UK to cut govt costs by 15pc

LONDON, Mar 23 (AFP): UK finance minister Rachel Reeves said Sunday she plans to cut the costs of running government by 15 per cent within four years, as she grapples with strained public finances.

Her comments came ahead of her crucial Spring Statement on Wednesday when she is expected to detail billions of pounds of spending cuts across various government departments. "We are, by the end of this parliament, making a commitment that we will cut the costs of running government by 15 per cent," she told the BBC.

The broadcaster reported that target would translate to annual savings of £2.2 billion ($2.8 billion) across Britain's civil service.