Well said Leon.
The most coruscating report on MoD waste I've read is report D/DIA/5/295/10 dated 27th June 1996 entitled "Requirement Scrutiny".
The audit team looked at every single MoD department responsible for aviation expenditure. They concluded, to PUS (the Chief Accounting Officer), that the instigating officer's original complaint, that vast amounts were being
knowingly wasted, year on year, was correct. That, compensatory savings were being made at the expense of safety, instead of attacking the root cause. (Where Haddon-Cave got this line! The evidence his 1998 date was wrong).
The audit was initiated in direct response to the actions of AVM Chris Baker, Director General Support Management, who was 2 i/c to AMSO/RAF Chief Engineer, ACM Michael Alcock. In December 1992 he had threatened 7 civilian staffs in London with dismissal if they continued to highlight the waste and refuse to implement AMSO's wasteful policies. Had they implemented them, they would have been committing fraud by false representation. The audit was a device to head him off and prevent sackings.
It worked in the short term (as he couldn't take action while it was ongoing), but the report, when eventually issued, was dismissed by senior staffs as irrelevant. In MoD(PE), the Director General Air Systems 2, Mr Ian Fauset (Chinook, Nimrod etc), took a similar view ("of no concern") and also sanctioned disciplinary action against staffs who refused to commit fraud. In 1999 his boss, the Chief of Defence Procurement, Sir Robert Walmsley, upheld this policy, as did Director Personnel, Resources and Development, Mr David Baker.
To this day, DE&S Secretariat at AbbeyWood continue to cite all of these rulings when supporting the actions of staffs who knowingly waste money. As do Ministers for the Armed Forces, the Head of the Civil Service, the Civil Service Commissioners and the HofC Defence Select Committee (the latter by their inaction, the rest by direct support of the policy).
Otherwise known as, the elephant in the room.
MoD deny having the above report. As it was marked "No Further Action", DIA say they destroyed it after 7 years. But MoD forget that the instigator gets his own copy, provided under cover of letter D/DIA/5/295/10 dated 16th July 1996........
A hearing took place in AbbeyWood on 9th September 2002 to determine if the disciplinary action taken against staffs should stand. It was chaired by DPRD (Baker, above). He determined that it
should stand, and advised CDP (Walmsley) to issue such a ruling, which he did (and, a 2nd time, when the Union pointed out the illegality of his decision. DPRD later briefed PUS in April 2003 that MoD stood by this policy, thus completing the audit trail showing PUS was fully aware). As DPRD provided the minutes secretary, and were well known for conveniently "forgetting" to distribute minutes and then denying any meeting took place, the hearing (with a Trades Union) was fully recorded. DPRD did indeed refuse to issue the minutes and ever since MoD have denied the hearing took place. (The recording is crystal clear. The hearing lasted a minute short of 2 hours. DPRD accepted many actions and fulfilled none).
Sorry, too many verifiable facts on a rumour forum?
