The chancellor's spending review, to be announced next week, differs from past announcements according to the Guardian.

Gordon Brown has less to dispense than in his past two reviews in 2002 and 2000 because of higher than expected borrowing, while extra spending on education and health has already been announced.

Meanwhile, the Treasury and the Ministry of Defence are still locked in dispute over the plans.

One military source said: "We have a prime minister with an adventurous foreign policy, but the Treasury has already briefed the media that the winner in the spending is homeland security. What kind of message does that send to armed forces that have fought four wars in six years?"

Elsewhere in Whitehall, the Times reports that the Department for Trade and Industry could see its budget cut by £300 million as a result of the review.