Prime Minister Gordon Brown yesterday appeared to tell parliament that the pre-Budget report for 2007 would take place in October rather than December, when it is traditionally made.

Answering questions from opposition leader David Cameron on whether NHS cuts would be frozen during the government's review of the NHS, Brown said that the government would report back to the house on the review 'at the time of the pre-Budget report in October'.

The Treasury would neither confirm nor deny whether the PBR would take place in October. Officials would also not say whether Brown had mistakenly referred to the PBR rather than the comprehensive spending review.

'No official date has been set for either the pre-Budget report or the comprehensive spending review. It was a slip of the tongue,' a spokeswoman said.

If the pre-Budget report is to be held on an earlier-than-normal October date, then Brown could well be planning to call a snap election.

Advisers, meanwhile, have expressed concern over the possibility of an early PBR.

'There are so many consultations that we are working on at the moment that are only due to close in September. If the PBR is in October it could throw out the timing of all these consultations,' said Bill Dodwell, head of tax policy at Deloitte.

Further reading:

Read the transcript of the parliamentary question and answer session