'Painful' cuts in defence ministry restructuring

London: The number of senior military officers could be cut in an overhaul of the way in which the Ministry of Defence is run, the defence secretary, Liam Fox, said on Wednesday.

In a speech setting out his vision for the ministry's future, Fox said the reforms were intended to make the department leaner, less centralised and more effective.

He said military chiefs would be given greater control over the armed services as he attempted to sweeten what he described as "difficult and painful" cuts he blamed on the "dangerous deficit" left by the Labour government.

However, he made no specific commitments on cuts, which are not expected to be announced until October.

In a speech at the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors, Fox who has just returned from his second visit to Afghanistan as defence secretary said the defence ministry would be reorganised into three pillars: policy and strategy, the armed forces, and procurement and estates.

He said there would also need to be a "cultural shift which will see a leaner and less centralised organisation combined with devolved processes which carry greater accountability and transparency".

Fox announced that a defence reform unit was being set up under Lord Levene to guide the "hard thinking" and complement the ongoing strategic defence and security review.

Levene will work with the permanent secretary, the chief of the defence staff and service chiefs to find ways of devolving greater responsibility for the running of the services themselves.

"We need to review all our current practices to ensure that we are using our greatest asset our people to the best of their ability," Fox said.