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Politics latest: Chancellor delivers big money to NHS as she unveils spending review

Rachel Reeves has outlined her long-awaited spending review, setting budgets for government departments up to the next election. Watch and follow live coverage throughout the day in the Politics Hub.

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Rachel Reeves has delivered her spending review, setting out each government department's budget for the coming years.

Here are her headline announcements:

  • NHS: The health service gets 拢29bn for day-to-day spending - a 3% rise for each year until the next election;
  • Defence: Spending will rise from 2.3% of GDP to 2.6% by 2027 - that's a 拢11bn uplift, with 拢600m for security and intelligence agencies;
  • Border security: The use of hotels to house asylum seekers will end by 2029, and there will be 拢280m more per year for the Border Security Command, which will help combat illegal immigration;
  • Energy: Some 拢14.2bn is being poured into the Sizewell C nuclear power station, part of a 拢30bn investment in nuclear energy;
  • Science and tech: Research and development funding will hit 拢22bn - a record high - by the end of the parliament, with AI plans getting 拢2bn;
  • Housing: Social and affordable housing will get 拢39bn - the biggest cash investment for 50 years;
  • Transport: 拢15bn for new rail, tram, and bus networks in the North and the West Midlands, a new rail line between Liverpool and Manchester, and a four-year settlement for TfL, plus the 拢3 bus fare cap extended to 2027;
  • Nations: Scotland gets 拢52bn, Northern Ireland 拢20bn, and Wales 拢23bn, including notably for coal tips;
  • Prisons: 14,000 new prison places will be funded with a 拢7bn injection;
  • Police: 13,000 more police officers will be paid for with 拢2bn;
  • Education: Free school meals extended to 500,000 children, while the extra 拢4.5bn per year will also go on fixing classrooms and rebuilding schools.
Send in your questions about the spending review

Rachel Reeves has delivered the spending review - with big cash injections for the NHS, defence, and transport.

Got a question about her decisions and what it all means for you?

Our experts are on hand to answer them:

You can submit a question using the comment form above, and we'll be answering them at the link below from around 4pm.

Reeves is a 'tinfoil chancellor'

It's now the shadow chancellor's turn to respond to Rachel Reeves's spending review. 

Mel Stride says the chancellor has "completely lost control", describing her funding announcements as a "spend now, tax later review". 

"She knows she will need to come back here in the autumn with yet more taxes," he tells the Commons, with shouts of agreement coming from behind him. 

"She presented herself as the iron chancellor, but what we have seen is the tinfoil chancellor," he adds. 

He goes on to call her "flimsy" and ready to "fold in the face of the slightest pressure", referring to the government's latest winter fuel payment U-turn.

"She is weak, weak, weak... these spending plans are a fantasy," Stride says.

Chancellor pledges 拢29bn in day-to-day spending for the NHS

Rachel Reeves is now talking about the NHS, saving one of the biggest government costs to last.

The chancellor says: "I am proud to announce today that this Labour Government is making a record cash investment in our NHS, increasing real-terms, day to day spending by 3% per year for every year of this spending review."

This amounts to an extra 拢29bn per year "for the day-to-day running of the health service".

She says: "That is what the British people voted for and that is what we will deliver. 

"More appointments. More doctors. More scanners. 

"The National Health Service: created, by a Labour government. Protected, by a Labour government. And renewed, by this Labour government."

Schools budget gets an extra 拢4.5bn a year

The core schools budget will get an extra 拢4.5bn a year by the end of the spending review, Rachel Reeves says. 

"The previous Conservative government oversaw another generation of kids herded into cold, damp buildings as school roofs literally crumbled. It wasn't acceptable when I was at school, and it isn't acceptable now," the chancellor tells the Commons. 

Nearly 拢2.3bn per year will be spent on "crumbling classrooms", along with 拢2.4bn a year to rebuild 500 schools, she adds. 

There will also be 拢370m for school-based nurseries, and 拢555m of transformation funding. 

Bus fares to remain capped at 拢3 until 'at least' March 2027, Reeves announces

The chancellor confirms that bus fares outside of London will remain capped at 拢3 until "at least March 2027".

This is an extension of a scheme due to finish at the end of the year. 

Rachel Reeves says she knows that "for many people, the cost of living remains a constant challenge".

She also announces the government is capping the cost of school uniforms.

Reeves points to the government's U-turn on cuts to winter fuel payments (though she doesn't use that phrase), the expansion of the warm homes plan and upgrades for millions of homes.

She says: "I am determined to do everything in my power to put more money in people鈥檚 pockets. To give people security and control in their lives. To make working people better off. And to show them that this government - this Labour Government  is on their side."

Police spending power gets a boost - and 14,000 new prison places will be funded

Police spending power will increase by an average of 2.3% per year during this spending review period, Rachel Reeves says. 

The chancellor says this works out at more than 拢2bn and will help put 13,000 extra police officers, PCSOs and special constables across England and Wales. 

The government will also spend 拢7bn on 14,000 new prison places. 

A further 拢700m per year will be spent on the reform and probation system. 

Reeves looks to see off threat of Reform in devolved nations

The chancellor now turns to the devolved nations.

Here are the figures: 拢52bn for Scotland, 拢20bn for Northern Ireland by the end of the spending review period, and 拢23bn for Wales.

She continues: "Having heard representations from many Welsh Labour colleagues and because I know the obligation we owe to our industrial communities, I am providing a multi-year settlement of 拢118m to keep coal tips safe in Wales."

It follows warning that coal tips in the country have become unsafe, with the Welsh Government (also Labour) warning it couldn't guarantee lives wouldn't be lost without investment.

It is no coincidence that Labour is feeling under pressure from Reform in Wales, who launched their campaign to win control of the Senedd in Port Talbot this week, and who pledged to attempt to reopen the town's blast furnaces. 

Nigel Farage's party also performed well in a by-election in Scotland last week, in a warning sign for Labour.

Here's the funding for transport

The chancellor moves on to transport, announcing several funding packages for different aspects of the countries train network. 

Rachel Reeves says there will be a "four year settlement" for the Transport for London and a "fourfold increase" in local transport grants by the end of this parliament. 

She says the government is also investing in major rail projects, including 拢3.5bn for the Transpennine Route Upgrade - the "backbone of rail travel in the North", linking York, Leeds, and Manchester. 

To connect Oxford and Cambridge, she says there will be a further 拢2.5bn for the continued delivery of East-West rail.

We've already heard about the 拢3 bus fare cap being extended to 2027.

Analysis: No austerity, but voters will have to be patient for signs spending has paid off

Reeves says this spending review does not signal a return to austerity - but in reality, unprotected departments and welfare will be squeezed.

She trumpeted a 2.3% increase in departmental budgets, but with well above that average for the big winners - defence and the NHS. The funding settlement for prisons, social care and policing still looks tight.

The chancellor condemns the Conservatives' austerity as a "destructive choice for the fabric of our society" and "for our economy".

"My choices are different," she says, though the 拢113bn she's outlined in capital spending - a large chunk of it for housing - is for big projects which will take a decade to realise. 

This is not cuts on the scale of the coalition in 2010-15, where unprotected departments saw 40% cuts to budgets.

But it comes after years of hollowing out and leaves questions over whether the public's day-to-day experience of public services will be improved within the next three years.