Today we've had a Spending Review announcing some fantastic new investment in key priorities like our schools, police and hospitals. Here are the headlines:
EDUCATION
- A £17.4bn increase in school budgets and real terms rise for every school. Teachers salaries will rise to attract and retain the best people, and the Government will fund pension contribution increases so schools don't have to find the money.
- An 11% increase in Special Educational Needs Funding, and a £400m increase for Further Education colleges like Priestly College, including increasing the base rate for per-pupil funding in FE.
- We're increasing the hourly rate provided to nurseries for 30 hrs free, to ensure that businesses can continue to afford to provide free care and offer proper training and development for staff.
- A new youth investment fund to build and refurbish youth centres, to be established over the coming months.
HOME OFFICE
- A 6.3% increase in Home Office spending, including £795m for first year of new Police recruitment, meaning 7k new Officers on our streets. There's £30m to tackle online Child Sexual Abuse, and more for the Crown Prosecution Service and 10, 000 new prison places.
- Investing £2bn in Brexit preparation including more Border Force officials and infrastructure, as well as business preparedness etc.
HEALTH
- We already announced £34bn a year more by 2023, and today confirmed a £6.2bn increase in funding next year, plus £2bn for improving infrastructure like hospital buildings. I’ll be campaigning to bring some of that money to Warrington for a new Hospital.
- An additional £1.5bn increase in Social Care funding for next year to support Councils in delivering these services.
HOMELESSNESS
We're providing a 13% increase in funding for Homelessness Services; an additional £54m a year to help get people off the streets.
AS WELL AS...
- £200m extra for local bus services to make sure that more people can access local routes.
- 2.6% increase in Defense funding
- £3.6bn for the Stronger Towns Fund that I hope Warrington will be able to access in due course.
