Question
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to page 18 of the National Audit Office's report, The Equipment Plan 2021 to 2031, published on 21 February 2022, for what reason the decision was taken to exclude costs associated with the radar upgrade for Typhoon in the previous report.
Answer
This year's report shows a plan to balance costs and budget after a number of years in which the Department has reported a shortfall. Last year we reported that the Department faced a £7.3 billion shortfall. The shortfall meant that a number of important capabilities were not affordable within the Defence programme. The Integrated Review and the £16.5 billion increase in funding from the 2020 Spending Review have allowed the Department to address the shortfall and add equipment to the programme, including the radar upgrade. This addresses one of the key capability risks the NAO discussed in their previous 2020 report. The MOD's 2021 equipment plan shows a breakdown of these measures.