DE 01

 

Memorandum from Nicholas Brunt

 

 

In this time of budgetary crisis, I hope that your Committee will keep a laser focus on cost effective defence policy. The DIS must move from pork barrel spending in marginal constituencies at tax payers expense, to a rational system with timely purchases of cost effective material.

 

In practice timely and cost effective means 'off the peg'. Our Foreign Policy would be in a vastly improved position if we had not wasted so much of our Defence budgets re-inventing the wheel. Our Service People would not recognize their improved lot were they not forced to make do with whatever material the British Arms Industry dains to produce, decades after it was first needed.

 

Your committee would be well advised to take the long running saga of the SA80 to how long, and at what unit price it takes a service person to get their hands on an effective piece of kit. Another more recent case is the Bowman project. I hope Colonel Borton's courage in speaking out will raise the profile of the Bowman's failures within Parliament.

 

The budgetary crisis demands sacrifices - better that 'sovereignty' goes before capability. We need effective equipment. A Union Jack on every piece is a very expensive luxury.

 

20 October 2008