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| Plans to improve defence orders | Plans to improve defence orders |
| (20 minutes later) | |
| The Ministry of Defence is to improve the way it orders equipment after a report said it did "not really know the price of any kit", the BBC understands. | The Ministry of Defence is to improve the way it orders equipment after a report said it did "not really know the price of any kit", the BBC understands. |
| A new unit has been established inside the MoD to improve the process of ordering new military equipment. | A new unit has been established inside the MoD to improve the process of ordering new military equipment. |
| It follows controversy over the publication of the report, from the former defence official Bernard Gray. | It follows controversy over the publication of the report, from the former defence official Bernard Gray. |
| The government has denied suppressing the report, which it commissioned, saying it was not finished yet. | The government has denied suppressing the report, which it commissioned, saying it was not finished yet. |
| The BBC has been told that the Ministry of Defence wanted to publish the report last month, but that Downing Street stopped it. | The BBC has been told that the Ministry of Defence wanted to publish the report last month, but that Downing Street stopped it. |
| Cost overrun | Cost overrun |
| The new unit will examine ways to improve the process of ordering equipment and managing large projects and is run by Lord Drayson, a former defence minister who returned to the department recently. | The new unit will examine ways to improve the process of ordering equipment and managing large projects and is run by Lord Drayson, a former defence minister who returned to the department recently. |
| The BBC understands that he is looking at how to reduce the number of people involved in the decision-making process and how to better manage costs. | The BBC understands that he is looking at how to reduce the number of people involved in the decision-making process and how to better manage costs. |
| We attach great importance to improving procurement Ministry of Defence Laura Kuenssberg: The leaked summary Defence report 'not suppressed' | |
| The report by former defence adviser Bernard Gray had been due to be published before Parliament's summer recess but has been put back until the autumn. | The report by former defence adviser Bernard Gray had been due to be published before Parliament's summer recess but has been put back until the autumn. |
| But a summary of its findings, seen by the BBC, says the Ministry of Defence "does not really know the price of any kit and project management does not exist". | But a summary of its findings, seen by the BBC, says the Ministry of Defence "does not really know the price of any kit and project management does not exist". |
| Other findings include that the "top 40 programmes annually expect a 40% overrun on cost" and that the MoD is "always late in admitting there is a problem". | Other findings include that the "top 40 programmes annually expect a 40% overrun on cost" and that the MoD is "always late in admitting there is a problem". |
| On Thursday defence minister Quentin Davies told the BBC the report was now with defence procurement minister Lord Drayson and he had "no idea" when it was due to be completed. "This report's being worked on, as far as I know being worked on at the present time." | On Thursday defence minister Quentin Davies told the BBC the report was now with defence procurement minister Lord Drayson and he had "no idea" when it was due to be completed. "This report's being worked on, as far as I know being worked on at the present time." |
| Shadow defence secretary Liam Fox told the BBC Downing Street had "tried to cover it up". | Shadow defence secretary Liam Fox told the BBC Downing Street had "tried to cover it up". |
| "Gordon Brown doesn't want the truth out there in public," he said. | "Gordon Brown doesn't want the truth out there in public," he said. |
| Responding to a leaked presentation of the report's findings, a Ministry of Defence spokesman said: "We attach great importance to improving procurement and that is why the former Defence Secretary John Hutton commissioned the Gray Review. | |
| "We want to ensure equipment is purchased as efficiently as possible and this review will feed into our recently announced Green Paper on defence. | "We want to ensure equipment is purchased as efficiently as possible and this review will feed into our recently announced Green Paper on defence. |
| "We are constantly improving the procurement process which has seen us deliver £10bn of equipment to the frontline over the last three years." | "We are constantly improving the procurement process which has seen us deliver £10bn of equipment to the frontline over the last three years." |