Growing pressure on Browne's dual role

Defence secretary Des Browne is dealing with Scotland Office business on up to three days of the working week, an investigation by this newspaper can reveal.

Browne's dual role in the Ministry of Defence and the Scotland Office last week led to claims he was treating thousands of British troops in Iraq, Afghanistan and elsewhere with contempt. Brown denied the claim, saying he handled Scotland Office business in "what was my private life".

But analysis by Scotland on Sunday of Browne's official engagements between July and October has called that claim into question.

The information, from Parliamentary answers, showed that in some weeks he attended Scotland Office meetings and receptions on two or three days of the week.

Last night, First Minister Alex Salmond said the Scottish Office

itself should be scrapped and the Scottish Parliament should deal directly with the Prime Minister. "Having a part-time Secretary of State combined with a UK department is clearly anomalous, and now is a good time to consider and bring forward improvements," he said.

Browne's troubles were compounded last night by criticisms from two select committee reports.

A decision to allow an RAF base to be used as part of America's Ballistic Missile Defence (BMD) system was sneaked out by the Government and must now be debated by Parliament, according to a report published today by the foreign affairs committee.

Browne revealed he had approved a US request to use the top-secret Menwith Hill facility through a written statement as MPs left Westminster for the summer.

It has also emerged that the defence secretary is engaged in negotiations with the Treasury over who will pay for equipment urgently requested by military commanders on the battlefield.

The Ministry of Defence will have to cover half the cost of "urgent operational requirements" above a fixed figure agreed with the Treasury.

Liam Fox, shadow defence secretary, said: "The fact that he divides his time between fighting the SNP and fighting the Taliban is an insult to all our fighting men and women - and hardly a compliment to the Scottish people.

"We have men and women on the front line that are giving everything to this country but we have a secretary of state who will not give all of his time to them."

Number 10 insisted that its position had not changed since Friday when Brown was forced to break away from a Commonwealth meeting in Uganda to defend himself against accusations that by appointing a "part-time" defence secretary he was treating the armed forces with contempt.

Tory leader David Cameron has written to the Prime Minister backing the five former chiefs of defence staff who want Browne to ditch the role of Scottish secretary.

Alistair Carmichael MP, the Liberal Democrats Scottish spokesman, said: "It definitely damages the position he [Browne] holds as defence secretary for him to have another job as well."