A Labour MP has slammed the Ministry of Defence for an “unacceptable loss of transparency” after failing to publish a defence equipment plan for two years running.

       Speaking to the Daily Express, Defence Select Committee chair Tan Dhesi, criticised his own party, warning the MOD risks breaking its own promises and raised concerns over whether taxpayer money is being spent effectively.

       Mr Dhesi said without this information, the committee cannot properly hold the department to account.

       He told the Express: “The new Government has got to come good on its promises with regards to transparency.

       “Unless there is transparency, then we cannot have that value for money, so I think transparency is the key for all of us to make an informed judgment.”

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       “The wider British public will be expecting full value for money and previous governments have always suffered when the public have not got that”, he added.

       Defence Secretary John Healey previously told the committee he wanted to increase the transparency and information provided by the MOD.

       The annual plan sets out the department’s spending aims on equipment procurement and support projects over the next decade.

       Mr Dhesi said defence procurement has been a “perennial issue… beset with problems at different times”, adding: “There have been instances in the past where there have been significant losses of taxpayers' money and we want to make sure there is value for money.

       “That's what the new Government has promised and we want to make sure they're actually delivering on that. The only way that we can ensure that is through transparency.”

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       Mr Dhesi, alongside chair of the Public Accounts Committee, Tory MP Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown, have written an open letter to the MOD Permanent Secretary David Williams, expressing their “deep frustration” at the situation.

       The MPs wrote that in the absence of the annual plan under the Conservatives in 2023, they had to rely on a report by the National Audit Office (NAO) which found a ￡16.9bn black hole in the budget.

       For 2024, they said Labour’s defence procurement minister wrote a letter, explaining the plan would not be published, nor would the department provide the NAO with the information required for the watchdog to produce its own report.

       Maria Eagle’s reasons included that it wouldn’t provide an “accurate reflection” of the Government’s spending plans given the ongoing Strategic Defence and Spending Review.

       Mr Williams said the document was not produced in its current form under the Conservatives in 2023 for reasons that included ongoing work to reform defence acquisition and the difficulty of reporting a “single, timely long-term position for a plan with volatile assumptions”.

       Mr Dhesi and Sir Geoffrey said they do not accept any of the reasons given.

       They added they were particularly concerned that the department has “effectively prevented” the NAO from producing its own report by not supplying it with the necessary information as seen in 2023 and urged the watchdog is provided with this “immediately”.

       John Foreman, former British defence attache to Moscow and Kyiv, said the ambiguity won’t make it easier for defence to get more money.

       He told the Express: “The lack of transparency on the equipment plan by the MOD is par for the course, disappointing and ill-timed. Poor project management and lack of transparency on use of public money won’t endear the MOD to the Treasury when many are demanding an increase in defence spending to 3%.

       “It also means the Treasury can justify themselves in delaying a rise to 2.5% beyond the election by demanding MOD reform.”

       An MOD spokesperson said: “This Government is committed to reforming defence procurement to tackle waste and reduce programme delays, which is why the Defence Secretary has launched the biggest defence reform programme in 50 years.

       “The Strategic Defence Review is looking in detail at the threats we face and the capabilities we need, which is why an MOD Equipment Plan was not published in 2024.

       “We are committed to improving transparency, including around financial management, and we will continue to make information available about departmental spending.”

       It is understood the MOD is planning to respond to the open letter in due course.