Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 3 March 2025 to Question 32970 on Government Departments: Consultants, how the baseline for the communication and marketing spending reductions were calculated; and what the baseline aggregate figure is.

The baseline for communication and marketing spending reductions was calculated using the planned spend figures submitted by departments to the Cabinet Office as part of the advertising, marketing and communications spending control process.

As a result, Autumn Budget 2024 confirmed an £85 million saving from reducing unnecessary communications spend in 2024-25 and up to £96m in 2025-26 – exceeding the £50 million target set out in the Chancellor's July 2024 Inheritance speech.