David Cameron has defended the government's decision to end universal child benefit.

The Prime Minister told Today presenter James Naughtie that it was right for "those with the broadest backs to share the burden" of welfare cuts.

Admitting that "I know what we're doing will not make us popular," he added that savings from the move represents "a billion pounds I don't have to take off the education budget".

Earlier, the Children's Minister Tim Loughton indicated that the plans could be revised, after criticism that they favoured double-income families over those where one parent stays at home to look after children.

Mr Cameron added the "greatest support we can give is to remove the cloud hanging over the British economy" but stressed that it was "important to have good universal services, including a strong state pension".

And he warned that big City bonuses are "intolerable" if the banks do not lend more to small businesses.

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