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Darren Jones
LAB✓ Current MP
🏛️ Bristol North West
📅 2017–2026
913 speeches on Hansard record
✅ Votes attended: 80.56% (#379 of 650 MPs)
🟢 Rebelled against party: 0.27%
📝 Topics: Pupils: Personal Records, Coronavirus: Vaccination, Internet: Safety
Written Answers
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Treasury
At the Spending Review, we committed to announcing further details on our plans for Social Impact Investing over the summer. This announcement – alongside the announcements to support low-income families made at SR25 – are a downpayment ahead of the Child Poverty Strategy being…
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The Apprenticeship Levy was introduced in 2017, and is paid by large employers with a total annual pay bill of over £3 million. Their contribution is 0.5% of their total annual pay bill. HMT sets the Department for Education’s budget at each Spending Review. The apprenticeship budget…
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The Government is committed to ensure a strong defence sector and resilient supply chains across the whole of the UK, including for defence infrastructure. The forthcoming Defence Industrial Strategy, due for publication in Autumn, will set out how we will establish long-term partnerships between…
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At the International Investment Summit in 2024, the Government created the National Wealth Fund, to address the barriers to investment identified by the National Wealth Fund Taskforce. For more details on the Taskforce’s recommendations and the Government’s actions to implement them,…
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The government has committed to invest in upgrading essential digital infrastructure, modernise public services and drive a major overhaul in government productivity and efficiency by harnessing the power of Artificial Intelligence (AI). The Spending Review 2025 sets out plans for a step change in…
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The Chancellor regularly discusses a wide range of policy issues with the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care.For medicines to be provided by the NHS they must meet strict cost-effectiveness thresholds set by NICE. For tirzepatide, a weightloss jab, evidence submitted by NHS England to…
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The Government has committed to spending 2.6% GDP on NATO qualifying defence spending by 2027. By 2027, the full Single Intelligence Account (SIA) budget will count towards NATO qualifying defence spending. Details of the SIA budget from 2026 to 2030 can be found in the Spending Review 2025…
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I direct the Hon. Member to my answer to question 66218, which sets out that the Single Intelligence Account budget is not being added to the defence budget.However in 2027/28, the Single Intelligence Account budget will counted as NATO qualifying defence spending.
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This government is committed to implementing the 10 Year Infrastructure Strategy published in June. By the end of 2026, we will have delivered several of its key reforms, moving to improve project delivery, and provide industry stakeholders with increased confidence to invest in UK infrastructure…
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The Office for Value for Money (OVfM) is a time limited unit in HM Treasury that was set two roles at Autumn Budget 2024: making targeted interventions at Spending Review 2025 and developing recommendations for reforming the spending framework. The OVfM has not made an assessment of the potential…
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The Block Grant Transparency publication breaks down all changes in the devolved governments’ block grant funding from the 2015 Spending Review to Main Estimates 2023-24. The most recent report was published in July 2023. The next publication will include a breakdown of devolved…
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My department regularly discusses Strategic Priorities Grant funding and its fiscal implications with the Department for Education. As a result of the challenging fiscal context that we inherited, we are prioritising support for high-cost subjects that are essential to delivery of our industrial…
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The Government recognises the vital role hospices play in supporting people at the end of life alongside their families. We are determined to shift more healthcare out of hospitals and into the community, and hospices will have a big role to play in that shift. We are investing £100 million to…
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As set out in the Spending Review (SR) 2025 document, published 11 June 2025, the Phase 2 settlement provides an average 1.7% real terms increase per year in police spending power. Over the SR period, police spending power is projected to increase by an average 2.3% per year in real terms.Police…
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As the Prime Minister announced in February, we are fully funding the path to 2.5% by reducing ODA spending. That is why we can announce a £10.9bn real-terms increase to the MOD budget over the Spending Review period. On top of this, we are recognising the contribution provided by our…
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As equipment costs to enable working from home were processed as expenses, and are approved on an individual basis, the information is not readily available and providing it would incur a disproportionate cost to the organization.
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HM Treasury has a comprehensive framework for assessing and managing potential risks to the economic outlook, including those posed by national power outages. This framework involves systematic monitoring through internal risk monitors, risk governance forums, and collaboration with other…
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As Chief Secretary to the Treasury, I am in regular contact with the Northern Ireland Minister of Finance on matters relating to Northern Ireland Executive funding, including the request for enhanced borrowing powers for the Northern Ireland Housing Executive. This issue was most recently discussed…
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The UK’s financial obligations under the UK-Mauritius Treaty can be found in the document ‘UK/Mauritius: Agreement concerning the Chagos Archipelago including Diego Garcia’, which is available on Gov.uk. Payments will be managed responsibly within the government’s fiscal…
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Historic NATO qualifying defence spend as a percentage of GDP is published on the NATO website: 240617-def-exp-2024-en.pdf
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The Intelligence and Security Services are funded through the Single Intelligence Account (SIA), which is separate from the Ministry of Defence's budget.The budget for the SIA from 2027 onwards is set out in the Spending Review 2025 document - GOV.UK.
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NATO qualifying defence expenditure is calculated using standardised NATO definitions of defence spending, as agreed by NATO allies. Annual defence expenditure per country is reported to NATO on a regular basis and is published on their website.
