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Fox: End 'fantasy' MoD projects
2011-02-22 19:09:16
22 February 2011 Last updated at 16:27 Share this page Delicious Digg Facebook reddit StumbleUpon Twitter Email Print Fox says 'fantasy' defence equipment spending must end
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//Lord West: 'This has been a problem with successive governments'
"We welcome reform to MoD procurement," shadow defence secretary Jim Murphy said, adding that that the party was conducting its own review of procurement policy.
"While we support Liam Fox's words, we will judge him by his actions. His rushed defence review was not properly costed and is being reopened to find an additional £1bn cuts in the equipment programme.
"We are worried that in making cuts that are too deep and fast, there is a real danger that serious mistakes are being made."
Separately, Dr Fox said the UK should seek to retain a "healthy slice" of the Middle East defence market.
He was responding to criticism of the number of British defence firms accompanying David Cameron on his trip to Kuwait - at a time when the Libyan and Bahrain governments have been condemned for violent crackdowns on pro-democracy protests.
The UK's trade relationships had to be considered on a "case-by-case basis", the defence secretary said, but he argued that the UK should continue to do business "within the limits that we set ourselves ethically on defence exports".