A parliamentary committee has strongly criticised the repeated delays in publishing the government's defence investment plan (Dip), warning that the lack of a credible strategy is undermining the UK's standing with allies. The public accounts committee (PAC) said the delay had damaged national security and the defence industrial base, and called for an apology from ministers.
The plan, originally expected in autumn 2024, has been postponed several times amid reports of a significant funding gap. It is now due before a Nato summit in Turkey on 7 July. PAC chair Geoffrey Clifton-Brown said excuses about 'taking time to get details right' did not justify the harm caused, and urged ministers to apologise for the bureaucratic drift.
The report also revealed that the Ministry of Defence (MoD) has not yet decided which capabilities, infrastructure and personnel are needed to make the armed forces warfighting-ready within budget, nor has it secured cross-government agreement for the plan. The MoD defended its approach, saying the government is providing a 'generational increase' in defence spending, with an extra £270bn over this parliament.
Separately, it emerged that all five of the Royal Navy's Astute-class hunter-killer submarines are reportedly out of service due to maintenance and repair work. The MoD is developing a submarine maintenance recovery plan to address the issue. A naval source cited a lack of investment in backup infrastructure over decades as a contributing factor.
In addition, a technical issue was discovered on HMS Prince of Wales, one of Britain's two flagship aircraft carriers, while docked in Norway. Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy reiterated the government's commitment to raising defence spending to 3% of national income, calling it 'absolutely sacrosanct'.
