"We are therefore extremely disappointed and frustrated by the continued poor track record of the Department and its suppliers - including significant net delays of 21 years across the programmes most recently examined by the National Audit Office - and by wastage of taxpayers' money running into the billions", the committee said in its newly published report on improving the performance of defence equipment contracts.
"The Department continues to be unclear about what additional capability the taxpayer will get from the extra £16.5 billion in the 2020 Spending Review. We remain to be convinced that the government's substantial uplift to the Department's budget will not simply be used to plug financial holes across its programmes. We are struck in recent evidence sessions by how many departmental witnesses with differing responsibilities have pointed to the additional funding as a solution to their problems", the committee said.