The Prime Minister has defended his commitment to the armed forces after coming under fire in the House of Lords.

Speaking in Uganda where he is attending the Commonwealth summit, Gordon Brown said he would increase defence spending to ensure that the forces were properly equipped.

"I've got nothing but praise for our armed forces. I visited them in Iraq and Afghanistan, and what they're doing is acts of great courage, determination and sacrifice.

"And I want to see the armed forces properly equipped with the resources that they need."

But the former top brass say the Prime Minister is unsympathetic and treats them with contempt.

On Thursday five former Chiefs of the Defence Staff - all now members of the House of Lords - criticised the way the Government is treating the armed forces, and accused Mr Brown of seriously endangering the lives of service personnel because of a lack of money.

Admiral Lord Boyce issued a grim warning of "blood on the floor" of the MoD because of a "desperate funding situation".

He told a Lords defence debate: "The smoke and mirrors work of the Government and, in particular the Treasury, actually means that the core defence programme has had no effective budget rise at all.

"If we were actually to cut to the truth, we would find it was actually negative - especially if one subtracts the £550 million to be spent on the slum accommodation that should have been replaced years ago."

He added: "And this negative budget is why if you go to the Ministry of Defence today you will find blood on the floor as the defence programme is slashed to meet the desperate funding situation."

"We are seriously endangering our people because of the lack of money being given to equip, train and properly support those in the second line preparing to rotate to the frontline."

General Lord Guthrie of Craigiebank launched a direct attack on Mr Brown in his former role as Chancellor.

Lord Guthrie said: "He was the most unsympathetic Chancellor of the Exchequer, as far as defence was concerned, and was the only senior Cabinet Minister who avoided coming to the Ministry of Defence to be briefed by our staff about our problems."

Marshal of the RAF Lord Craig of Radley accused the Government of breaking the military covenant, demanding: "Is it not immoral to commit forces that are underprepared and ill-equipped for their task?"

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