Committee publication · Correspondence · 20 April 2026
Letter from the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Defence to the Chair of the Public Accounts Committee relating to MoD Annual Report and Accounts, 13 April 2026
From: Public Accounts Committee
Inquiry: Ministry of Defence Annual Report and Accounts 2024-25
Summary
Permanent Secretary Jeremy Pocklington responds to the Public Accounts Committee's 23 March 2026 evidence session, providing detail on legal claims provisions (£2.5bn Afghan-related correction), Service Family Accommodation improvements (£1.5bn investment), 10/30 recruitment initiative performance, Armed Forces recruitment across devolved nations, and rejoining statistics for 2020–25.
Key findings
- MoD corrected 2024–25 accounts by £2.5bn for legal claims and Afghan scheme costs; details withheld on legal advice to avoid prejudicing ongoing cases.
- £1.5bn additional investment in Service Family Accommodation profiled over FY2026-27 to FY2029-30; complaints fell from 4,200 (Nov 2022) to 400 (Feb 2026); repair satisfaction rose from 23% (Jan 2023) to 66% (end 2025).
- 10/30 recruitment initiative: 50,816 ten-day letters and 19,428 thirty-day letters issued since August 2025; Royal Navy at 51% within target, Army 67%, RAF 44%; early IT system constraints resolved.
- 1,430 personnel from devolved nations entered Regular Armed Forces April 2024–April 2025; Defence-funded childcare reimbursement scheme (UK Nursery Authority) announced for eligible families from September 2026.
- Armed Forces rejoiners data (2020–25): Royal Navy 133 (FY2024-25), Army 882 (FY2024-25), RAF 189 (FY2024-25); definitions vary by Service and reflect workforce requirements.
Tone
ProceduralTopics
Key actors
Jeremy Pocklington, Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown, Rupert Pearce, Aneen Blackmore, Air Marshal Tim Jones, Lieutenant General Anna-Lee Reilly, Serco
Notable line
“The Department has undertaken a full review of all legal liabilities and has written and shared an accounting paper with the National Audit Office laying out our approach.”
Key Quotes
“These elements will not be disclosed separately following legal advice, as the cases are ongoing and further public detail could prejudice the Department's legal position.”
“Complaints have reduced from approximately 4,200 in November 2022 to around 400 by February 2026, while satisfaction with repairs increased from 23% in January 2023 to 66% by the end of”
“It is important to note that there have been challenges in the early implementation phase due to constraints in existing IT systems and how the Services were required to use a blend of automation and manual processes.”
“Votes A figures are much larger than published strengths – which can be found in UK Armed Forces Quarterly Service Personnel Statistics publication - as they are maxima …”
Source · parliament.uk record ↗