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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| Defence report 'not suppressed' | Defence report 'not suppressed' |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Defence minister Quentin Davies has denied claims ministers suppressed a report saying billions of pounds has been wasted 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". |
| Mr Davies told the BBC it was not being suppressed but had yet to be completed. | Mr Davies told the BBC it was not being suppressed but had yet to be completed. |
| Wider review | Wider review |
| Downing Street sources told the BBC it would form part of a wider review of defence being conducted by the MoD. | 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 secretary | We have a catalogue of bureaucracy, incompetence and time wasting Liam FoxShadow defence secretary |
| 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. | 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. |
| 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. | 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." |
| 'Pure drivel' | 'Pure drivel' |
| Mr Davies told BBC Radio 4's Today programme he had seen an incomplete version of the report two months ago. | |
| 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". | 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". |
| He said many of the issues over defence procurement were related to "legacy" projects from the 1990s such as "Nimrod and Chinook Mark 3" and claimed "we are doing far, far better now". | |
| 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. | 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. |
| Mr Davies said: "There is no sense at all in which a decision has been taken. We are a long way from taking a decision. | |
| "I haven't in my own mind reached any conclusions. I'm still in the process of examining the evidence, having conversations with people. | |
| "We will move to a decision over quite a lot of months. I'm sorry that all sorts of people may have been upset and agitated in Rolls-Royce from a completely false report." |