A Labour minister refused to say when Labour would hit 2.5% defence spending.

Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson was pressed by the BBC’s Laura Kuenssberg on a timetable for the Government reaching its pledge to spend 2.5% of national income.

The host said: “When you came into Government you had a commitment to spend 2.5% of the national income at some point on defence but for seven long months as the security situation has worsened you haven’t given people an answer. When will you make that commitment?”

Ms Phillipson said: “We will set out th at pathway, I’m afraid I won’t be doing it today on your programme.

“But I should be clear the last time this figure was reached was under a Labour Government.

“So yes it’s been seven months, the Conservatives had 14 years, they hollowed out our defence forces.

“We recognise the need to invest more in defence, it’s why the Chancellor at the Budget invested £3 billion into our defence spending alongside the single biggest pay rise in 20 years for our armed forces.

“So there is an acknowledgement and a recognition both from us and our allies about the need to increase defence spending.

“But the Defence Secretary has also been clear that alongside increased spending there has to be better spending. There is far too much waste, poor procurement and bad decisions that are being made.”

Ms Kuenssberg said: “An acknowledgment and a recognition that there has to be more cash doesn’t do much for people like the boss of NATO, the chief of the defence staff, who sat in that chair not long ago and said we are in a new dangerous moment, there must be more money for defence.

“You’ve had seven months and you still won’t even tell us when you’re going to hit the target you’ve already set.”

Ms Phillipson replied: “There is already more investment going into defence, we recognise absolutely there is more to do.

“But I would just point out, yes absolutely seven months, the last lot had 14 years. And their plan to do this was just a joke.”

Ms Kuenssberg pointed out that the Tories had promised to hit 2.5% by 2030.

The pair then spoke over each other before the host said: “What people want to know is when they will see your credible plan for 2.5% spending on defence which his north of £50 billion.

“Also, other people the boss of Nato, the US President, are saying it needs to be much more than that. Do you acknowledge that actually 2.5% might end up not being enough?”

The Education Secretary replied: “It is an ambitious commitment, a commitment that we made in our manifesto, we are determined to deliver and we will set out that pathway towards it.”