By Daniel Hunter
Seven Whitehall departments have agreed on spending cuts with Chancellor George Osborne.
The chancellor said he had found 20% of the £11.5bn he wants to cut spending by in the year from April 2015.
'Significant savings' will be seen in the justice, energy and communities departments, whilst health, schools and foreign aid will be protected from any cuts.
The opposition is expected to say the government has cut too much too fast.
Mr Osborne told BBC Breakfast said no chancellor had got so far in agreeing so many plans so far ahead of a spending review - which is due towards the end of June.
He said that negotiations over savings continued with the Ministry of Defence and the Home Office, but he said he would not do anything to put at risk people's safety "at home or abroad".
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