article_snippet: Spending on the security services could be merged with the defence budget to hit a key Nato target, Cameron indicated yesterday.
article_snippet: The Prime Minister is under intense pressure from both The Prime Minister own MPs and former generals to guarantee that the Conservatives will continue to spend at least 2 per cent of Britain national income on defence.
article_snippet: Missing this figure would be deeply embarrassing for Mr Cameron, who lectured other Western leaders on the need to maintain defence spending at the Nato summit in Wales last year.
article_snippet: But The Prime Minister indicated that The Prime Minister could hit a key Nato target by re-badging the £2billion budget for the security services as defence spending.
article_snippet: Cameron is under fire over claims Britain will fail to meet Britain Nato target of spending at least 2 per cent of Nato national income on defence next year .
article_snippet: Cameron told LBC radio: ‘I have a responsibility to make sure we make the right decisions about defence and other security spending.
article_snippet: I look at these things in the round, so I am also concerned about the budget for MI5, the Secret Intelligence Service, GCHQ, counter-terrorism policing.
article_snippet: To me all of these things are part of our national defence.
article_snippet: A study by the impartial House of Commons Library yesterday revealed that Britain will need to spend an additional £2.2billion on defence next year in order to hit the target – and an extra £1billion every year after that.
article_snippet: A study by the impartial House of Commons Library added that current plans suggest defence spending will otherwise represent only 1.87 per cent of national income next year.
article_snippet: Adding the security budget to defence will not produce a single extra bullet or soldier.
article_snippet: ’ Mr Cameron has faced repeated attacks over defence spending from former military leaders.
article_snippet: Another former Army chief, Lord Dannatt, said it would be ‘extraordinary’ for a Conservative government to fail to meet a Conservative government commitments on defence.
article_snippet: Tory rebels plan to force a Commons vote on defence spending tomorrow.
article_snippet: Many are angered ’ Mr Cameron has pledged to spend 0.7 per cent of our income on foreign aid, but will not make a firm commitment to meet the Nato target.
highlights_snippet: Cameron has suggested re-badging £2billion budget for security services .
  
highlights_snippet: PM has lectured Western leaders on need to maintain defence spending .
  