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In her recent Spending Review speech, the Chancellor announced that the Government would be establishing a Growth Mission Fund to expedite local projects that are important for growth. Whilst we cannot confirm funding allocations yet, our £240 million Growth Mission Fund should support…
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Decisions on eligibility for Covid-19 financial support were taken by the previous government.The previous Government provided support through the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme (SEISS) and Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS). The support was based on two principles: a) targeting support…
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The Single Intelligence Account is not included in the Ministry of Defence’s budget.Historically, the SIA’s budget has included elements of NATO-qualifying defence expenditure. In order to recognise the important contribution the intelligence agencies play in national defence, by 2027,…
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The Chancellor’s Spring Statement 2025, table 2.1, outlines the changes to defence and Official Development Assistance (ODA) spending that will see NATO qualifying core defence spending increase to 2.5% GDP by 2027. CP1298 – Spring Statement 2025 The Single Intelligence Account (SIA)…
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The 2025 Spending Review set the Department for Transport’s budget for 2026-27 to 2028-29. In line with the Statement of Funding Policy, the Barnett formula is applied to changes in overall department settlements, not to individual programmes. As a result, it is not possible to identify…
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The information requested is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.
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As set out in the Spending Review 2025 document, published 11 June 2025, the Phase 2 settlement provides an average 1.7% real terms increase per year in police spending power. Over the SR period, police spending power is projected to increase by an average 2.3% per year in real terms. Police core…
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We know increased costs in essential areas are worrying and cause hardship for many families with children. That is why the Government is taking a comprehensive approach—supporting those in immediate need while addressing the structural changes necessary to fix the country's foundations. Food,…
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NATO has a common definition of defence expenditure that is agreed by all NATO allies.The definition of NATO defence expenditure, and the recently announced defence and security related spending, can be found on the NATO website.NATO - Topic: Defence expenditures and NATO’s 5% commitment
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The Single Intelligence Account plays a vital role in our national defence, hence it has received an increase of funding in the Spending Review, and it will make a greater contribution to the UK’s total NATO qualifying defence spending from 2027.This does not mean that the intelligence and…
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Any financial obligations arising from the UK-Mauritius agreement on the Chagos Archipelago, including departmental budgetary responsibilities, will be managed responsibly within the government’s fiscal framework and reported in annual accounts in the usual way. Obligations within MOD and…
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The Government shares the IFS’s assessment that Sure Start made a positive impact on children’s outcomes. To this end, the government recently announced over £500 million investment by the end of 2028 to roll out Family Hubs to every local authority in England over the Spending…
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HM Treasury has not undertaken an assessment of the impact of local government reorganisation on local authority borrowing nor the impact on public sector net borrowing. The OBR will continue to update its forecast for overall local government borrowing at each fiscal event, in line with standard…
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The Chancellor and I have regular discussions with the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on a range of matters. Defra’s settlement will invest more than £2.7 billion a year in sustainable farming and nature recovery from 2026-27 until 2028-29. This will protect…
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The payments to Mauritius will be split between the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office and Ministry of Defence. They will be published in the normal manner alongside other departmental spend in the annual accounts.
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Since 4th July 2024, two Permanent Secretary roles have been approved to exceed the Permanent Secretary pay band.
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The higher rental income received from public authorities in Northern Ireland in 2020, compared to the years listed in the response to Question 62537, was due to a one-off backdated rent payment. Specifically, in 2020, a backdated rent invoice was issued covering the period from 1 January 2000 to 5…
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The government oversees some of the UK’s largest and most complex infrastructure projects. We are committed to enhancing the oversight and assurance of these projects through a series of reforms, including streamlining approvals and strengthening assurance. It will be better integrated and…
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We know increased costs in essential areas worrying and cause hardship and hardship for many families with children. The Government is taking a comprehensive approach—providing support while addressing the structural changes necessary to fix the country's foundations. We are supporting families…
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The workplace nursery scheme exemption allows employers to offer childcare support to employees without incurring income tax or National Insurance (NI) charges, provided certain conditions are met. HMRC publishes online guidance on the use of workplace nursery schemes which is reviewed frequently…
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The Government is reforming the Apprenticeship Levy into a Growth and Skills Levy. Alongside existing high-quality apprenticeship routes, this will enable employers in England to invest in a broader range of high-quality training, including foundation apprenticeships and short courses in priority…
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The government is determined to tackle child poverty and will publish an ambitious strategy this autumn that will address its structural and root causes. As a downpayment on that strategy, we are expanding Free School Meals in England to all children with a parent receiving Universal Credit (UC),…
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As set out in the Spending Review 2025 document, published 11 June 2025, the Phase 2 settlement provides an average 1.7% real terms increase per year in police spending power. Over the SR period, police spending power is projected to increase by an average 2.3% per year in real terms. Police core…
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Following the Green Book Review 2025, the government has committed to introducing place-based business cases. These will help to identify the right combination of long-term interventions needed to unlock growth in a particular area. The government will set out further details on place-based…
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The National Security Strategy 2025 was published on 24 June 2025. It confirms that by combining an increase in funding with recognition of the vital contribution the Single Intelligence Account plays to our national defence, the UK will spend 2.6% on NATO qualifying defence spending from 2027.…
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This government is confident that it will spend at least 4.1% GDP on NATO qualifying defence and security related spend in 2027. This will comprise 2.6% core defence spend which we have already announced, and at least 1.5% on defence and security related spending.
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The Chancellor regularly meets with the Welsh First Minister. During their last engagement, the issue of universal basic income was not discussed.
