MINISTRY OF DEFENCE
News Release (171/2008) issued by The Government News Network on 21
July 2008
MOD Annual Report
and Accounts 2007/2008
The Ministry of Defence's Annual Report and Accounts were
published today by Des Browne, the Secretary of State for Defence.
The Annual Report sets out in detail what we are doing, how we are
doing it and how we have performed against Public Service
Agreement (PSA) Targets.
It remains a very busy period for defence. The UK's Armed
Forces are sustaining a high operational tempo in order to
contribute to security across the globe, particularly on
operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. At home, the Armed Forces
continue to play a vital role supporting civil authorities
including through search and rescue, fishery protection and
explosive ordnance disposal.
Secretary of State for Defence Des Browne said:
"The selfless commitment shown by all our servicemen and
women is truly humbling. Some have paid the ultimate price, and
many personnel have been wounded. The demands that we place on
them, and their families, are considerable. We remain committed to
ensuring that we provide the support that they need and deserve.
"This has been a challenging year for Defence. The
operational tempo remains high with the continuing operations in
Afghanistan and Iraq. In those theatres and others, British Forces
are making a huge contribution to international security.
"Making sure our Armed Forces have the right equipment is
crucial to operational success. We are making real progress in
developing our relationship with industry, promoting innovation
and improving the whole procurement process. Our Armed Forces are
now better equipped than ever before.
"We have achieved a great deal this year, huge challenges no
doubt lie ahead. We demand a lot of our people, military and
civilian. But I know that they will continue to rise to this challenge.
"We owe a continuing debt of gratitude to our brave
servicemen and women and our thoughts are with the families,
friends and colleagues of all those who have lost their lives
while serving their country."
The report states:
* The Armed Forces are achieving their policy and military
objectives and met the Public Service Agreement target for
Operations. Although the Armed Forces are stretched, the
proportion of regular forces deployed on operations and other
military tasks decreased from 26 percent in the last quarter of
2006-7 to 19 percent for the same period in 2007-8. This was
mainly due to troops pulling out of Northern Ireland and the Balkans.
* There was a significant increase in operational capability in
Afghanistan with further increases in helicopter capability
enabling provision of more support to commanders.
* There were further improvements to Service personnel terms and
conditions including a rise in the operational bonus, the
provision of a council-tax rebate for those on operations, and the
announcement of a childcare vouchers scheme. The MOD also led the
work on the cross-Government command paper on support for Service
personnel, their families and veterans.
* Both external and internal opinion of the MoD and the Armed
Forces improved this year from already strong starting points. The
substantial effort put in to communicating the work of the Armed
Forces and the Department continues.
In order to achieve operational success, the department has had
to take a level of risk against other defence objectives, including:
* The Armed Forces consistently and reliably deployed and
sustained forces at immediate readiness for current operations.
However, this meant it was impossible for them to be ready at the
same time for the full range of potential contingent operations in
planning assumptions.
* The continuing high operational tempo has meant that the Army
and the RAF did not meet individual separate service or unit
harmony guidelines. The Service Personnel Plan continues to make
improvement in this area.
Notes to editors
1. We are publishing our report and accounts before the summer
recess as required by the Government's programme for faster
closing of its accounts.
2. The Annual Report can be found online at http://www.mod.uk/DefenceInternet/AboutDefence/CorporatePublications/AnnualReports/
3. For further information visit http://www.mod.uk.