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Defence report 'not suppressed' Defence report 'not suppressed'
(about 7 hours later)
Government sources have denied Tory claims Gordon Brown suppressed a report accusing ministers of wasting billions of pounds in defence procurement. Defence minister Quentin Davies has denied claims ministers suppressed a report saying billions of pounds has been wasted in defence procurement.
The review, commissioned by the Ministry of Defence, had been due to be published in July, but the prime minister said it would be delayed.The review, commissioned by the Ministry of Defence, had been due to be published in July, but the prime minister said it would be delayed.
Shadow defence secretary Liam Fox has claimed its release was stopped because it showed "12 years of incompetence".Shadow defence secretary Liam Fox has claimed its release was stopped because it showed "12 years of incompetence".
Downing Street sources said the report was delayed because it was unfinished. Mr Davies told the BBC it was not being suppressed but had yet to be completed.
Wider reviewWider review
It will now form part of a wider review of defence being conducted by the MoD, they told the BBC. Downing Street sources told the BBC it would form part of a wider review of defence being conducted by the MoD.
The report, commissioned by former defence secretary John Hutton and led by ex-defence aide Bernard Gray, looked into the MoD's mechanisms for defence procurement.The report, commissioned by former defence secretary John Hutton and led by ex-defence aide Bernard Gray, looked into the MoD's mechanisms for defence procurement.
We have a catalogue of bureaucracy, incompetence and time wasting Liam FoxShadow defence secretaryWe have a catalogue of bureaucracy, incompetence and time wasting Liam FoxShadow defence secretary
It has been reported that the Gray review, which was meant to be published before Parliament rose for the summer, found that up to £2.5bn a year was being wasted because the MoD could not afford to pay for projects on time. It has been reported the Gray review, which was meant to be published before Parliament rose for the summer, found up to £2.5bn a year was being wasted because the MoD could not afford to pay for projects on time.
Dr Fox has accused the government of wasting money that could be spent on front-line troops in Afghanistan and called for the report to be published as soon as possible.Dr Fox has accused the government of wasting money that could be spent on front-line troops in Afghanistan and called for the report to be published as soon as possible.
"By trying to suppress this report, the prime minister has demonstrated that he cares more about the reputation of Labour than he does about the well-being of the armed forces," he said. He said: "By trying to suppress this report, the prime minister has demonstrated that he cares more about the reputation of Labour than he does about the well-being of the armed forces.
"The government has a moral duty to ensure that our armed forces have the equipment they need for the war fighting they are asked to do; instead we have a catalogue of bureaucracy, incompetence and time wasting.""The government has a moral duty to ensure that our armed forces have the equipment they need for the war fighting they are asked to do; instead we have a catalogue of bureaucracy, incompetence and time wasting."
'Three-stage process' 'Pure drivel'
Defence Minister Kevan Jones said he did not recognise the £2.5bn figure quoted in reports and rejected the suggestion that defence procurement was incompetent. Mr Davies told BBC Radio 4's Today programme he had seen an incomplete version of the report a couple of months ago.
Mr Gray was "working very closely" with ministers to produce a defence procurement green paper for early next year, he told Channel 4 News. He said it was now with defence procurement minister Lord Drayson and he had "no idea" when it was due to be completed - but insisted once it was finished it would not be "suppressed".
"This is part of a three-stage process," he said. He said many of the issues over defence procurement were related to "legacy" projects from the 1990s and claimed "we are doing far, far better now".
"First was the defence industrial strategy which was launched in 2005, then we've merged both acquisition and support agencies. Mr Davies also described as "pure drivel" a newspaper report that up to 750 jobs were under threat at Rolls Royce because the MoD was preparing to reject its fighter engine in favour of a cheaper American version.
"The next stage which [defence minister] Lord Drayson is leading, together with Bernard Gray, is to see how we can actually get better value for money and better procurement." Mr Davies said the MOD was "a very long way from taking a decision".