FUTURE WORK
Continuous Monitoring
IMPLEMENTATION OF THE STRATEGIC DEFENCE REVIEW
64. Much of the Committee's work in the current Session
and for the remainder of the Parliament will be monitoring the
implementation of the restructuring of the UK's Armed Forces along
the lines set out in the SDR. We have set out these commitments
in detail in paragraph 39 (Figure 4). Some of this monitoring
will be integrated into our annual cycle of consideration of the
MoD's documents reporting on its performance to Parliament. For
other elements, we will pick out individual areas at key stages
of their development for specific inquiries.
RESOURCE ACCOUNTING AND BUDGETING
65. The introduction of Resource Accounting and Budgeting
(RAB) over the next two years or so should give government departments
more meaningful information on their outputs and the resources
consumed in producing them. The MoD faces particular challenges
in making the new system work for them, because of the range of
its activities, its difficult to define outputs and the extent
of its fixed asset holdings.
66. The RAB initiative presents a valuable opportunity
for the Committee, and indeed other departmental select committees,
to monitor and influence Departments' performance more effectively.
The Committee intends therefore not only to monitor progress in
implementing the new systems in the MoD, but also to question
the department on its plans and performance at critical stages
in the accountability process. In many respects these opportunities
have always been there, but RAB will act as a catalyst for the
change of emphasis intended. We will therefore be closely monitoring
the MoD's Expenditure Plans, Estimates, Performance Reports, Accounts,
and annual defence White Papers, and in doing so examining the
achievement of target efficiency savings, savings from Private-Public
Partnerships in DERA and the creation of new agencies and joint
organisations. An important duty for us will be to ensure that
the additional and more meaningful information that should be
available to the MoD also cascades into its reporting to Parliament.
ANNUAL MAJOR PROCUREMENT PROJECTS REVIEW
67. Our monitoring of the Department will also include
following up the MoD's progress in implementing 'smart procurement'
reforms of the way the MoD acquires equipment and weapon systems.
The focus of this monitoring will be the collection of statistics
and progress reports on about half a dozen equipment projects,[65]
with oral evidence subsequently on a subset of these. The mix
of programmes monitored is not likely to change significantly
from one year to the next, but will include projects both well
into their development stages and others that are near the start
and most susceptible to the introduction of smart procurement
processes.
GULF WAR SYNDROME
68. Our predecessor Committee took a close interest
in the issue of Gulf War illnesses, and one of our first actions
upon appointment was to take evidence from the Minister for the
Armed Forces on the subject.[66]
We intend to continue to monitor developments and take oral evidence
from the Ministry of Defence during this session.
65 Currently: Bowman communications system, the Horizon
frigate, Eurofighter, new aircraft carriers, additional strategic
lift aircraft and shipping, and the TRACER armoured reconnaissance
vehicle Back
66 HC
(1997-98) 222-i Back
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