That is what the prime minister promised and what we expect. Any backsliding would be a betrayal.”
