New U.K. Coalition Cabinet Meets For First Time

New Prime Minister David Cameron (left) and new Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg, wave as they pose for pictures outside 10 Downing Street in London on May 12.

New British Prime Minister David Cameron has chaired the first meeting of his coalition cabinet.

Conservative Party leader Cameron and Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg, who holds the deputy prime minister position, have said their parties consider Britain's record deficit, which is currently more than 11 percent of gross domestic product, to be the government's "most urgent issue."

There are 18 Conservative ministers and five Liberal Democrats in the new cabinet.

The two parties forged a coalition government -- Britain's first since World War II -- after last week's national elections produced a hung Parliament, in which no party has an overall majority.

compiled from agency reports