Political reporter<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n BBC News<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Government running costs will be cut by 15% by the end of the decade, the chancellor has promised. <\/p>\n Rachel Reeves told the BBC savings would be made from back office and administrative roles rather than front-line services.<\/p>\n But unions warned the impact of cuts would still be felt by the public. <\/p>\n It comes ahead of the chancellor’s Spring Statement on Wednesday, when she is expected to announce spending cuts for some government departments. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n The move is part of an ongoing spending review looking into all areas of government activity. <\/p>\n In the coming week, Whitehall departments will receive a letter from Cabinet Office Minister Pat McFadden with instructions to make savings amounting to more than \u00a32bn a year by the end of the decade. <\/p>\n Sectors such as human resources, policy advice, communications and office management are expected to be in the firing line. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n Reeves told the BBC’s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg programme the government wanted to use savings to invest in its priorities, such as the NHS. <\/p>\n She said the size of the Civil Service had increased “massively” during Covid and had not returned to pre-pandemic levels. <\/p>\n Reeves added that cutting running costs by 15% was “more than possible” given advances in technology and artificial intelligence. <\/p>\n Pressed over how many civil service jobs could go, the chancellor told Sky News she was “confident” numbers could be reduced by 10,000. <\/p>\n As of December 2024, an estimated 547,735 people were employed by the Civil Service according to the Office for National Statistics. This includes temporary and casual employees.<\/p>\n Civil servants are politically impartial officials employed by the government, covering areas including policy development and services like benefits and prisons.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Dave Penman, head of the FDA union, which represents senior civil servants, said the distinction between back office and the front line was “artificial”. <\/p>\n “The idea that cuts of this scale can be delivered by cutting HR and comms teams is for the birds,” he said.<\/p>\n “This plan will require ministers to be honest with the public and their civil servants about the impact this will have on public services.”<\/p>\n Meanwhile, Mike Clancy, head of the Prospect union, said: “Civil servants in all types of roles help the public and deliver the government’s missions. <\/p>\n “Cutting them will inevitably have an impact that will be noticed by the public.”<\/p>\n![\"Jeff](\"https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/480\/cpsprodpb\/c1fd\/live\/7f233090-07d0-11f0-8aad-d30c42e87de8.jpg.webp\")
Jeff Overs\/BBC<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n