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NATO provides reporting guidelines for the 1.5% defence and security related spending. It will include investments that raise the overall resilience of our societies, such as energy security, telecommunications, and infrastructure, as well as the execution of defence plans, expanding industrial…
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The National Security Strategy 2025 was published on 24 June 2025. It confirms that by combining an increase in funding with recognition of the vital contribution the Single Intelligence Account plays to our national defence, the UK will spend 2.6% on NATO qualifying defence spending from 2027.…
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The National Security Strategy 2025 was published on 24 June 2025. It confirms that by combining an increase in funding with recognition of the vital contribution the Single Intelligence Account plays to our national defence, the UK will spend 2.6% on NATO qualifying defence spending from 2027. The…
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NATO has a common definition of defence expenditure which is agreed by all NATO Allies. A full definition can be found here: https://www.nato.int/cps/en/natohq/topics_49198.htm
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NATO provides reporting guidelines for the 1.5% defence and security related spending. It will include investments that raise the overall resilience of our societies, such as energy security, telecommunications, and infrastructure, as well as the execution of defence plans, expanding industrial…
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HM Treasury has established processes to assess the climate and environmental impacts of major spending bids These impacts informed, alongside other policy considerations, decisions made at Spending Review 2025. In total, the Government committed £63bn in capital funding at Spending Review…
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HM Treasury concluded a review of the Green Book in June 2025. It marks a new approach to appraisal in the public sector, one which will enable the more effective assessment of place-based interventions in every area of the country. That includes North West Leicestershire. Following the review, HM…
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The figure of £45 billion in annual savings and productivity gains, published in ‘A blueprint for modern digital government’, represents a long-term estimate of the potential benefits for the digital transformation of the public sector. Spending Review 2025 sets out plans for a…
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This Government has ensured the Spending Review delivers for Scotland. The Scottish Government is receiving an average of £50.9 billion per each year between 2026-27 and 2028-29, the largest real terms funding settlement since devolution. It also delivers on the Government’s Plan for…
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We have looked at the compliance data we hold regarding parliamentary organisations (from 2020/21 onwards) and there are no compliance items listing HM Treasury as a named organisation. The PHSO hasn’t Upheld or Partly Upheld an investigation into HM Treasury in the last 10 years.
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Spending Review 2025 set transport budgets for day‑to‑day spending until 2028‑29, and until 2029‑30 for capital investment.This included funding for our city regions receiving the final year of City Region Sustainable Transport Settlements (CRSTS 2026-27) as well as…
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The table shows Crown Estate rent income received from public authorities in Northern Ireland. This uses a broad definition of public authority which captures any organisations considered by The Crown Estate to be responsible for public…
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NATO provides reporting guidelines for the 1.5% defence and security related spending. It includes investments that raise the overall resilience of our societies, such as energy security, telecommunications, and infrastructure, as well as the execution of defence plans, expanding industrial…
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As confirmed in the Spending Review 2025, this government has a fully funded path to reaching 2.6% NATO qualifying defence spending by 2027, with an ambition to reach 3% by the end of the next parliament, when fiscal and economic conditions allow. We will set budgets for the next Spending Review…
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NATO provides reporting guidelines for the 1.5% defence and security related spending. It will include investments that raise the overall resilience of our societies, such as energy security, telecommunications, and infrastructure, as well as the execution of defence plans, expanding industrial…
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NATO provides reporting guidelines for the 1.5% defence and security related spending. It includes investments that raise the overall resilience of our societies, such as energy security, telecommunications, and infrastructure, as well as the execution of defence plans, expanding industrial…
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In line with practice among our allies, and recognising the increased contribution provided by our security and intelligence agencies on defence, we are including greater elements of the Single Intelligence Account spend in our NATO defence reporting. This will bring total NATO qualifying spending…
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Details of the calculations have been agreed by the Government Actuary’s Department and are in the Explanatory Memorandum laid alongside the Treaty. However, it is not normal practice for government departments to release details of corresponding financial analysis. Any financial obligations,…
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The Barnett formula is applied when departmental budgets change – not when departments announce how they are spending their budgets. When changes to UK Government departments’ budgets were confirmed at Spending Review 2025 on 11 June, the Barnett formula was applied in the usual way,…
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The Growth Mission Fund will invest £240 million of capital from 2026/27 to 2029/30 in projects that enable local job creation and the economic regeneration of local communities. Further detail on this fund and the criteria that will be applied for project selection will be set out in due…
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The National Wealth Fund does not provide grant funding, it invests in capital intensive projects and companies by offering financing in the form of debt, equity and guarantees. The Statement of Strategic Priorities to the National Wealth Fund, issued by the Chancellor on 19 March 2025, sets out…
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The government believes in empowering local decision-makers, including by ensuring they have the flexibility to generate their own income through council tax, while protecting residents from excessive increases. Police precept levels for 2026/27 onwards remains subject to final decisions on precept…
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The government increased the aggregate limit for Public Works Loan Board (PWLB) lending to £135 billion in November 2024. The increase in the limit has ensured that local authorities (LA) can continue to access loans to support their investment strategies in line with the PWLB lending guidance…
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To enable the government to invest more on security and defence, while remaining committed to our fiscal rules, the Prime Minister has taken the difficult decision to reduce Official Development Assistance (ODA) to the equivalent of 0.3% of GNI by 2027. The Spending Review (SR) 2025 ODA…
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Both the MOD and FCDO have recently had future budgets confirmed through Spending Review 25, where Government priorities are considered in the round. Whilst the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) has seen ODA reductions, they have been funded to pursue a variety of programming…
