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Economic forecasts
* The chancellor stood up to begin his speech at 1230 GMT
* Mr Brown hailed the "longest period of economic growth since records began in 1701" in Britain.
* He promised to strike the right balance between affordable tax cuts, essential investment and stability, which was paramount
* Inflation was now 1.6% and was expected to be 1.75% this year and 2% in 2006 and beyond
* Growth for 2004 was 3.1%, as forecast, and he predicted the economy would grow by 3% to 3.5% this year and 2.5% to 3% next year.
* Inflation was the lowest for 30 years, interest rates the lowest for 35 years and employment the highest ever, said Mr Brown
* Borrowing is forecast at £34bn for 2004/5, £32bn for 2005/6 and £29bn for 2006/7.
Employment
* There will be new rules to encourage incapacity benefit claimants into work and changes to housing benefit to help create jobs.
* From next month, there will be £2,000 return to work bonuses available to single parents
* Mr Brown pledged new centres for people to get vocational training
* He announced £65m to be spent in the coming year on employer training pilots
* Mr Brown said new plans to target young people at risk of causing crime would be unveiled.
Efficiency programmes
* The first 7,800 civil servants to be moved out of London had now moved to other parts of the UK
* Mr Brown said the first £2bn of savings from the Gershon review of government departments had been made.
Euro
* The chancellor said there would be no further assessment of whether the UK should adopt the euro in this Budget.
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Well that's the usual BS out of the way, just got to wait to see how much more badly off we're going to be (apart from those people who don't bother working as churning out kids pays well these days
Another thread all together lol0
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Taxation
* Stamp duty thresholds doubled to £120,00 0
* Inheritance tax currently starts being paid on estates worth £260,00 0 - that will rise to £275,00 0 this year, £285,00 0 next year and then to £300,00 0.
* Petrol duty inflation rise postponed until 1 September due to high oil prices
* Mr Brown said he would freeze: corporation tax, capital gains tax, air passenger tax, insurance premium tax, climate change levy, aggregates levy and company car levy
* Duty up 1p on a pint of beer and 4p on a bottle of wine, but frozen on cider, sparkling wine and spirits.
* Tax breaks on ISAs extended until 2010
* Personal income tax allowance to be raised in line with inflation.
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Well that's stamp duty raised then
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Mind you I hope the Beeb is wrong about this
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* Extra £400 promised for defence
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