Oral Answers to Questions

Nusrat Ghani Excerpts

Tuesday 24th October 2017 Commons Chamber

[Ms Nusrat Ghani (Wealden) (Con)]

7. What comparative assessment the Government have made of the level of spending on public services in the UK and other developed countries.

[The Chief Secretary to the Treasury (Elizabeth Truss)]

Last year, public spending was 38.9% of GDP, which equates to about £28,500 per household. This is comparable with other leading countries.

[Ms Ghani]

Does the Minister agree that it is due to this Government’s responsible management of the public finances that we are able to spend more on education than Germany and Japan, and more on defence and policing than any other European country?

[Elizabeth Truss]

My hon. Friend is absolutely right. We spend more per student on education than Germany or Japan. Because of our management of the public finances, we have been able to push £1.3 billion more of education spending to the frontline, where it is going to make the most difference in classrooms.