Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask His Majesty's Government what criteria will be used to release the £7.1 billion in unallocated Departmental Expenditure Limit reserves by 2028–29, and whether they intend that such allocations will be subject to parliamentary approval or set out in a Written Ministerial Statement.

The £7.1bn in Departmental Expenditure Limit Reserves in 2028-29 will be allocated subject to approval from the Chief Secretary to the Treasury and in line with the criteria set out in chapter 2 of the Consolidated Budgeting Guidance, the 2025-26 version of which can be found on GOV.UK.

Depending on when in the financial year the Chief Secretary agrees to allocate funding, Reserve allocations will be included in Main and Supplementary Estimates, which are voted on by Parliament. Departments will include these amounts in their Estimates memorandum.