"With one child dying every five seconds from hunger-related causes, the time to act is now, " Brown stressed.

CNN: U.N. expert: Food crisis 'a silent tsunami'

And Mr Brown stressed investment now was crucial to returning the economy to growth and to reducing unemployment, itself vital to paying down debt on schedule.

BBC: I'm honest about spending - Brown

Addressing the Royal Economic Society's conference in Scotland this week, Gordon Brown stressed that spending on debt interest would be lower because of the big receipts from the mobile phone licenses auction.

ECONOMIST: Loosening the belt

Speaking on a visit to a housing estate in Stevenage, Mr Brown stressed that there would be no cuts in the counter-terrorism budget to be spent in Pakistan and it would increase next year.

BBC: Ministers defend counter-terror spending in Pakistan

Recently Mr Brown has stressed his personal commitment to tackling inner-city deprivation.

ECONOMIST: The pre-budget report

However, Brown himself has stressed that he wants to keep politics out of his charitable activties.

BBC: James Brown

Meanwhile, Brown has admitted an interest in Charlton Athletic goalkeeper Darren Randolph but stressed that any signing was not imminent.

BBC: Craig Brown touts Mark Reynolds for Nottingham Forest