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Chancellor launches Comprehensive Spending Review

皇冠体育app Chancellor has today launched the 2020 Comprehensive Spending Review (CSR). 皇冠体育app Review, which will be published in the autumn, will set out the government鈥檚 spending plans for the parliament.

This was published under the 2019 to 2022 Johnson Conservative government

皇冠体育app review will set UK Government departments鈥� resource budgets for the years 2021/22 to 2023/24 and capital budgets for the years 2021/22 until 2024/25, and devolved administrations鈥� block grants for the same period.

皇冠体育app CSR will prioritise:

  • strengthening the UK鈥檚 economic recovery from COVID-19 by prioritising jobs and skills
  • levelling up economic opportunity across all nations and regions of the country by investing in infrastructure, innovation and people 鈥� thus closing the gap with our competitors by spreading opportunity, maximising productivity and improving the value add of each hour worked
  • improving outcomes in public services, including supporting the NHS and taking steps to cut crime and ensure every young person receives a superb education
  • making the UK a scientific superpower, including leading in the development of technologies that will support the government鈥檚 ambition to reach net zero carbon emissions by 2050
  • strengthening the UK鈥檚 place in the world
  • improving the management and delivery of our commitments, ensuring that all departments have the appropriate structures and processes in place to deliver their outcomes and commitments on time and within budget

Due to unprecedented uncertainty, the Chancellor did not fix a set spending envelope, but confirmed that departmental spending (both capital and resource) will grow in real terms across the CSR period and that the government will deliver on the commitments made at Budget to level up and invest in the priorities of the British people.

Given the impact COVID-19 has had on the economy, the Chancellor was clear there will need be tough choices in other areas of spending at the review. As part of their preparations for the CSR departments have been asked to identify opportunities to reprioritise and deliver savings. Departments will also be required to fulfil a series of conditions in their returns, including providing evidence they are delivering the government鈥檚 priorities and focussing on delivery.

皇冠体育app Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rishi Sunak, said:

皇冠体育app first phase of our economic response to coronavirus was about safeguarding employment as far as possible. Our goal in the second phase is to protect, create and support jobs and we set out our plan to achieve this two weeks ago.

皇冠体育app Comprehensive Spending Review is our opportunity to deliver on the third phase of our recovery plan 鈥� where we will honour the commitments made in the March Budget to rebuild, level up and invest in people and places spreading opportunities more evenly across the nation.

To help frame the government鈥檚 approach at the Spending Review, an interim report of the Net Zero Review will be published this Autumn, followed by a final report in the Spring.

HMT has opened a process for the Comprehensive Spending Review to allow external stakeholders to submit representations.

Further information

  • 皇冠体育app Chancellor鈥檚 letter outlined that in the interest of fairness we must exercise restraint in future public sector pay awards, ensuring that across this year and the spending review period, public sector pay levels retain parity with the private sector.
  • 皇冠体育app date for the conclusion of the review will be confirmed in due course.
  • Representations to the CSR can be submitted here.

Updates to this page

Published 21 July 2020