Public Sector Debt: Interest Payments

(asked on 28th August 2026) - View Source

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what total expenditure HM Treasury projects for public sector net debt interest payments in the current financial year; and how that expenditure compares to the combined annual budgets allocated to the Ministry of Defence, the police service, and HM Prison and Probation Service.


Answered by
Emma Reynolds Portrait
Emma Reynolds
Chief Secretary to the Treasury
This question was answered on 9th September 2026

The Chancellor has been clear that fiscal discipline is his first priority. The fiscal rules keep debt on a sustainable path while allowing borrowing for investment.

Forecasts are produced independently by the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR). The OBR’s most recent forecasts, including for debt interest costs, are available in the March 2026 Economic and Fiscal Outlook linked here: https://obr.uk/efo/economic-and-fiscal-outlook-march-2026/

Departmental budgets for the Ministry of Defence, Home Office and Ministry of Justice are available in Public Expenditure Statistical Analyses (PESA) 2026, which is published here: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/public-expenditure-statistical-analyses-2026

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