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The National Cyber Security Centre is part of GCHQ, and works closely with the rest of Government to improve the cyber security of critical infrastructure and systems.It is HMG policy not to comment on the details of the Single Intelligence Account, including contract costs and conversations with…
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The Government confirmed on 14 November 2024 that New Fair Deal was extended to further education bodies that operate in the statutory sector. The change applies from the date of the announcement and applies to tendering and outsourcing exercises that were in progress on that date, where the…
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The Prime Minister announced in February 2025 that NATO-qualifying defence spending will increase to 2.6% in 2027 through a reduction in ODA funding, and, in line with practice among our allies, recognising the contribution of our intelligence and security services to the defence of our nation. The…
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The Prime Minister announced in February 2025 that NATO-qualifying defence spending will increase to 2.6% in 2027. This will be achieved through an increase in funding from a reduction in the Official Development Assistance (ODA) budget from 0.5% to 0.3% Gross National Income, and, in line with…
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The government recently created the National Infrastructure and Service Transformation Authority (NISTA) which will have an impactful role in supporting and monitoring major projects on the GMPP. NISTA conducts regular deliverability assessments of major projects in the Government Major Project…
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NATO has a common definition of defence expenditure which is agreed by all NATO Allies. A full definition can be found here: https://www.nato.int/cps/en/natohq/topics_49198.htm
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The UK Government is responsible for heavy rail infrastructure across England and Wales so spends money on this in Wales rather than funding the Welsh Government to do so. There is therefore no direct link between HS2 and the Welsh Government’s capital budgets. Conversely, heavy rail…
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Departments will be responsible for implementing the Strategy, with NISTA overseeing the implementation, and leading on subsequent refreshes of the Strategy every two years and the monitoring of progress against commitments. The Strategy is just the starting point, and government will continue to…
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The government is setting out a more targeted, long-term local growth funding model across the UK, completing the transition from the UK Shared Prosperity Fund. This is only one part of our wider regional growth strategy, including our support for devolution, local government funding reform, and…
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The UK Government has provided £50m of Capital Financial Transactions funding to redevelop Casement Park. The UK Government will continue to work with the Northern Ireland Executive, however it is up to the Executive to design and implement the Financial Transaction. The Financial Transaction…
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On 19 June, the government published UK Infrastructure: A 10 Year Strategy. This sets out a long-term vision to deliver the infrastructure needed to drive the government’s missions, backed by at least £725 billion in infrastructure investment over the next decade. Social, economic and…
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This week, the government published its 10-year infrastructure strategy. The strategy brings together a long-term plan for the social, economic and housing infrastructure across the UK. Alongside considering the UK’s economic and social infrastructure needs, the strategy sets out how we are…
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The Growth Mission Fund will invest £240 million of capital from 2026/27 to 2029/30 in projects that enable local job creation and the economic regeneration of local communities. Further detail on this fund and the criteria that will be applied for project selection will be set out in due…
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The UK and Welsh Governments have regular discussions on the delivery funding arrangements, including the Fiscal Framework.We remain committed to working in partnership with the Welsh Government to ensure the Fiscal Framework continues to deliver value for money while upholding our shared…
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To enable the government to invest more in security and defence, while remaining committed to our fiscal rules, the Prime Minister has taken the difficult decision to reduce Official Development Assistance (ODA) to the equivalent of 0.3% of GNI by 2027. The Spending Review (SR) 2025 ODA…
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Tax-Free Childcare (TFC) has been designed with the specific policy aim of supporting parents to return to paid work or work more. For every £8 parents pay into their childcare account, the Government adds £2 up to a maximum of £2,000 in top up per year for each child up to age 11…
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The government will provide £410 million per year by 2028-29 to expand Free School Meals eligibility from September 2026 to all pupils in England with a parent receiving Universal Credit. The Barnett formula will apply in the normal way; education is a devolved matter and so the Welsh…
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On 9 June the Government announced that, from this winter 2025-26, Winter Fuel Payment eligibility will be expanded in England and Wales. Pensioners with incomes below or equal to £35,000 will benefit from a Winter Fuel Payment. This will mean that the vast majority of pensioners - over three…
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Police core spending power refers to the projected total police settlement funding for Counter Terrorism Police and Territorial Police. The Phase 2 settlement provides an average 1.7% real terms increase per year in police spending power. Over the SR period, police spending power is projected to…
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Table 5.17 of the Spending Review 2025 document refers to an estimated average annual real-terms growth rate for Local Authority (LA) Core Spending Power of 3.1% per year from 2023-24 to 2028-29. The approach to council tax within these estimates is in line with standard practice for LA Core…
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This government inherited an unaffordable and unsustainable asylum pressure, which is why this government has taken action to reduce asylum costs. The Home Secretary’s robust reforms, including investment in the new Border Security Command, are aimed at reducing small boat arrivals, reducing…
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The Phase 2 settlement provides an average 1.7% real terms increase per year in police spending power. Over the SR period, police spending power is projected to increase by an average 2.3% per year in real terms. This reflects estimated funding through a mix of central government funding and…
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The Prime Minister announced in February that total NATO qualifying defence spending will rise to 2.6% GDP by 2027. The NATO definitions pertain to defence spending; there is no definition of security spending.
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Every department has undertaken a line-by-line review of its spending, committing to deliver at least 5% efficiencies and savings by the end of this Spending Review period. These efficiencies and savings are integral to department’s settlements. As part of the Spending Review, the OVFM have…
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The PM announced in February that an increase in NATO qualifying defence spending to 2.5% would be fully funded by a reduction to the ODA budget. In line with practice among our allies, and recognising the increased contribution provided by our security and intelligence agencies on defence, we are…
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Elements of FCDO’s programming budget will be evaluated for NATO eligibility in line with the NATO qualifying criteria.
