Ministry of Defence's radios worth £184m off the air

5th Jul 2011 13:51

The Ministry of Defence's (MoD) failure to account for the existence and condition of assets worth £6.3bn, including the location of radios worth £184m, has highlighted the governmental department's inability to manage resources, the Defence Select Committee said in its report. The committee said the shortfall in accounting makes it harder for the MoD to request additional funding. This is reflected in the decision by the National Audit Office to qualify the MoD accounts for the fourth successive year, the committee said.Committee chair the Right Honourable James Arbuthnot said, "The committee finds it wholly unsatisfactory that the MoD expects that their stock control problems will probably continue for another two to four years." "This is not some abstract problem existing only on paper: equipment is needed by troops in the field and proper logistics are an essential part of effective military operations," Arbuthnot added. The report highlights the MoD's necessity to retain the right skills and experience it requires. It recommends that any cuts to staffing levels must be appropriate for future business need and managed with care.AR