Des Browne is spending 10-15 per cent of his average week on matters that bear no relation to defence, according to an assessment of his diary carried out by The Times.

The Opposition has claimed that it is unacceptable for a Cabinet minister with his responsibilities for the welfare of the Armed Forces to have to split his time with Scottish concerns.

After an application under the Freedom of Information Act, and a series of Commons written answers, The Times has gleaned a more detailed picture of the life of the man who is both Defence Secretary and Secretary of State for Scotland. When in London, Mr Browne pops across from the Ministry of Defence to the Scotland Office for meetings on most days and has papers sent to him about Scottish issues.

His ministerial diary for July 10 featured a Cabinet meeting and answering oral questions for the Scotland Office before travelling to Berlin to see the German Defence Minister. The next day he was in London for meetings with officials from both departments.

During the period from November 22 to December 10, Mr Browne’s Scottish engagements included an address to an economic conference in Glasgow; a visit to the Longannet power station; and participation in the Scottish “Interfaith Week Come and Play the Diversity Game” event in Edinburgh. In the same period, Mr Browne met Service families about the inquiry into the crash of the RAF Nimrod in Afghanistan that killed 15 servicemen, attended the homecoming of 12 Brigade from Iraq, and spent three days in Afghanistan.

Mr Browne’s diary reflects his mixture of duties. “It is not possible accurately to determine the proportion of time that the Secretary of State spends on Defence or Scotland Office issues,” the MoD told The Times.

However, an assessment of his diary for a dozen randomly selected weeks last year reveals that he spends 10-15 per cent of his time on Scottish matters.

The MoD said: “Officials liaise closely to manage his diary commitments, and Des Browne often deals with papers from both departments regardless of where he is physically located. His priority remains the safety of Service personnel deployed overseas and the well-being of their families.”

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