Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask His Majesty's Government what are the estimated costs of reversing the policy of the previous government to freeze Civil Service hiring and reduce staff numbers to pre-COVID-19 levels.

In a public statement on 2 October 2023, the previous Chancellor announced a cap on civil service numbers. This statement includes data on the estimated financial impacts of this policy for the remainder of the SR21 Spending Review period, ending in March 2025. It can be accessed at GOV.UK.

The headcount cap announced by the previous administration was lifted in July in line with taking immediate action to stop all non-essential government consultancy spend in 2024-25 and to halve government spending on consultancy in future years. At Autumn Budget, the government committed to developing a strategic plan for a more efficient and effective civil service through phase two of the multi-year spending review.