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Independent bodies are public bodies set up by, and reporting directly to, Parliament. As independent bodies are funded within Departmental Expenditure Limits, HM Treasury requests a forecast of expenditure to inform the aggregate published in Table 5.29 of the Spending Review. These forecasts are…
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The PM announced in February that an increase in NATO qualifying defence spending to 2.5% would be fully funded by a reduction to the ODA budget. In line with practice among our allies, and recognising the increased contribution provided by our security and intelligence agencies on defence, we are…
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All departments have committed to delivering at least 5% efficiencies and savings as part of Spending Review 2025. In the usual way, final department settlements take account of the efficiencies and savings departments have agreed. Average annual real growth rates are based on these settlements; no…
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The PM announced in February that an increase in NATO qualifying defence spending to 2.5% would be fully funded by a reduction to the ODA budget. In line with practice among our allies, and recognising the increased contribution provided by our security and intelligence agencies on defence, we are…
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The savings and efficiencies announced in July 2024 helped to address spending pressures identified through the public spending audit. These included a 2% savings against government administration budgets.In the Spring Statement, the Chancellor announced that all departments would be expected to…
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Tax-Free Childcare (TFC) provides parents with financial support with the aim of allowing parents to work and earn more. It enables parents access funding of up to £2,000 per child for children up to 11 years-old (16 and up to £4,000 if the child is disabled). In addition to this, TFC…
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The Government recognises the important role that independent advice services play in supporting individuals.For example, DWP provide grant funding to Citizens Advice, who deliver Help to Claim support for customers to apply for Universal Credit. Help to Claim reduces the number of Universal Credit…
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Detail on arrangements for Parliamentary accountability and governance of government companies and public corporations are set out in Annex 7.3 of Managing Public Money. The precise arrangements will vary from body to body, but will be set out in each body’s framework document, or equivalent,…
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Any changes to local government spending as a result of local government reorganisation will be reflected in the OBR forecast via estimates of local authority self-financed expenditure, with associated impacts on overall fiscal metrics, including public sector net borrowing (PSNB). Any central…
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The Barnett formula is applied when departmental budgets change – not when departments announce how they are spending their budgets.When changes to the Department for Education’s budget were confirmed at Spending Review 2025 on 11 June, the Barnett formula was applied in the usual way. …
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Spending Review 2025 (SR25) delivers for businesses UK-wide, including across Wales. Public finance institutions will work in collaboration with the devolved governments and local stakeholders to invest in businesses and technologies, and drive growth across all the nations of the UK. The British…
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The UK Government is responsible for heavy rail infrastructure across England and Wales so spends money on this in Wales rather than funding the Welsh Government to do so through the Barnett formula. This approach applies to investment in heavy rail by the Department for Transport, including HS2…
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The Strategic Defence Review (SDR) was published on 2 June 2025, and the recommendations within it have been accepted by the government. Full details of the departmental budgets for the spending review period will be published on 11 June 2025.
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The Strategic Defence Review was published on 2 June 2025. It is not government policy to comment on the market impacts of policy announcements.
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Pay for most public sector workforces is set based upon recommendations produced by respective independent Pay Review Bodies (PRBs). The PRBs consider a range of evidence when forming their recommendations, including the need to recruit, retain and motivate suitably able and qualified people; the…
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In February this year, the Prime Minister announced that NATO qualifying defence spending will increase to 2.5% GDP by 2027-28. It will be fully funded by reducing Official Development Assistance (ODA) from 0.5% to 0.3% GNI by the same year. Further details of cash terms savings from reducing ODA…
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Decisions on eligibility for Covid-19 financial support were taken by the previous Government. The previous Government decided to provide support through the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme (SEISS) based on two principles: a) targeting support at those who needed it most; and b) guarding…
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In February this year, the Prime Minister announced that NATO qualifying defence spending will increase to 2.5% GDP by 2027-28. It will be fully funded by reducing Official Development Assistance (ODA) from 0.5% to 0.3% GNI by the same year. Further details of cash terms savings from reducing ODA…
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The Barnett formula is applied when departmental budgets change – not when departments announce how they are spending their budgets. When changes to the Department for Transport’s budget are confirmed at Spending Review 2025 on 11 June, the Barnett formula will be applied in the usual…
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Although schemes to redress the treatment of people affected by maladministration (for instance: Windrush, Post Office, Infected Blood) have department leads, the government's response is always made through a process of collective agreement, via write-round processes inviting views across…
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The Civil Service Pension Scheme in Great Britain is an unfunded defined benefit pension scheme. The Public Service Pensions Act 2013 (the Act) provided for the introduction of new pension schemes for staff in public services, including the civil service. New schemes were introduced in 2014-15,…
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The public cost of gifts made by His Majesty The King and other members of the Royal Family in their official roles is covered by the Sovereign Grant, with the cost of any gifts made in relation to official international engagements recharged to the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, and…
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The Government has applied the Office for Budget Responsibility’s (OBR) most recent long-term forecast of economic determinants, in accordance with Green Book guidance on economic appraisal. For years 14 to 99 of the agreement, the GDP deflator has been estimated at 2.30%.
