Keeping this out of the coronavirus thread so it doesn't get lost.
Chancellor Rishi Sunak has set out what the UK government will spend on health, education, transport and other public services next year.
In a statement in Parliament, he also briefed MPs about the state of the UK economy and the latest forecasts for the UK's public finances, which have been battered by the Covid pandemic.
Here are the main points.
Employment and business
International aid and defence
Overseas aid budget to be cut from 0.7% to 0.5% of total national income
Will see reduction of about £4bn in support for tackling global poverty
UK will revert to 0.7% target in 2022-23 if the public finances allow
A multi-billion pound increase in annual defence spending over the next four years, creating 40,000 jobs
New centre dedicated to artificial intelligence
National cyber force to counter terrorists, organised crime groups and hostile states
Schools, transport, crime and councils
Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-55072003
Chancellor Rishi Sunak has set out what the UK government will spend on health, education, transport and other public services next year.
In a statement in Parliament, he also briefed MPs about the state of the UK economy and the latest forecasts for the UK's public finances, which have been battered by the Covid pandemic.
Here are the main points.
- Millions of public sector workers will see their pay frozen in 2021-2
- A million NHS workers and those earning less than £24,000 will still get increase
- The UK economy is expected to shrink by 11.3% this year
- Unemployment is expected to reach 7.5% next spring, with 2.6 million people out of work
- Overseas aid budget is to be cut by about £4bn
- A new £4bn "levelling up" fund will pay for upgrading local infrastructure across UK
- Chancellor warns of 'lasting' damage to UK economy
- Millions of public sector workers will see real-terms pay cuts next year as their pay is frozen
- But more than two million earning less than £24,000 a year will get a minimum £250 increase
- More than a million doctors, nurses and other NHS workers will also see rise
- National Living wage to rise by 2.2% to £8.91 an hour
- 23 and 24-year olds will qualify for living wage for first time
- Low-paid public sector workers to get £250 pay rise
- Economy set to contract by 11.3% in 2020, the largest fall for more than 300 years
- Economy forecast to grow by 5.5% next year and by 6.6% in 2022
- Output not expected to return to pre-crisis levels until the fourth quarter of 2022
- Unemployment is expected to reach 7.5% next spring, with 2.6 million people out of work
- Borrowing forecast to hit £394bn this year, equivalent to 19% of GDP, the highest ever in peacetime
- UK debt will be equivalent to 91.9% of GDP this year and rise to 97.5% of GDP in 2025-26
- In 2025, the economy will be around 3% smaller than was expected in March Budget forecast
- Unemployed predicted to rise to 2.6 million
- A total of £18bn to be spent on Covid testing, PPE and vaccines next year
- Health budget in England to rise by £6bn, including an extra £3bn for the NHS to cope with Covid pressures
- £1bn to tackle treatment backlogs and enable delayed operations to go ahead
- £500m for mental health services in England
- £325m to replace ageing diagnostic equipment like MRI and CT scanners
- £300m extra grant funding for councils for social care
Employment and business
- A new £4.6bn package to help people back to work
- £2.6bn for Restart scheme to support those out of work for 12 months
- £1.6bn for the Kickstart scheme to subsidise jobs for young people
- £375m skills package, including £138m to provide Lifetime Skills Guarantee
- New £4bn "levelling up" fund to finance local infrastructure projects, like by-passes
- New UK infrastructure bank to be established in North of England
- Business rates multiplier will be frozen in 2021-22
International aid and defence
Overseas aid budget to be cut from 0.7% to 0.5% of total national income
Will see reduction of about £4bn in support for tackling global poverty
UK will revert to 0.7% target in 2022-23 if the public finances allow
A multi-billion pound increase in annual defence spending over the next four years, creating 40,000 jobs
New centre dedicated to artificial intelligence
National cyber force to counter terrorists, organised crime groups and hostile states
Schools, transport, crime and councils
- £2.2bn extra for schools in England, representing 2.2% increase per pupil
- An extra £2bn for public transport, including subsidies for the rail network
- £3bn in extra funding for local authorities, representing a 4.5% increase in spending power
- £250m for councils to tackle rough sleeping
- £4bn over four years to provide 18,000 new prison places
- More than £400m to recruit 6,000 new police officers by the end of 2022
Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland
- £2.6bn fund for the devolved administrations to boost Covid recovery
- Additional cash boost of £1bn for Scottish executive, £600m for Welsh government and £400m for the Northern Ireland as part of enhanced devolved settlements
- £11m cash boost for Scottish regional growth deals
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-55072003
