The measure slipped into UK budget that could protect spending on children, youth and rough sleeping | Heather Stewart

PDEL, which will ringfence money for preventive policies, marks a welcome and potentially consequential addition

John Healey’s debut budget was far from a blockbuster, but it may come to be remembered for the birth of a plucky new character in the tax and spend universe – little PDEL.

It may not have the charm of Disney’s Wall-E, but PDEL (pronounced P-Del), or preventative departmental expenditure limit, to give it its full name, marks a welcome, and potentially very consequential, addition.

The chancellor made clear that ahead of what the Institute for Fiscal Studies has said will be a “brutal” spending review next year, the Treasury is prepared to ringfence the budget for preventive policies.