Deficit means Whitehall faces extra cuts Mr Alexander, the Chief Secretary to the Treasury, said that ministers in control of unprotected departments will have to accept major cuts in the forthcoming spending review. The NHS, schools and international development are all being spared, but most other departments have been told to prepare for significant cuts. A bigger-than-expected Government deficit has forced the Coalition to extend its austerity programme into the next Parliament, and the Treasury is seeking cuts worth £11.5 billion in 2015/16. Despite protests from Conservative ministers, those cuts will fall on departments" resource budgets - which fund day-to-day operations - and not on the welfare system. Speaking to BBC Radio 4"s World at One programme Mr Alexander said: "Broadly speaking, yes I would [accept the figure of between 5 and 6 per cent]. As Chief Secretary, I'm the one who's responsible for carrying out this spending round and, of course, we're looking very hard at where we can find further efficiencies and improvements in the running costs of government. We're looking at further policy reforms to help deliver better outcomes for less money. Mr Alexander claimed there is a "collective agreement" amongst ministers that cuts need to be made. Senior ministers including Vince Cable, the Business Secretary, and Philip Hammond, the Defence Secretary, have hit out at proposed cuts while some departments are protected. Mr Hammond warned that the Armed Forces cannot sustain further cuts and demanded the welfare bill is cut instead. Mr Alexander added: "There is a collective agreement around the Cabinet table that we have to deal with the deficit, that we have to continue the action necessary to get the nation's finances back on the right track. Yes, it is tough, yes, the road is harder and longer than we first forecast. The commitment is unwavering to that. We are going to stick to the plan that we set out because it is the right thing for this country.