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George Osborne writes to nurses for advice on budget cuts

The government has asked for ideas on how find £20 billion in savings from millions of public sector workers

Chancellor George Osborne has written to nurses and millions of public sector workers asking them where cuts to government department budgets can be made. 

In the letter, Mr Osborne and chief secretary to the treasury Greg Hands have invited public sector workers to take part in an online survey and submit ideas. 

The government wants to find £20 billion in savings to ‘eliminate Britain’s deficit by 2019/20’.

It launched a spending review on July 21 following the summer budget, in which it announced welfare cuts alongside a national living wage and a raising of the personal allowance to £11,000. 

In the budget nurses and public sector workers were told the highest pay increase they can receive until 2020 is 1% per year. 

Mr Osborne's letter, which sets out what the government is calling its 'public sector efficiency challenge', says: ‘You do an incredible job day in, day out. 

‘Your hard work over the last parliament ensured that while we made big savings across departments, our public services, far from declining, improved.’

It adds: ‘You know better than most where we can take the next steps. 

‘You know first-hand where things are working well on the front line of public services, but also where the waste is and where we can provide better services for less money.’

The government ran a similar exercise in 2010 and has said ideas coming out of that included reducing the need for multiple criminal records checks by providing employers with more electronic access.

The spending review, to be published on November 25, will set out where the savings will be made. 

To complete the survey, click here.