Conservatives who really want to limit government should focus on major reform, not on hitting some unlikely balanced budget target in some future year.

WSJ: Review & Outlook: Ryan and the Right

And he forecast that the budget problems faced by some schools this year would affect future staffing levels.

BBC: NEWS | UK | Education | Rising teacher numbers disputed

However, comments about the future size of the budget deficit could lead to speculation about constraints on spending in the next financial year.

BBC: What is a pre-budget report?

The government announced in this year's Budget that it wanted to create a new, automatic mechanism for future increases in the pension age, based on regular, independent reviews.

BBC: Government says state pension age is rising too slowly