The Ministry of Defence has admitted that it failed to provide enough desert combat clothes and boots for the 45,000 service personnel involved in the war with Iraq.

In a new policy to be outlined in an MoD report today, the government will declare that while the military campaign was a success, there are a number of areas that require improvements or change.

These include the logistical problems of getting all the kit to the war theatre in time and continuing difficulties with old communications technology.