The Public Accounts Committee has delivered its most severe rebuke to the Ministry of Defence regarding the safeguarding of military sites, citing significant and persistent deficiencies. This marks a critical assessment of the ministry’s performance in protecting sensitive areas.

The committee’s report indicates a decline in security standards over the last five years, despite the ministry’s awareness of existing vulnerabilities. This deterioration has prompted serious concern and underscores the gravity of the situation.

The Public Accounts Committee employs a graduated scale to evaluate governmental bodies, ranging from positive assessments to the sharpest censure. The severest form of criticism, reserved for cases of utmost concern, includes a formal reprimand and a direct referral to Parliament for special attention. The scale includes positive criticism, below average criticism, medium criticism and sharp criticism before the sharpest level of criticism is reached.

This latest condemnation signifies a failure on the part of the Ministry of Defence to adequately address known security weaknesses, leading to heightened scrutiny from Parliament.