In May 2022, the government announced its intention to cut 91,000 jobs from the civil service over the next three years, with the aim of returning to 2016 staffing levels.70 The 2021 Spending Review had already confirmed the need for savings of 5% against day- to-day central departmental budgets in 2024–25, however, these new cuts, which represent a 20% reduction in headcount, are far more significant.71 72