13.1 |
Resources
499.
The official
advised that the UOR regime was not ideal for the UK
military
either, as:
•
Despite
accelerated procurement, UORs were frequently not available
until
several
months after a need had been identified. It would be better to
plan
to have
the capability in advance.
•
That would
also enable soldiers to be trained on new equipment before
their
deployment
to theatre, and for new equipment to be properly incorporated
into
military
doctrine.
•
After one
year, the ongoing costs of UORs reverted to the core defence
budget.
Those
unplanned costs could be difficult to accommodate.
500.
The official
recommended that Mr Timms agree a £200m increase in the
combined
UOR
envelope, and signal a need for a new UOR regime to be negotiated
within the
forthcoming
Comprehensive Spending Review.
501.
Mr Timms
replied to Mr Browne on 9 May:
“We
discussed that the UOR regime has drifted from its original
intentions.
We agreed
we need a different arrangement for the funding for UORs in
the
future …
I propose we seek to develop this as part of our discussions around
the
CSR
[Comprehensive Spending Review].”301
502.
As an “interim
solution”, Mr Timms agreed to increase the UOR ceiling
by
£200m. For
expenditure above that ceiling, and (in line with existing
arrangements)
for all
individual UORs above £10m, the MOD should seek Treasury approval
on a
case‑by‑case
basis.
503.
The MOD and
Treasury have told the Inquiry that they have no record of
that
discussion
between Mr Timms and Mr Browne.302
504.
From June
2007, the Treasury cleared every UOR individually (rather than
only
505.
The outline of
a new UOR regime was agreed in late July, as part of the
MOD’s
settlement
in the 2007 Comprehensive Spending Review:
•
The Reserve
would pay for the “first element” of total UOR costs each
year.
301
Letter
Timms to Browne, 9 May 2007, ‘Urgent Operational Requirements (UOR)
in Iraq and
Afghanistan’.
302
Email MOD
[junior official] to Iraq Inquiry [junior official], 25 September
2013, ‘Iraq Inquiry: Queries
Relating to
Resourcing – MOD Response’; Email Treasury [junior official] to
Iraq Inquiry [junior official],
17 April
2014, ‘Further Queries Relating to Resources’.
303
Minute
Lester to Woolley, 30 October 2007, ‘Approach to UOR Funding
Following the
CSR07 Settlement’.
527