But rich countries are afraid that would compromise the global drugs industry and thus limit its ability to undertake the expensive business of developing new products.

ECONOMIST: Patently troublesome

Mr Towler also raised concerns about the recent restructuring of local health boards and their ability to undertake the work of safeguarding and co-ordinating services for children.

BBC: Debate on children s commissioner annual review

Some analysts fear that concentrating resources on the high-tech stuff could compromise the heavy armour and jeopardise the army's ability to do the peacekeeping it tends to undertake with other Europeans, and which it is rather good at.

ECONOMIST: Clues to the future of British defence policy