The human cost for military personnel and their families of defence cost-cutting and huge overspends on new weapons systems has been revealed in leaked minutes seen by the Guardian.
The Ministry of Defence is so short of cash that it is axing investment in playground equipment for the children of service personnel. It is also scrapping orders for power showers in barracks. Meanwhile, billions of pounds are being ploughed into long-delayed projects such as the Eurofighter.
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Some of the strongest criticism is reserved for cuts to the education budget, which provides schools for overseas troops' families in Germany. Up to £2.65m is to be cut from budgets over the next two years, with the main savings on plans to refurbish school playgrounds and recruit teaching staff. The minutes record that this was a "high pain" measure.
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The MoD will not say how much it is having to pare down and cut other projects designed to improve the ordinary soldier's quality of life. A spokeswoman also declined to reveal full details of the cuts to schools.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/military/story/0,11816,1298020,00.html