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Workers consulted over cuts plan Workers consulted over cuts plan
(about 9 hours later)
Police officers are among those being asked for their viewsPolice officers are among those being asked for their views
Ministers are asking nurses, police officers and other public sector workers to suggest ideas for "fair and responsible" savings as it launches a consultation on cuts. Six million nurses, police officers and other public sector workers are being asked to suggest savings as ministers launch a consultation on cuts.
Most government departments face average spending cuts of 25%, the coalition revealed in its first Budget.Most government departments face average spending cuts of 25%, the coalition revealed in its first Budget.
David Cameron is writing to six million public sector workers to ask them for input on how this might be achieved. David Cameron and Nick Clegg have e-mailed or sent letters asking staff to help find "fair and responsible" cuts.
Labour say cuts of that size are reckless and will hurt vital services. The GMB's Paul Kenny said it was an "outrage" to ask workers to "co-operate in sacking thousands of them".
Critics have questioned whether cuts of that scale - which the respected Institute for Fiscal Studies think tank say will be the biggest since 1945 - are achievable. Labour say cuts of 25% are reckless and will hurt vital services.
Chancellor George Osborne is already coming under pressure to try and find more savings from the welfare budget, in addition to the £11bn earmarked in his Budget statement, to minimise the impact on budgets for the police and schools. 'Serious' ideas
Ministers will determine the extent of the squeeze faced by individual departments in October's spending review. Deputy PM Nick Clegg said the coalition government was "prepared to look at any innovative idea, however bold, however radical, however off the wall it might seem to people" if it could save money in a way that was fair and protected "frontline services".
Ahead of this, ministers are urging public sector workers to make clear what services they believe are non-essential and can be discontinued, how services can be better targeted or provided more effectively by private and voluntary groups to save cash. They say that all "serious" ideas would be passed on to officials for consideration.
Search for waste Ministers will determine the extent of the squeeze faced by individual departments in October's spending review but are asking public sector workers to suggest services they believe are non-essential, how services can be better targeted or provided more effectively by private and voluntary groups.
"We want you to help us find those savings so we can cut public spending in a way which is fair and responsible," Mr Cameron writes. "We want you to help us find those savings so we can cut public spending in a way which is fair and responsible," Prime Minister David Cameron writes.
"You work on the frontline of public services. You know where things are working well, where the waste is and where we can rethink things so that we get better services for less money.""You work on the frontline of public services. You know where things are working well, where the waste is and where we can rethink things so that we get better services for less money."
But Mr Kenny, general secretary of the GMB union, said: "Cameron and Clegg have a damned cheek in asking public sector workers to co-operate in sacking thousands of them. It is an utter outrage."
He said unions were "perfectly capable of speaking up on their behalf" and would be resisting "savage cuts in public services".
'Big differences'
Meanwhile research by the respected economic think tank the Institute for Fiscal Studies which said "progressive" reforms in the Budget had largely been announced by the previous Labour government and the new tax and benefit changes were "regressive overall".
But Mr Clegg said that excluded measures that were being introduced. He told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "The top earners make a much bigger contribution than anybody else."
He said "very exceptional measures" were being taken to instil "fairness" into the Budget - pointing to the raising of the income tax personal allowance, which is estimated to take 800,000 low paid people out of income tax altogether, and a £150 increase in child tax credits for 1m low income families.
"These are big measureable differences which will help people who are on low pay."
Critics have questioned whether cuts of the scale outlined in the Budget are achievable.
Chancellor George Osborne is already coming under pressure to find more savings from the welfare budget, in addition to the £11bn earmarked in his Budget statement, to minimise the impact on budgets for the police and schools.
Mr Clegg said the number of people on disability benefit had tripled and added: "I think there are some areas of welfare where it is totally right to ask ourselves whether we can spend money more effectively to help people most in need.
"It can't be right that nine out of ten families in this country with children are on tax credits and means tested benefits... I don't think there's anything wrong in saying where you can you shouldn't be providing money to people who don't need the help as much as others."
'Fair and responsible'
Mr Cameron has acknowledged the two year pay freeze announced in the Budget for workers earning more than £21,000 is "tough" and will amount to a pay cut when taking inflation into account.Mr Cameron has acknowledged the two year pay freeze announced in the Budget for workers earning more than £21,000 is "tough" and will amount to a pay cut when taking inflation into account.
But he told the BBC that the alternative was thousands of job losses in the public sector.But he told the BBC that the alternative was thousands of job losses in the public sector.
He has also warned public sector workers they can expect less generous pensions in future as spending on pensions is becoming unaffordable and needs to be reduced as part of efforts to tackle the record Budget deficit He has also warned public sector workers they can expect less generous pensions in future as spending on pensions is becoming unaffordable.
He has suggested that, while entitlements which people have already accrued would be maintained, workers need to contribute more to existing schemes in future and were likely to get less on retirement.He has suggested that, while entitlements which people have already accrued would be maintained, workers need to contribute more to existing schemes in future and were likely to get less on retirement.
Labour has said the cuts are based on an ideological desire to reduce the scope of the state, rather than sound economic reasons. Labour says the cuts are based on an ideological desire to reduce the scope of the state, rather than sound economic reasons.
"I am really concerned to see a Conservative-Liberal government taking to pieces the welfare state in front of our eyes," Shadow Education Secretary Ed Balls told BBC's Newsnight."I am really concerned to see a Conservative-Liberal government taking to pieces the welfare state in front of our eyes," Shadow Education Secretary Ed Balls told BBC's Newsnight.
"George Osborne does not need to make the cuts he is making, not in this way. It will be damaging to growth and to jobs.""George Osborne does not need to make the cuts he is making, not in this way. It will be damaging to growth and to jobs."
Are you a public sector worker? What ideas for "fair and responsible" savings would you suggest? Share your views using the form below.