a) The Committee is charged with creating and managing an affordable Equipment Plan to be submitted to the Defence Board & Ministers.
b) Membership of this Committee to be the PUS (Chair), CDS, DG Finance, 2nd PUS, VCDS and no other. No alternates.
c) DCDS(Capability) to be responsible for drawing together the plan, in consultation with the DG Strategy and the nominated representative of the DG Finance.
d) The Committee to meet at least quarterly, and to submit its EP to the Defence Board as part of the annual planning process.
e) The costing of the EP and its affordability against the 10 year defence budget should be the responsibility of the MoD DG Finance.
f) All known liabilities to be included within the costed plan.
g) These costings, and the veracity of the estimates, would be subject to independent audit by a major accounting firm. This audit to be published, with the MoD having to pass a "going concern" test of plan against budget.
h) The Defence Board could only accept or reject the EP proposed by the Committee as a whole. No cherry picking.
i) Ministers, the Services, industry and others would be expected to offer direction or views in the process of the formation of the plan, rather than after its creation, to ensure a balanced and affordable plan was produced.
j) The PUS, as Accounting Officer, would be accountable to Parliament annually for the affordability and accuracy of the plan. The PUS to become the true "owner" of the equipment plan, enabling the PUS sufficient authority.