CATHERINE MACLEOD and ROBBIE DINWOODIE

Gordon Brown flatly denied the charge that he was not totally committed to supporting the UK's Armed Forces yesterday as the Conservatives mounted an assault on the government's record on defence.

The Prime Minister, speaking on the fringes of the Commonwealth conference in Uganda, fought back after coming under attack from a coalition of former Army chiefs, David Cameron and front-bench Tories, who accused him of shortchanging the military.

Mr Brown said: "I have got nothing but praise for our Armed Forces. I have visited them in Iraq and Afghanistan and what they are doing are acts of great courage. I want to see the Armed Forces properly equipped. Every year of this government we have increased expenditure on defence.

"I want to match the professionalism of our Armed Forces - the determination they show - with the resources they need. I have got enormous respect for our Armed Forces," he added.

Less than 24 hours after five former Chiefs of Defence Staff now sitting in the House of Lords condemned Mr Brown's decision to make Des Browne both Defence Secretary and Scottish Secretary, Mr Cameron, the Tory leader, called for Mr Browne to be relieved of his duties in the Scotland Office.

In a letter to the Prime Minister, he said: "At a time when our forces are engaged in two highly dangerous missions in Iraq and Afghanistan, the need for the Defence Secretary to be able to concentrate full-time on his role is surely a matter of plain common sense. People do not understand why you have chosen to combine the job of Defence Secretary with Scottish Secretary at such a crucial time."

Earlier, Mr Browne said that only the US committed a higher share of it national income to defence and denied that his joint appointment was "an insult" to the Armed Forces.

"The amount of time that (the job of Scottish Secretary) takes comes out of what was my private life, my family's life and my constituents' time," he said.

Mr Browne made a round of the radio and television studios after a renewed attack from Admiral Lord Boyce on the BBC.

He said the Prime Minister had "let the Armed Forces down by not appointing a Secretary of State who is full-time. When you have got people who have been killed and maimed in the service of their government, and you put at the head of the shop someone who is part-time, that sends a very bad message.

"And that is the message I get back from our soldiers, our sailors and our airmen. They feel insulted, they feel that he is treating them with contempt," he said.

It was confirmed yesterday that military veterans in Scotland are to be given NHS priority for treatment arising from their time in service.

Health Secretary Nicola Sturgeon announced the move to address concerns about their treatment in tandem with an announcement at UK level.

Priority treatment had been afforded only to veterans who received a war pension.