jameshr4
04-20-2006, 05:03 AM
MoD manpower problems 'critical' Thursday April 20, 07:20 AM
MPs have delivered a damning verdict on the Ministry of Defence, highlighting "critical shortages" in manpower and hundreds of millions of pounds not properly accounted for.
The Commons Defence Select Committee said that in the case of a £500 million programme for four auxiliary ships the "MoD seems to have given the lead contractor on the programme an open-ended cheque book".
The ministry ended up liable for nearly £150 million of compensation claims from contractors for delays. The committee also said £400 million of savings claimed by the ministry for its Defence Logistics Organisation could not be "validated" and called for more "robust" accounting.
And it said that there were "critical shortages in various specialist trades including aircrew and medical personnel".
The committee said it would monitor closely the MoD's claim that these shortages would not affect the latest deployment to Afghanistan.
The MPs also criticised the MoD for losing £147 million on a building at the Atomic Weapons Establishment Aldermaston which eventually simply could not be used because it was not fit for the purpose it was built for.
The MPs said they were "amazed" at the scale of the loss, and added: "MoD's acknowledgement that the project was 'handled badly' is a considerable understatement."
The committee also pointed out the MoD - whose annual report and accounts they were monitoring - had met only three of its seven Public Service Agreement targets, and was in breach of so-called Harmony Guidelines designed to give service personnel sufficient time off for training and to spend with their families between deployments.
Even £5 million spent on sending ration packs to try to help victims of Hurricane Katrina in the southern states of the USA backfired - most of them were impounded by the US Department of Agriculture because they breached importation rules on processed meat.
They are now being handed on to international aid agencies.
http://uk.news.yahoo.com/20042006/344/mod-manpower-problems-critical.html
These problems and others have been going on for years when are they going to sort it out. It needs strong leadership on the civilian side in the MOD to start clearing up the mass and then there may be more money avaliable for more kit. Its a disgrace the goveremnt are letting it continue.
MPs have delivered a damning verdict on the Ministry of Defence, highlighting "critical shortages" in manpower and hundreds of millions of pounds not properly accounted for.
The Commons Defence Select Committee said that in the case of a £500 million programme for four auxiliary ships the "MoD seems to have given the lead contractor on the programme an open-ended cheque book".
The ministry ended up liable for nearly £150 million of compensation claims from contractors for delays. The committee also said £400 million of savings claimed by the ministry for its Defence Logistics Organisation could not be "validated" and called for more "robust" accounting.
And it said that there were "critical shortages in various specialist trades including aircrew and medical personnel".
The committee said it would monitor closely the MoD's claim that these shortages would not affect the latest deployment to Afghanistan.
The MPs also criticised the MoD for losing £147 million on a building at the Atomic Weapons Establishment Aldermaston which eventually simply could not be used because it was not fit for the purpose it was built for.
The MPs said they were "amazed" at the scale of the loss, and added: "MoD's acknowledgement that the project was 'handled badly' is a considerable understatement."
The committee also pointed out the MoD - whose annual report and accounts they were monitoring - had met only three of its seven Public Service Agreement targets, and was in breach of so-called Harmony Guidelines designed to give service personnel sufficient time off for training and to spend with their families between deployments.
Even £5 million spent on sending ration packs to try to help victims of Hurricane Katrina in the southern states of the USA backfired - most of them were impounded by the US Department of Agriculture because they breached importation rules on processed meat.
They are now being handed on to international aid agencies.
http://uk.news.yahoo.com/20042006/344/mod-manpower-problems-critical.html
These problems and others have been going on for years when are they going to sort it out. It needs strong leadership on the civilian side in the MOD to start clearing up the mass and then there may be more money avaliable for more kit. Its a disgrace the goveremnt are letting it continue.