Did the noble lord do anything to deserve being paid?
Not a great fan of this administration full stop, but to be fair, Lord Drayson was at least on side more than most in pushing our case.
As for his replacement, Baroness Taylor ..... I really don't know what to make of her. Ex Chair(wo)man of the Intelligence and Security Committee, so in theory should at least have a vague understanding of what is going on. However, she was all up for our little Mesopotamian adventure and has yet to offer a dissenting voice against the Government during this parliament.
Maybe a Trojan Horse type character - on the surface could be of benefit to the military, but also propping up the govt at a time when it is taking a repeated and very public hammering over defence in general.