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To enable the government to invest more in security and defence, while remaining committed to our fiscal rules, the Prime Minister has taken the difficult decision to reduce Official Development Assistance (ODA) to the equivalent of 0.3% of GNI by 2027. Following the Spending Review, financial year…
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HM Treasury officials work with the independent Office for National Statistics (ONS) to discuss their forward workplan for economic statistics classifications and the priorities for HM Treasury within that workplan (as set out in the ONS’ website). These discussions have included the review…
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At the Autumn Budget, the Chancellor tasked the Office for Value for Money with supporting Value for Money (VfM) decisions as part of the spending review, including supporting departments to develop efficiency targets underpinned by credible delivery plans, scrutinising investment proposals and…
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The information requested is publicly available. Forecast data is published on the OBR’s website https://obr.uk/publications/. Outturn public finances data is published on the ONS website https://www.ons.gov.uk/economy/governmentpublicsectorandtaxes/publicsectorfinance. At Autumn Budget 2024,…
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This Government remains absolutely committed to supporting pensioners and giving them the dignity and security they deserve in retirement. The Government took the right action last July to support the public finances. Tough but fair decisions were taken, including making sure Winter Fuel Payments…
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The information requested is not held by HM Treasury and could only be produced at a disproportionate cost due to the scope and complexity of analysis required.
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Cheques are issued individually by Government Departments and other central government public bodies. HM Treasury does not collect information on the number of cheques issued.
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The 10 Year Infrastructure Strategy will reduce uncertainty by bringing together a long-term plan for the social, economic and housing infrastructure across the UKAlongside considering the UK’s economic and social infrastructure needs, the strategy will set out how we are reforming…
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The Government has already demonstrated its commitment to improving Northern transport infrastructure. At and since the Budget last Autumn, further commitment and funding has been provided for key transport programmes in the North, including the Transpennine Route Upgrade, an £11 billion…
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The Government has already demonstrated its commitment to improving Northern transport infrastructure. At and since the Budget last Autumn, further commitment and funding has been provided for key transport programmes in the North, including the Transpennine Route Upgrade, an £11 billion…
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The 10 Year Infrastructure Strategy will reduce uncertainty by bringing together a long-term plan for the social, economic and housing infrastructure across the UK, including the North WestAlongside considering the UK’s economic and social infrastructure needs, the strategy will set out how…
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We have agreed to work towards the association of the UK to the EU Erasmus+ programme. The specific terms of this association, including mutually agreed financial terms, should be determined as part of that process in order to ensure a fair balance as regards the contributions of and benefits to…
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The Government recognises that preparing for the future means adapting to the effects of climate change. Without action, flooding, coastal erosion and other climate hazards will pose greater risks to lives, livelihoods and people’s wellbeingThe Office for Budget Responsibility’s latest…
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The UK Shared Prosperity Fund was extended at Autumn Budget 2024 at a level of £902m, providing support for local areas, including economic inactivity support in Northern Ireland. In 2025 – 2026, Northern Ireland was allocated £45.48 million under the UKSPF, of which £25.8m is…
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The Government is committed to ensuring eligible parents, whether they are employed or self-employed, can access Tax-Free Childcare as efficiently as possible. To be eligible for Tax-Free Childcare, a parent and their partner (if they have one) must expect to earn at least the National Minimum or…
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Where these projects required funding in 25/26, this funding has already been allocated to the Department for Transport. Funding allocations for future years will be set out at the upcoming spending review on June 11th.
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The Government is committed to supporting our vital emergency services.That is why in 2025/26 we have increased health spending by £22.6 billion relative to 2023/24, policing funding by £1.1 billion and standalone Fire and Rescue Authorities by £65.5 million compared to…
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Public Sector pay rises will be funded from Departmental Budgets across the Parliament – there is no centrally provided funding available for pay rises. Departments have set out in their evidence to the Pay Review Bodies (PRBs) what is affordable for 2025-26 pay awards for their workforces.…
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The Chancellor has regular discussions with cabinet colleagues on a wide range of issues. The agreement with Mauritius was led by the Foreign Secretary who engaged Cabinet colleagues in the usual way.
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At Autumn Budget 2024, the government put the public finances on a sustainable path by strengthening the fiscal framework, including announcing new fiscal rules, and taking difficult decisions on tax, welfare and spending. The information requested is all published explicitly, or calculable from…
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The UK-India Free Trade Agreement will make it easier for British businesses to trade with the fastest growing economy in the G20. The government estimates that it will increase bilateral trade by £25.5 billion, add £4.8billion a year to our economy and boost wages by £2.2 billion…
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The Government recognises that preparing for the future means adapting to the effects of climate change. Without action, flooding, coastal erosion and other climate hazards will pose greater risks to lives, livelihoods and people’s wellbeing. As set out in the Autumn Budget, the Government is…
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The Spending Review is underway, and details will be announced on 11 June. As part of the Spring Statement, Government announced a £3.25bn Transformation Fund to drive efficiencies across government and save money later in the Parliament, and set out how this would be allocated over the…
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The Home Office funds a range of organisations providing vital frontline support to victims of violence against women and girls (VAWG), including domestic abuse. The Home Office is providing a small increase in funding for VAWG victims’ services in this financial year (25/26). In 2024/25,…
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The information is only available at disproportionate cost.
