New British ministers’ pay cut 5 percent

LONDON - The new British cabinet agreed Thursday on a five-percent pay cut for ministers at its first session since the formation of the Con-Lib coalition.

It was also agreed that the ministerial pay cut would be followed by a freeze of the pay of parliamentarians.

The decision means that Conservative Prime Minister David Cameron will earn an annual salary of 142,000 pounds ($209,000) - 7,500 pounds less than his predecessor Gordon Brown.

Downing Street said the urgent problems of a reduction in the massive state deficit and the situation in Afghanistan had topped the agenda of the cabinet meeting.