Following the proposals set out in the Queen's Speech, three of Britain's largest denominations are urging the UK's politicians to “focus their concern on those who made little out of the good economic years".

The Pentagon has announced that the US military will continue to use and export even the most unreliable cluster bombs over the next decade. The policy decision comes shortly after 111 countries agreed to a global treaty banning cluster bombs.

More than half the world’s governments have agreed to ban the production, use, stockpiling and export of all existing cluster munitions. Meeting in Dublin, Ireland, representatives of 110 nations completed negotiations yesterday.

The Baptist Union of Great Britain, the Methodist Church and the United Reformed Church have welcomed the commitment by the UK Government to withdraw the remaining two cluster munitions from its arsenal.