Armed services could merge

The Chief of Defence Staff has said two armed services could merge within the next ten years.

Sir Jock Stirrup, the head of the Armed Forces, said one of the services may disappear to save money. This came as the government revealed plans for military spending. It paves the way for a full defence review after the election - the first for more than a decade.

Defence Secretary Bob Ainsworth said he does not think any of the military services will merge but he's "happy for people to discuss it".

The report does not refer to specific programmes but Mr Ainsworth confirmed the Royal Navy will still two new aircraft carriers.

Gordon Brown defended the amount of money spent on troops in Afghanistan at Prime Minister's questions this afternoon. Funding for Afghanistan will next year increase from £3.5 billion this year to £5 billion next year.

Yesterday, he told MPs the requirements in Afghanistan would continue to be met. He said money for Afghanistan would be "ring-fenced".

The government deficit has reached £178 billion this year. The Ministry of Defence faces budget cuts of between 10 and 15 per cent over the next six years, whichever party wins the election.