The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Key points of the chancellor’s spending review at a glance
● A pledge to “turn the page on austerity” and bring about a “decade of renewal”.
● The chancellor announced that dayto-day government spending will increase by £13.8 billion next year – a 4.1% above inflation rise on 2019-20.
● Schools are set to see a cash boost, with every secondary to be allocated a minimum of £5,000 per pupil by 202021, and every primary £4,000 per pupil by 2021-22.
● A cash increase for the NHS with £33.9 bn a year by 2023-24 compared to 2018-19 budgets.
● Social care to receive an additional £1.5 bn, with £1 bn coming via a new Treasury grant and another £500 million raised through taxes.
● The chancellor was given a chance to deliver a leadership pledge he made two months ago, giving a 6.3% spending rise to the Home Office – enough to recruit 20,000 additional police officers.
● A £200m grant to “transform” bus services will come out of a £490m increase for the transport network.
● Confirmed a “rapid review of HS2” and vowed to “kick-start the infrastructure revolution”.
● Prison expansion will be given the go-ahead with a pledge to create 10,000 additional prison places.
● The armed forces will see a £2.2bn funding boost.
● The foreign aid target of 0.7% of Gross National Income (GNI) will continue to be met.
● Brexit “delivery” funding worth £2bn was set aside to pay for more Border Force staff, and “better transport infrastructure” at ports.
● He committed an extra £54m to tackling rough sleeping.
● Environmental concerns, including decarbonising Britain’s economy, tackling air quality and protecting sea life, received a £90m funding uplift.