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The Medical Research Council is to lose its second most senior post as a result of senior management reviews conducted by the Treasury. This, combined with the loss of two more of its senior staff out of a pool of seven, makes the MRC the research council hit hardest.

The MRC will lose David Evered, second secretary and the only member of staff among senior management who is a medical doctor. His job includes developing strategies to strengthen the research base and training in clinical and health services research. He also managed the interface with the health departments and the NHS during the NHS reforms.

George Radda, who will become chief executive of the MRC later this year, said: "Clinical research and the interface with the NHS is of fundamental importance to the MRC. Given the loss of Dr Evered's experience, I am engaged in discussions to meet the challenge of ensuring that I, as chief executive, will have access to the best possible sources of advice on clinical research issues and that I will be in a position to determine how best to take forward initiatives and plans when these require a special clinical background."

The Economic and Social Research Council must lose one of its two senior management staff. The Natural Environment Research Council has been told to shed one of its eight senior management posts, having already shed five over the past two years.

The Particle Physics and Astro-nomy Research Council escaped cuts because it had already made some. The Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council and the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council lost no top managers.