MoD sets out cuts to high-ranking posts, leak suggests
MoD sets out cuts to high-ranking posts, leak suggests
(about 1 hour later)
More than 1,000 senior posts are to be cut by the Ministry of Defence by 2020, a leaked report suggests.
More than 1,000 senior posts are to be cut by the Ministry of Defence by 2020, a leaked report suggests.
Some 724 senior ranking officers and civil servants will go by 2015, with 335 more by 2020, according to a report, apparently penned by an MoD director and published in the Guardian.
Some 724 senior ranking officers and civil servants will go by 2015, with 335 more by 2020, according to a report, apparently penned by an MoD director and published in the Guardian.
"The perception that defence is bureaucratic and top-heavy must be addressed," the report states.
"The perception that defence is bureaucratic and top-heavy must be addressed," the report states.
The MoD would not confirm the figures but has pledged to cut senior posts.
The MoD would not confirm the figures but has pledged to cut senior posts.
The leak comes as the MoD looks to cut thousands of military and civilian personnel.
The confidential Defence Reform - Liability Review paper was penned by Jonathan Slater, the director general of transformation and strategy at the MoD, the newspaper reports.
About 42,000 MoD civilian and armed forces jobs are to be cut by 2015 as defence spending falls by 8% over the next four years.
The confidential Defence Reform - Liability Review paper was prepared by Jonathan Slater, the director general of transformation and strategy at the MoD, the newspaper reports.
Recent defence cuts have already produced alarming headlines - including claims that the British army now has "more generals than tanks" and that the Royal Navy now has "more admirals than ships".
The MoD has dismissed these stories as inaccurate.
It says, for example, there are in fact 59 serving generals in the Army and 337 tanks - of which more than a hundred are "operational".
Others question the relevance of using such statistics.
However, this leaked document does confirm that Britain's Armed Forces are "top heavy".
Given the scale of the redundancies in the Army, RAF and Royal Navy that have already been announced, it's inevitable that there now needs to be some serious pruning of the higher ranks.
It makes good financial sense too, with those at the rank of brigadier and above on salaries of more than £100,000 a year.
You can also argue it's necessary for morale.
As the leaked document states, a top-heavy, bureaucratic MoD "undermines the confidence of our own staff, Parliament, the public and the media, and has a detrimental impact on the delivery of frontline."
The danger for the MoD though, as it pushes through these cuts, is how to retain experience and talent.
It states the cuts will include rear admirals, major generals and air vice-marshals, as well as more junior officers, such as captains and colonels, and civilians of similar seniority.
'Detrimental impact'
'Detrimental impact'
The report says: "Much is made about the numbers of senior appointments in defence, military and civilian, both by way of justification and criticism.
"The simple truth is that the defence senior cadre is larger than we can afford," the report says.
"However, irrespective of the relative cases, the simple truth is that the defence senior cadre is larger than we can afford, is judged to be out-of-proportion with a reducing manpower base and also with modern working practices and societal tolerances."
Recent defence cuts have already produced alarming headlines - including claims the British army has "more generals than tanks" and the Royal Navy "more admirals than ships".
It goes on: "The perception, both within and beyond the department, that defence is bureaucratic and top heavy must be addressed; it undermines the confidence of our own staff, Parliament, the public and media, and has a detrimental impact on the delivery of front line and other defence outputs.
The MoD has dismissed these stories as inaccurate. It says, for example, there are in fact 59 serving generals in the Army and 337 tanks.
The document states the size of the most senior cadre within the MoD has increased by a third since 1990.
Others question the relevance of using such statistics. However, given the scale of redundancies in the Army, RAF and Royal Navy, it's inevitable there now needs to be some serious pruning of the higher ranks.
It states the size of the defence workforce has fallen in recent decades, but "reductions in the numbers of leaders has not kept pace".
It makes good financial sense too, with those at the rank of brigadier and above on salaries of more than £100,000 a year. You can also argue it's necessary for morale.
"The UK has a higher proportion of senior officers than the majority of our allies," it states.
As the leaked document states, a top-heavy, bureaucratic MoD "undermines the confidence of our own staff, Parliament, the public and the media". The question for the MoD, as it pushes through these cuts, is how to retain experience and talent.
'Cut manpower costs'
There are currently 3,620 middle-ranking civil servants and military officers in the Royal Navy, Army, RAF and civil service.
It goes on to conclude: "There is an urgent need to reduce our manpower costs" and these reductions "must be reflected at all levels of the hierarchy".
That number should drop to 3,011 by 2015, the report states, and to 2,724 by 2020. This would mean axing 68 Royal Navy posts by 2020, 104 in the Army and 86 in the RAF.
There are currently 3,620 middle-ranking civil servants and military officers in the Royal Navy, Army, RAF and civil service, a table in the report states. These include Royal Navy captains, army colonels and RAF group captains.
The next level up are the one and two-star officers, and their civil service equivalents. The report states their numbers need to be cut from 550 to 461 by 2015, and to 423 by 2020.
That number should drop to 3,011 by 2015, the report states, and to 2,724 by 2020.
For those holding two stars - including rear admirals, major generals and air vice-marshals - the totals need to be cut from 152 to 126, and then to 116.
This would mean axing 68 Royal Navy posts by 2020, 104 in the Army and 86 in the Royal Air Force, it states.
Any reasons for the cuts not to be made would need to be explained, it adds, and the MoD has until April next year to finalise the losses.
The next level up are the one and two-star officers, and their civil service equivalents. The report states the numbers holding the one-star rank need to be cut from 550 to 461 by 2015, and to 423 by 2020.
For those holding two stars - including rear admirals, major generals and air vice-marshals - the totals need to be cut from 152 to 126, and then to 116, it states.
An MoD spokeswoman said its redundancy programme aimed to ensure it could best meet current and emerging threats.
The report states under the table of potential cuts: "The expectation is that the senior cadre would fall in accordance with the table. There may be reasons why this should not be the case, but these will need to be set out."
"Following the Levene proposals, the defence reform unit is conducting a review of senior officer posts to ensure the services are not top heavy," she said.
The document states the MoD has until April next year to finalise its plans for job losses in the senior cadre. It is unclear whether the cuts will lead to compulsory redundancies.
'Radical reorganisation'
In July the then Defence Secretary Liam Fox set out plans for a "radical re-organisation" of the MoD, including a cut in the number of senior officers.
It followed a report by Lord Levene - the chairman of Lloyd's of London - into the structure and management of the MoD.
Mr Fox said the MoD was "top heavy" and that an over-bureaucratic system had led to poor decision-making and financial management.
An MoD spokeswoman would not confirm the figures in the leaked document.
The spokeswoman said: "The current redundancy programme will reduce the number of service personnel - both officers and non-commissioned ranks - to ensure the Armed Forces are structured to best meet current and emerging threats.
"Following the Levene proposals, the defence reform unit is conducting a review of senior officer posts to ensure the services are not top heavy."