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Revenue generated from fines for motoring offences is retained by Departments or directed into the Consolidated Fund. The consolidated fund is administered by HM Treasury and is used to support general expenditure on public services such as policing, healthcare, local government grants and…
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The Office for Value for Money is a small, time-limited organisation based in HM Treasury. In addition to its independent Chair, the OVfM comprises a team of c.15 officials, including secondees from the National Audit Office (NAO), the Government Commercial Function, and the Evaluation Task Force.…
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Overall, fire and rescue authorities have received around £2.87 billion in 2024/25. The Local Government Funding Settlement was published on 3 February and sets out funding allocations for all Local Authorities including Fire and Rescue. In 2025/26, standalone Fire and Rescue Authorities will…
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No assessment has been made on the impact of the Spanish government’s migration strategy on economic growth in Spain. The Government is committed to ensuring the UK border is secure and has a properly controlled, functioning and managed asylum system. Our new approach is expected to reduce…
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At Phase 1 of the 2025 Spending Review, over £30 million was allocated to the Department for Education to fund breakfast clubs in 2025-26. The Barnett formula was applied in the usual way to changes in the Department for Education’s Delegated Expenditure Limit (DEL) budget. The resulting…
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The Government is providing £2.26bn as part of the G7 Extraordinary Revenue Acceleration (ERA) Loans to Ukraine scheme. This will be repaid using profits from immobilised Russian sovereign assets in the EU.The G7 has assessed and agreed that the ERA can support $50bn of support to Ukraine…
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The Government uses the Government Efficiency Framework to distinguish between efficiencies and savings.The cancellation of a programme would classify as a saving.
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The Office for Value for Money has an immediate focus on supporting value for money decisions surrounding the spending review, including developing efficiency targets and plans, scrutinising investment proposals and conducting VfM studies. It will also recommend system reforms. Non-scheduled…
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Outturn figures for consultancy spending from the government’s Online System for Central Accounting and Reporting II (OSCAR II) are contained within datasets that are published as part of the OSCAR Annual Release. For financial years 2019-20 to 2022-23, these can be accessed via the November…
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In line with the practice of successive administrations, details of internal discussions are not normally disclosed.Local government is responsible for running or commissioning public library services. The Government has delivered a Local Government Finance Settlement (LGFS) that begins to fix the…
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The Home Office is the lead department responsible for domestic abuse funding. The allocation of funding across departmental budgetary responsibilities will be confirmed through the upcoming Spending Review.
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Allocation of employers’ National Insurance contributions support funding is administrated in line with the method used under the Health and Social Care levy.This funding has been allocated to departments, with the Barnett formula applying in the usual way. It is down to individual…
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We are ready to negotiate a Security and Defence Partnership agreement with the EU. This should build on the EU’s existing partnership agreements with other third countries, while recognising the unique nature of our security relationship. We are also ready to look at wider cooperation,…
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This Government launched a Spending Review last year which is taking place in two phases. Phase 1 of that review concluded last October with departments expected to identify savings and efficiencies of 2% for 2025-26. Phase 2 of the review will conclude this June. As part of this the Chancellor of…
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HMRC no longer produce a breakdown of Child benefit claimed by nationality.This release was discontinued following user consultation.The latest publication was in August 2022. Income Tax, National Insurance contributions, Tax Credits and Child Benefit Statistics for Non-UK Nationals: 2019 to 2020 -…
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The £2,000 Tax-Free Childcare (TFC) top-up, which can be claimed per year and per child up to age 11 (and £4,000 per disabled child, up to age 16), was set at this level because the Government believes it strikes the right balance between helping parents with their childcare costs and…
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As published in March, New approach to ensure regulators and regulation support growth set out reforms across the regulatory landscape. These focused on tackling complexity and the burden of regulation, reducing uncertainty, and shifting excessive risk aversion in the regulatory system. Many of…
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The Government is committed to supporting veterans and their families access financial support available to them such as Tax- Free Childcare. Tax-Free Childcare aims to support working parents with the cost of childcare, including veterans, to work, return to work and work more when they want or…
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The provision of asylum support, including accommodation, is the responsibility of the Home Office, not of local authorities. Local authorities do not provide any funding for asylum support. The Home Office’s total expenditure on asylum accommodation in 2024-25 will be confirmed in its Annual…
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Pay for civil servants outside of the Senior Civil Service is not set centrally; rather, departments and bodies have freedom to make decisions on pay within the parameters of the Pay Remit Guidance published annually by the Cabinet Office. The Pay Remit Guidance for 2024/5 can be found using the…
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The Spending Review is underway and details will be announced on 11th June. As part of the Spring Statement, Government announced a £3.25bn Transformation Fund to drive efficiencies across government and save money later in the Parliament and set out how this would be allocated over the…
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At Autumn Budget 2024, the Chancellor agreed to provide funding to the public sector to support them with the additional cost associated with changes to employer National Insurance Contributions policy. The devolved governments will receive funding through the Barnett formula in the usual way in…
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The Chancellor discussed welfare reforms with Cabinet colleagues in the usual way ahead of the publication of the Pathways to Work Green Paper and Spring Statement 2025. As the Chancellor and the Work and Pensions Secretary have set out, these reforms will make the benefits system more pro work,…
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Since its inception, the National Infrastructure Commission has successfully trained and developed a number of apprentices. As a small organisation, the number of apprentices trained and developed has been determined by business needs, balanced against obligations. On 1st April 2025, the…
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Investment in our transport infrastructure is key to delivering the growth mission – with this government committing to a real terms increase in transport investment in 2025-26.We have committed over £1 billion for the North and over £500m for the Midlands in 25/26 to improve local…
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HM Treasury has received and continues to receive representations from a wide range of stakeholders about Heathrow expansion. These informed the speech supporting expansion in January and continue to inform the Government’s position on Heathrow.
