May I suggest the above quote is edited to show what Pax said?
Before setting out such an argument, I think it would wise to ask why
(whatever). We've been told this so often that it has become widely accepted. I simply ask one question. Why do MoD senior staff and politicians flatly refuse to avoid the astronomical waste that has, effectively, become policy? (Policy, because funding is committed to both protecting those who practice it, and vilifying those who rail against it).
If I were in the Treasury, I would tell MoD (the NHS, and others) to bu**er off and only come back when they can demonstrate they're following compulsory regulations for scrutinising expenditure. The Services (and patients) shouldn't suffer, because it would take 10 minutes for the respective Secys of State to issue an edict that the next person who refuses to carry out this legal obligation will be sacked on the spot.