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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| Spending Review: Home Office agrees cuts with Osborne | Spending Review: Home Office agrees cuts with Osborne |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| The Home Office and five other departments are the latest to reach a deal with George Osborne over spending cuts, the government has confirmed. | The Home Office and five other departments are the latest to reach a deal with George Osborne over spending cuts, the government has confirmed. |
| About half of all departments have now agreed to cuts of between 8% and 10% to help tackle the deficit. | About half of all departments have now agreed to cuts of between 8% and 10% to help tackle the deficit. |
| That amounts to £3.6bn - nearly a third of the way towards the £11.5bn target. | That amounts to £3.6bn - nearly a third of the way towards the £11.5bn target. |
| Some of the biggest spenders, including the Ministry of Defence and the Department for Work and Pensions, are still in talks with the Treasury. | Some of the biggest spenders, including the Ministry of Defence and the Department for Work and Pensions, are still in talks with the Treasury. |
| They must reach a deal by 26 June, when the chancellor is set to announce his Spending Review. | They must reach a deal by 26 June, when the chancellor is set to announce his Spending Review. |
| The latest departments to settle are the Department for Rural Affairs; Department for Culture, Media and Sport; Scottish Office; Welsh Office, and Law Offices which include the Crown Prosecution Service. | The latest departments to settle are the Department for Rural Affairs; Department for Culture, Media and Sport; Scottish Office; Welsh Office, and Law Offices which include the Crown Prosecution Service. |
| 'Real progress' | 'Real progress' |
| The departments have had to swallow average cuts of 8% across the board but policing counter terrorism is to be protected at the Home Office. | The departments have had to swallow average cuts of 8% across the board but policing counter terrorism is to be protected at the Home Office. |
| The latest deal adds up to savings of £1.1bn towards the £11.5bn savings target announced at Budget 2013. | The latest deal adds up to savings of £1.1bn towards the £11.5bn savings target announced at Budget 2013. |
| Taken with the near £1.5bn savings delivered in the Budget and the £1bn savings delivered in the first phase of settlements, this brings total savings to £3.6bn, nearly a third of the way towards the £11.5bn. | Taken with the near £1.5bn savings delivered in the Budget and the £1bn savings delivered in the first phase of settlements, this brings total savings to £3.6bn, nearly a third of the way towards the £11.5bn. |
| Chief Secretary to the Treasury Danny Alexander said: "Today's provisional settlements show we continue to make real progress towards the savings we need while protecting priority areas. | Chief Secretary to the Treasury Danny Alexander said: "Today's provisional settlements show we continue to make real progress towards the savings we need while protecting priority areas. |
| "Counter terrorism policing is a crucial part of our national security and I took no convincing of the need to protect this area. Given recent events in Woolwich, we cannot compromise on our national security. | "Counter terrorism policing is a crucial part of our national security and I took no convincing of the need to protect this area. Given recent events in Woolwich, we cannot compromise on our national security. |
| "None of the spending choices we make are easy, but ensuring the UK can pay its way in the world is vital to our long-term prosperity. | "None of the spending choices we make are easy, but ensuring the UK can pay its way in the world is vital to our long-term prosperity. |
| "Settling over half of departments with two weeks to go shows how committed the whole of government is to dealing with the deficit." | |
| Tuition fees | Tuition fees |
| Mr Alexander denied press reports of rows with Business Secretary Vince Cable over proposed cuts in higher education spending, which is funded by Mr Cable's business department. | Mr Alexander denied press reports of rows with Business Secretary Vince Cable over proposed cuts in higher education spending, which is funded by Mr Cable's business department. |
| According to The Daily Telegraph, graduates could be forced to start repaying their student loans earlier to save cash. | According to The Daily Telegraph, graduates could be forced to start repaying their student loans earlier to save cash. |
| But Mr Alexander said such stories were not true and student loans were "not an issue" in the current public spending round and there would be no such move, "on my watch". | But Mr Alexander said such stories were not true and student loans were "not an issue" in the current public spending round and there would be no such move, "on my watch". |
| He said he was "having a very sensible and serious-minded discussion about savings in his [Mr Cable's] department as we are in many other departments". | He said he was "having a very sensible and serious-minded discussion about savings in his [Mr Cable's] department as we are in many other departments". |
| He also played down concerns - expressed by the head of the army General Sir Peter Wall that further budget cuts could endanger soldiers' lives. | He also played down concerns - expressed by the head of the army General Sir Peter Wall that further budget cuts could endanger soldiers' lives. |
| Mr Alexander told the BBC News channel: "We are having a very careful and serious discussion about how we can make the sorts of savings in the Ministry of Defence that don't affect our frontline capabilities. | Mr Alexander told the BBC News channel: "We are having a very careful and serious discussion about how we can make the sorts of savings in the Ministry of Defence that don't affect our frontline capabilities. |
| "There is plenty of room to do that in a large department like the Ministry of Defence." | "There is plenty of room to do that in a large department like the Ministry of Defence." |
| George Osborne has called for further belt-tightening in Whitehall, on top of the billions being cut from departmental budgets between 2011 and 2015, as he tries to get to grip with the deficit in the public finances. | George Osborne has called for further belt-tightening in Whitehall, on top of the billions being cut from departmental budgets between 2011 and 2015, as he tries to get to grip with the deficit in the public finances. |
| Labour has said the government's austerity drive is failing and warned of potential capability gaps in defence. | Labour has said the government's austerity drive is failing and warned of potential capability gaps in defence. |