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| David Cameron 'to keep defence equipment spending pledge' | |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| David Cameron will keep a pledge to increase defence equipment spending in real terms after 2015, ministers say. | |
| The prime minister made the pledge in 2010, at a time when the coalition thought the structural deficit would be cut in this Parliament. | The prime minister made the pledge in 2010, at a time when the coalition thought the structural deficit would be cut in this Parliament. |
| Government sources said he would not drop the pledge - despite plans for further spending cuts beyond 2015. | Government sources said he would not drop the pledge - despite plans for further spending cuts beyond 2015. |
| Defence Secretary Philip Hammond said that he believed the commitment applied to spending on defence "equipment". | Defence Secretary Philip Hammond said that he believed the commitment applied to spending on defence "equipment". |
| Mr Hammond indicated that the rest of the budget - about half - would be up for discussion in the forthcoming government spending review, in which many departments will be facing further cuts. | |
| During the current parliament, health and international development were the only two departments to be promised above-inflation funding increases. | |
| Last week, Chancellor George Osborne said government spending cuts must continue until 2017 - the latest GDP figures showed the UK economy shrank by 0.3% in the last three months of 2012, fuelling fears the economy could re-enter recession. | Last week, Chancellor George Osborne said government spending cuts must continue until 2017 - the latest GDP figures showed the UK economy shrank by 0.3% in the last three months of 2012, fuelling fears the economy could re-enter recession. |
| Many Conservative backbenchers have been pushing for the MoD to be exempt from the next round of reductions - and Mr Hammond himself is said to be resisting any further cuts - especially after the recent hostage crisis in Algeria and the Western intervention in Mali. | Many Conservative backbenchers have been pushing for the MoD to be exempt from the next round of reductions - and Mr Hammond himself is said to be resisting any further cuts - especially after the recent hostage crisis in Algeria and the Western intervention in Mali. |
| BBC political correspondent Iain Watson said: "There are particular tensions over departmental budgets for the financial year 2015/16 which haven't yet been finalised, but which will come into effect just before the next general election." | BBC political correspondent Iain Watson said: "There are particular tensions over departmental budgets for the financial year 2015/16 which haven't yet been finalised, but which will come into effect just before the next general election." |
| He said other government departments were now likely to be concerned that the "spending axe" will cut more deeply into their budgets. | He said other government departments were now likely to be concerned that the "spending axe" will cut more deeply into their budgets. |
| But, Iain Watson added: "Defence spending will still be 8% lower by 2015 than it was when the government came to power." | |
| Security partnership | Security partnership |
| Although the UK is scaling back its military presence in Afghanistan, there have been new demands in places such as Libya last year, and relating to Mali at the moment. | |
| Speaking in Algeria during his current visit to Africa, David Cameron said that the international community should use "everything at its disposal" to fight terrorism. | |
| He also announced that the two countries had agreed a security partnership, including co-operation on border and aviation security, as well as joint action on trade, investment and education. | He also announced that the two countries had agreed a security partnership, including co-operation on border and aviation security, as well as joint action on trade, investment and education. |
| The UK has also invited Algeria to participate in a joint contingency planning exercise to share experience in responding to crisis situations, in the wake of the gas plant hostage crisis in which up to six Britons died. | The UK has also invited Algeria to participate in a joint contingency planning exercise to share experience in responding to crisis situations, in the wake of the gas plant hostage crisis in which up to six Britons died. |
| The UK announced on Tuesday it was to send 330 military personnel to Algeria's neighbour Mali and west Africa to support French forces battling Islamist militants. | |
| The deployment will include as many as 40 military advisers in Mali and 200 British soldiers in neighbouring African countries, to help train the Malian army. | The deployment will include as many as 40 military advisers in Mali and 200 British soldiers in neighbouring African countries, to help train the Malian army. |
| Mr Hammond told the BBC that he could not "put a definite timetable on it but certainly the training mission we are undertaking I would expect to last a matter of months". | |
| The restatement of the PM's commitment to future rises in defence spending above the rate of inflation, came as Mr Hammond prepared to publicise the Ministry of Defence's £160bn equipment plan for the next 10 years. | |
| The list includes nearly £36bn for a new generation of nuclear-powered submarines, almost £19bn for combat aircraft, and around £17bn for Royal Navy warships. | |
| Mr Hammond says he has finally eliminated a "black hole" in the defence budget that the coalition government says it inherited from the former Labour government. |