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No budget was allocated by HM Treasury for social media advertising, paid partnerships, or other digital communication of the measures in the Spring Statement beyond the budget for the core HMT communications team.
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HMT will consider departmental budget requests as part of the Spending Review process and set out funding for future years at Phase 2 of the Spending Review. The government has already made steps to tackle homelessness through: funding at Autumn Budget 2024 where we announced an additional…
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We remain committed to working in partnership with the Welsh Government to ensure the Fiscal Framework, which sets out their borrowing arrangements, continues to deliver value for money while upholding our shared commitment to fiscal responsibility. Discussions regarding the Welsh…
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At Phase 1 of the 2025 Spending Review, the UK Government allocated an additional £500 million to the Department for Transport for local highways maintenance in 2025-26. The Barnett formula was applied in the usual way to changes in the Department for Transport’s Delegated Expenditure…
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The Chancellor of the Exchequer and Chief Secretary of the Treasury meet regularly with the Secretary of State for Education.At the Spending Review on 30 October, the Department for Education received a settlement providing total DEL funding of £99.7 billion in 2025-26. The Department is…
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The Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) produces forecasts of the UK’s economic and fiscal position.Box 4.5 of the OBR’s Economic and Fiscal Outlook published in March 2024 sets out estimated impacts of migration on the fiscal forecast. As the minimum residency required to move to…
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The 15% saving on administration budgets will be made against the counterfactual assumption that these budgets would have remained flat in real terms over the period 2025-26 to 2029-30. The £2.2 billion represents the value of this 15% saving in the final year only rather than being a…
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The FCDO and the MOD are the lead departments for this agreement. Any financial obligations, including departmental budgetary responsibilities, will be managed responsibly within the government’s fiscal framework through the upcoming Spending Review.
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The current budget was last in a sustained surplus between 1998-99 and 2001-02. The last financial year for which the current budget was in surplus was 2018-19, when there was a surplus of 0.0% of GDP. This information is available in the public finances databank, published by the Office for Budget…
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At Autumn Budget 2024, the Chancellor agreed to provide funding to the public sector to support them with the additional cost associated with changes to employer National Insurance Contributions policy.The devolved governments will receive funding through the Barnett formula in the usual way in…
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As set out in Table 2.1 in the Spring Statement 2025 document, all savings generated from the Official Development Assistance (ODA) reduction in 2025-26 will be spent on defence. The difficult choice to reduce ODA reflects the evolving nature of the threat and the strategic shift required to meet…
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In response to feedback from the Office for Budget Responsibility, the government made amendments to the policy parameters of two measures. Firstly, the Universal Credit standard allowance will reach £106 per week in 2029-30, an increase above inflation. This differs to the level of £107…
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At Phase 1 of the 2025 Spending Review, an additional £500 million was allocated to the Department for Transport to fund local highways maintenance in 2025-26. The Barnett formula was applied in the usual way to changes in the Department for Transport’s Delegated Expenditure Limit (DEL)…
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The Office for Budget Responsibility’s (OBR) March 2025 forecast is for people to be on average over £500 a year better off, relative to the March 2024 forecast. This refers to Real Household Disposable Income (RHDI) per person, a commonly used measure of living standards. This statistic…
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As announced at Spring Statement the government has allocated £150 million for government employee exit schemes. Information can be found in the Spring Statement supporting documentation…
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HM Treasury does not prepare forecasts for the UK economy. Forecasts, including for real household disposable income per person, are the responsibility of the independent Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR). These forecasts are published by the OBR as part of their Economic and Fiscal Outlook…
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The Chancellor’s Spring Statement document, published on 26 March, set out the Resource DEL and Capital DEL uplifts to defence spending over the scorecard period.A greater proportion of the uplift will be Capital DEL funding. This reflects the needs of defence, and will enable the accelerated…
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Departments will bid for funding from a central pot in order to run exit schemes, and therefore the exact details of which Departments will benefit from this and how much each will therefore contribute are not yet known.
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Child Tax Credit has been fully replaced by Universal Credit and Pension Credit since 6 April 2025. The Department for Work and Pensions has invited all eligible customers to claim. There are consequently no plans to review past Child Tax Credit rules or arrangements.
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The Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) published their latest Economic and Fiscal Outlook on 26 March 2025 alongside Spring Statement 2025. This included an assessment of some of the changes in the Pathways to Work Green Paper which the Government is legislating on, with the relevant…
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As announced at Spring Statement the government has allocated £150 million for government employee exit schemes. Information can be found in the Spring Statement supporting documentation…
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Living standards, measured by Real Household Disposable Income (RHDI) per capita, are growing at their fastest quarterly rate in two years and are forecast to rise at more than twice the pace this Parliament compared to the last.The Government’s ambition is to tackle child poverty over this…
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It is possible to reproduce English regional railway expenditure excluding HS2 for the last five years using the Country and Regional Analysis (CRA) dataset. The table below shows the impact for the most recent CRA publication from November 2024:Railway spending for English regions in £s per…
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The Office for Budget Responsibility publishes historical outturn data going back to 1948 for Total Managed Expenditure as a percentage of GDP as part of its Public finances databank.
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As announced at Spring Statement the government has allocated £150 million for government employee exit schemes. Information can be found in the Spring Statement supporting documentation…
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In response to feedback from the Office for Budget Responsibility, the government made amendments to the policy parameters of the Universal Credit standard allowance change. The UC standard allowance will reach £106 per week in 2029-30, an increase above inflation.This update was made after…
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